Ireland Objects to “Artisan” McDonald’s Burger

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has reportedly objected
to McDonald’s Corp.’s use of “artisan” in describing its new product,
the McMór hamburger. The Ireland-exclusive burger is marketed as an
“artisan” product that incorporates several ingredients from Irish cuisine,
including bacon, cabbage, baby kale, Ballymaloe relish, Charleville cheese
and a “potato-flaked” bun.

FSAI established guidelines in May 2015 about the use of “artisan” that
stipulate the word should describe products made only (i)“in limited
quantities by skilled craftspeople,” (ii) without a “fully mechanized”
process that “follows a traditional method,” (iii) “in a micro-enterprise
at a single location,” and (iv) with “characteristic ingredients” that are
“grown or produced locally, where seasonally available and practical.”
McDonald’s issued a statement indicating that it would remove “artisan”
from its marketing. Additional details about FSAI’s food marketing
guidance appear in Issue 566 of this Update. See The Irish Times,
September 1, 2015.

Issue 578