McMortifying - McDonald's Corp. sues two British activists in the longest running libel trial in the U.K

Vegetarian Times, Jan, 1996

Thousand of Vegetarians are following the longest-running libel trial in British history, being waged between McDonald's Corp. and a pair of impoverished London activists. Since the court battle began in June 1994, the disclosure of embarrassing trade secrets and damning evidence by company executives has incited anti-Mcdonald's protests worldwide.

The story began six years ago, when McDonald's filed suit against two London Greenpeace activists for distributing a pamphlet changing the $24 billion fastfood giant with promoting an unhealthy diet, torturing animals, damaging the environment and exploiting its workers.

Under English libel law, defendants Dave Morris and Helen Steel had to prove the truth of their statements or apologize. Penniless, unemployed, lacking any legal education and denied both a jury trial and a public lawyer, Morris and Steel nonetheless decided to defend themselves.

Do Morris and Steel stand a chance of winning? Even some McDonald's executives are beginning to think they might, as the case the company said would last "three to four weeks" enters its third year. Public outcry over confidential information disclosed during testimony has angered McDonald's shareholders, who last April urged company executives to settle the case.

For those who aren't up to date on this modern-day David vs. Goliath battle, here are some highlights from last year's courtroom antics. The quotes are taken directly from trial transcripts, with help from Brian Briars at the McLibel Support Campaign based in Craftsbury, Vt.

* The defendants asked a McDonald's expert witness on cancer his opinion of the following statement: "A diet high in fat, sugar, animal products and salt and low in fiber is linked with cancer." He replied that the statement was a reasonable thing to say. The court was then informed that the statement was taken directly from the Greenpeace factsheet.

* A McDonald's expert witness on nutrition testified that there is a considerable amount of evidence that obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and some forms of cancer are related to a diet high in fat, salt and sugar, and low in fiber. He admitted that a typical McDonald's meal is high in fat, saturated fat and sodium, and would not fall within dietary guidelines. But when pressed by the defense to define "junk food," he replied, "Whatever a person doesn't like."

* McDonald's U.K.'s senior vice president, who is responsible for the nutrition guides currently available in McDonald's restaurants, testified that the term "nutritious" is defined as "foods that contain nutrients." Asked if Coca-Cola was included in this definition, he replied, "Coca-Cola has a good source of energy, no question of that."

* The defense called an expert on dietary fat and human health who testified that McDonald's, through its worldwide expansion efforts, is "actively encouraging the use of a style of food which is closely associated with risk of cancer and heart disease ... in cultures where at present these diseases are not a problem." Another defense witness testified that McDonald's statement that its food can be eaten as part of a balanced diet is "meaningless. You could eat a roll of cellophane as part of a balanced diet."

* McDonald's U.K.'s senior vice president denied that the company's "Environmental Initiatives" are primarily a propaganda campaign. However, when questioned on one long-running program that asks customers to put polystyrene packages into a separate bin for recycling into pots, hangers and insulation materials, he admitted that McDonald's does not actually recycle any of the waste. He also said he considers the battery cages used to house hens for McDonald's eggs "pretty comfortable."

* McDonald's U.K.'s president asserted that Styrofoam packaging is less environmentally damaging than reusable plates, knives and forks.

* McDonald's expert environmental witness testified that chlorofluorocarbons--chemical compounds used as refrigerants, cleaning solvents and aerosol propellants and in the manufacture of plastics--cause damage to the ozone layer, and that McDonald's has used significant quantities of these compounds.

* McDonald's U.K.'s senior vice president stated that "there is no landfill problem in the U.K." and that dumping of waste is beneficial because "otherwise you will end up with lots of vast, empty gravel pits all over the country." He also admitted that in 1983 and 1984, the company purchased beef from rain forests in Brazil for global distribution, despite McDonald's policy to buy products and ingredients only from suppliers in the host country where it does business.

* A former McDonald's crew member described how managers' obsession with profit leads to the sale of under-cooked, unhygenic food, and described hiring practices as blatantly racist, sexist and homophobic. A former editor at a British newspaper testified that McDonald's head of personnel stated in an interview: "We will never negotiate wages and conditions with a union, and we discourage our staff from joining."