Day 294 - 05 Nov 96 - Page 05

     
     1        gimmicks and routines with paper hats and balloons hide the
     2        fact that the food they are seduced into eating is at best
     3        mediocre, at worse poisonous'.
     4
     5        Now, the 'at worse poisonous' reference, there is obviously
     6        a worse case scenario and that is very specifically alluded
     7        to.  Secondly, it is not specific as to what it is
     8        referring to, and so it is a general charge which we would
     9        obviously justify through the evidence in the case relating
    10        to the additives, the residues that is, which are referred
    11        to on the next page, the bacteria.  And also we would pray
    12        in aid the relationship between that kind of food and
    13        degenerative diseases, which comes before that section.
    14
    15        Then over the page, we have the "What's Your Poison" box
    16        which does not specifically mention McDonald's at all and
    17        it is putting the case against this kind of -- well,
    18        basically, the meat related problems of a meat based diet.
    19        Before I read that section out I notice -- not notice,
    20        I emphasise -- the last word in that box.  The last word is
         'diet', when it says 'can further damage the health of
    22        people who eat a meat based diet'.  Obviously, the word
    23        'diet' there is also relating back to the problems with
    24        diet identified in the general food section, unhealthy food
    25        section.  So I will just read that out.  'Meat is
    26        responsible for 70 percent of all food poisoning incidents
    27        with chicken -----
    28
    29   MR. JUSTICE BELL:   Well, I have read it several times.
    30
    31   MR. MORRIS:   Right.  I want to make out certain points.
    32        Chicken and minced meat as used in burgers, obviously
    33        burgers being after they have been cooked and eaten, that
    34        is obviously part of it, being the worse offenders.  Let me
    35        just say one thing.  Hold on.  Well, that obviously we feel
    36        we have established that beyond any shadow of a doubt,
    37        although Dr. North said that it is reported incidents
    38        rather than just any incident because obviously many
    39        incidents go unreported.
    40
         When animals are slaughtered meat will be contaminated with
    42        gut contents, faeces, urine, leading to bacterial
    43        infection.  McDonald's have recognised that not only can
    44        be, but is.  In an attempt to counteract infection of
    45        animals farmers routinely inject them with antibiotics to
    46        counteract infection.  That has been demonstrated and
    47        proven in the case.  Whether they are injected or not is
    48        irrelevant, the point is we have heard how if some animals
    49        are infected the whole flock or the whole - I think that
    50        was with pigs was it not?  And birds, everyone can get
    51        antibiotics in the feed or treatment with antibiotics if
    52        one animal or few animals have been infected.  At other
    53        times, for example even the first week of the chicken's
    54        life, they get routinely given antibiotics, et cetera et
    55        cetera.
    56
    57        There is no implication there that they do that every day
    58        throughout the entire animals' lives, although the chickens
    59        do have antibiotics in their feed up to five days before
    60        slaughter.  So they are by far the majority of the animals