Russian official urges 'food patriotism' over sushi, McDonald's

MOSCOW, June 25 (UPI) -- The head of the Russian government's consumer rights watchdog urged Russians to eat healthier by exercising "food patriotism."

Gennady Onishchenko, head of the Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Well-Being, said Russians can stay healthy by exercising "food patriotism" with "traditional" dishes instead of "exotic exceptions such as McDonalds" and sushi bars, RIA Novosti reported Tuesday.

Onishchenko urged caution with raw and cultured fish despite no additional public health inspections of sushi restaurants being planned for the coming months.

"We continue to be vigilant about sushi-bars from a cultural point of view ... but we are not instituting special measures to monitor them," he said.

Onishchenko previously warned about the dangers of "gastro-intestinal adventures" last June.

"We are people with established traditions in food and must not be seduced by exotic types of food, a diet of raw food, particularly when it is not prepared by Japanese people," he said.