At least that’s the impression created by the Ukrainian Consumer Rights Protection Directorate, a bureaucratic racket that has responded to the multitude of frauds perpetrated upon Ukrainian consumers by harassing that shadowy operator known as McDonald’s Corp.
Consumer protection is a worthwhile goal, not least in the fast-food business, where mass poisonings caused by poorly stored or prepared products are more commonplace than most of us care to know.
But – let’s be blunt – we’ve visited Ukrainian farmers’ markets and cafeterias. The notion that local health inspectors have anything to teach a corporation that daily feeds millions around the globe has got us gagging on one of those endlessly reusable stirring spoons that float in a bit of dirty water atop too many coffee counters.
Those of the consumer panel’s charges that are not doubtful are laughable. Should Ukrainian McDonald’s outlets be forced to list the weight of their lettuce atop the wall-to-wall menu displays? Should it have to buy the ancient food scales deemed essential by Ukrainian regulators? Why not make Coke reveal its secret formula?
We’re just willing to allow for the possibility that the inspectors led by Klavdia Sytnik are mere pawns forced to enforce misguided edicts. We can almost conceive that Ms. Sytnik misspoke last week when she got around to discussing ‘stolen potatoes.’
What’s inconceivable is that the woman is right when she insists that her investigation was carried out on the express orders of someone in the Cabinet of Ministers. Ukraine has enough trouble getting foreigners to come here. It shouldn’t be encouraging a multinational concern to order take-out.
