India

Food regulator slaps notice on McDonald's for ‘ghiya-tori' ad

PTI

Food regulator FSSAI has slapped a show-cause notice on McDonald's for disparaging freshly cooked food and vegetables in its advertisements to promote fast food.

In its notice, the FSSAI referred to a full-page advertisement by McDonald's in newspapers earlier this month that had said, "Stuck with Ghiya-Tori (bottle gourd-sponge gourd) Again? Make the 1+1 Combo you love".

The food sector watchdog issued a show-cause notice to Hardcastle Restaurants and Connaught Plaza Restaurants Ltd - the franchise that operates McDonald's fastfood chain in India - seeking response on why action should not be initiated against them, a statement by the FSSAI said.McDonald's had over the last weekend carried advertisements in newspapers seeking to get traffic at its outlets by allegedly disparaging home cooked food and healthy vegetables.