Consumer photos posted on social media show that the newly renamed McDonald’s in Russia has been serving customers hamburgers with mould on them.
McDonald’s pulled out of the Russian market earlier this year because of the ongoing war in Ukraine. Shortly afterward, Russia brought back its own version of the chain under the name “Vkusno I tochka,” which means “Tasty and that’s it.” Alexander Merkulov, the quality manager for the new company, was quoted as saying that neither the ingredients for the burgers nor the equipment bought from McDonald’s have been changed.
But a month after the local version of the fast-food chain opened, customers who had eaten at “Vkusno I tochka” posted pictures of food that had gone bad on social media. Customers who had been to the restaurant gave these pictures.
In the pictures, what look like insect legs and what look like bugs in the burgers can be seen. Some of the photos also showed mould on the buns of the hamburgers. A user also posted a video of birds eating burger buns that were on display in front of a store.
When asked about the claims, a fast-food company spokesman told Newsweek, “Product quality and safety is our top priority.” All of the right steps are taken when it comes to preparing and storing products. The representative went on to say, “We have already asked the manufacturer for more information.” And the whole batch, from which it was found that the quality of the product was not good enough, has been thrown away.
After Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine started, many companies left the country, including McDonald’s. It closed its restaurant on March 14, and in the middle of May, it told the public that it was leaving the market. After the fall of the Soviet Union, the Americal fast-food chain moved into Russia, where it stayed for the next 30 years.
Alexander Govor, a businessman from Russia, bought the chain of restaurants. He told Reuters that the fast-food chain sold a record 120,000 burgers on the first day it opened a month ago. The new chain has kept the familiar McDonald’s decor, but there is nothing else in the restaurant that shows what it used to be.
CEO of the business “Vkusno I tochka” Oleg Paroev said that the business plans to reopen all 850 locations by the end of the summer.
