The biz: MP's digging finds little fast food for thought

The latest issue of Green Times, the tabloid-sized organ of the Green parliamentarians, contains an exclusive report from intrepid politician-cum-investigative-reporter Sue Kedgley headlined "Behind the Golden Arches".

Kedgley took a peek behind the scenes at a McDonald's restaurant recently to try to work out why its food tastes and looks exactly the same, the article begins.

She was also curious to discover why a McDonald's hamburger she had kept in her washhouse for more than two years had never shown any signs of mould, smell or other deterioration.

The article goes on to explain that through her visit, Kedgley discovered that McDonald's food is mass-produced at various factories before being delivered to the restaurants, where it is assembled, heated and served to customers.

She left impressed with the hygiene standards at the restaurant and having tried the new line of salads on the menu.

"I am pleased they've responded to consumer pressure and are beginning to offer some healthy options," she commented.

One mystery remains - that of the non-deteriorating burger - but Kedgley hopes to visit a McDonald's factory soon to find the answer.

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If you are sick of taking regular beatings from investors and analysts, why not try self-flagellation instead ... it might not be any more fun but at least you can control the damage.

That seems to be the strategy adopted by Genesis Research & Technology in its latest annual report.

Management has taken the unusual step of opening the 2003 report with a scathing letter from a disgruntled shareholder (name and address withheld).

The letter doesn't pull any punches: "I find your reports about your plant activities are quite vague ... There are no milestone goals ...

"Genesis conveys the impression of a company of scientists working away in laboratories with little accountability to shareholders."

Ouch!

The report rather honestly notes that the letter is typical of the feedback the company has been receiving following its less-than-perfect performance over the past year.

It then goes on to answer the so-called "hard questions".

Whether the answers impress shareholders remains to be seen.

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Biz operatives remain unable to confirm what the Central North Island Forest sold for but they did hear that the deal was codenamed "tissue" by the purchaser.

The cumbersome CNIF is commonly pronounced "SNIFF", by the way.

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New Zealander and Saatchi & Saatchi global dynamo Kevin Roberts was honoured at a swanky bash amidst illustrious company in New York last week.

A video link enabled actor and director Christopher Reeve (Superman) to bestow a Citizens for NYC's New Yorker for New York Award on Roberts and a group of other big names, including news guru Walter Cronkite and United Nations first lady Nane Annan. Mike Wallace, of 60 Minutes fame, was the MC.

Ever the adman, Roberts told the glitzed-up guests at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel that he had two homes, New York and New Zealand, and he hoped they would pay his other favourite place a visit.