Russia's apparent assault on U.S. fast-food restaurants may be about to go from sour to septic.
With McDonald's already under the microscope from food hygiene inspectors, a lawmaker has asked Russia's consumer rights watchdog to open an investigation into the products sold by KFC and Burger King, the Izvestia newspaper reported Wednesday.
KFC and Burger King have extensive networks in Russia, and Russians must be informed about the quality of the food they are buying there, said Roman Khudyakov, the State Duma deputy from the Liberal Democratic Party who made the request.
"The watchdog has already detected problems with a number of products from McDonald's that can harm people's health. In light of that, I have asked the Federal Consumer Protection Service to organize an unplanned inspection of other large fast-food restaurants in Russia," he said.
KFC spokespeople were unavailable for comment when contacted by Izvestia, while Burger King declined to comment on the report.
The watchdog has yet to confirm whether it will take up Khudyakov's request, but considering the scrutiny that McDonald's has come under, it won't come as a surprise if it does.
Last week, the watchdog accused McDonald's of misleading customers about the energy values of some of its burgers and said that it had detected coliform bacteria in McDonald's Caesar wraps and a vegetable salad. On Monday, a second Russian watchdog opened an investigation into the cheese used by the restaurant chain.
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