Russia closes four McDonald’s outlets in Moscow

Russia’s federal service for surveillance on consumer rights protection and human wellbeing, Rospotrebnadzor, has temporarily shut down four McDonald’s restaurants in Moscow, citing sanitary law violations.

Rospotrebnadzor had previously filed a claim in a Moscow court in July accusing the restaurant chain of violating government nutritional and safety codes in its burger and ice cream products. The agency also claimed that McDonald’s had misrepresented the nutritional values of its hamburgers and ice cream products, and that traces of E. coli had been detected during a restaurant inspection.

In a statement, McDonald’s said that restaurants on Pushkin Square, Manezh Square and Prospect Mira in Moscow have been temporarily closed and it is looking into the watchdog’s complaints to ensure the re-opening of the restaurants as soon as possible, reports the BBC.

The consumer watchdog will continue inspections in other McDonald’s restaurants as well. McDonald’s has close to 430 restaurants in 70 Russian cities and employs more than 35,000 people.

While the closures are said to be part of an ongoing investigation into food standards, many see the move as the latest development in the ongoing tussle over EU sanctions imposed on Russia due to its policy on Ukraine.

Some commentators, who see this as a political move, have noted that Russia has previously banned food from countries that have fallen out of favour with Moscow, including wine from Georgia and dairy products from Belarus.

Recently, Russia banned canned vegetables, fruit, fish, juice and certain brands of beer and vodka from Ukraine, and also imposed a ban on beef, pork, poultry, fish, fruit, vegetables, cheese, milk and other dairy products from the US, Canada, the EU, Norway and Australia.