Page 12 - IAV Digital Magazine #439

iAV - Antelope Valley Digital Magazine
Russia May Label McDonald’s A 'Foreign Agent’ Hell-Bent On Damaging People’s Health
By Chris Riotta
A Russian politi- cian proposed labeling American fast food chains like McDonald's and KFC as for- eign agents on Friday, following recently passed legislation which provides the same classification for international news outlets.
Boris Chernyshov, a 26-year-old Moscow lawmaker in the federal Russian Assembly, described adver- tisements made by American restau- rants for Russian consumers as manipulative and nontransparent about their longterm health effects in an inter- view with the RBC Business Portal. The State Duma deputy added that chains like McDonald’s, avail- able across Russia, were con- tributing to the decline of the nation's cuisine,
according to local reports.
"The food sold by American fast food restaurants, according to some studies, negatively affects the body and human health," Chernysh ov said. "In adver- tising, a positive image of con- sumption of these products is pre- sented."
Chernyshov’s tar- geting of America’s fast food restaurants throughout the region is nothing new. McDonald’s has been in the line of fire of
a years-long sanc- tions war between both countries, critics say, with Russia moving to close many of the restaurant's loca- tions since
2014, citing "sani-
tary violations."
The latest meas- ure to classify news outlets like CNN
and Washington Post as foreign agents followed the U.S. requiring Russian outlets like RT and Sputnik to register under the same label. Not even three days later, the Russian law- maker took the tit-
for-tat a step fur- ther by once again pulling food chains into the feud.
"The first step is to recognize the advertising of American fast food by the messages of foreign agents and to introduce the appropriate marking," he said. "The second step will be the legisla- tive initiative to include American
fast food networks in the appropriate registry."
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to sign the bill requiring international news outlets to include themselves in the foreign agent reg- istry. Chernyshov’s addition, which is not included in the current bill moving through Russia’s parliament, would force all American food chains and restaurants oper- ating throughout the country to do the same.
McDonald's employed over 35,000 people in Russia, featuring at least 430 restaurants across the country as of 2014. It remains unclear what impli- cations the rela- beling could have on current opera- tions and Russian staff for the American chain.
iAV - Antelope Valley Digital Magazine