Russia Takes to 'Fromagicide' to Destroy Illegally Imported Cheese
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Sorry, mac and cheese lovers. This is one giant cheesy mess you probably don't want to look at. Video has emerged this week showing tons of cheese being bulldozed in Russia—an act news source RT dubbed "fromagicide."
No, it's not part of some nationwide diet plan. In an ongoing war of sanctions with the West, Vladimir Putin ordered all illegally imported food to be destroyed. Russia enacted a ban on these Western imports a year ago as a response to economic sanctions imposed by the U.S. and parts of Europe after Russia's skirmish with the Ukraine.
Interestingly, the video isn't the result of some sort of investigative journalism either. According to the Guardian, Putin's proclamation specifically said that all illegal imports should be destroyed in front of witnesses and captured on video to avoid corruption. Oh, the humanity!
Russia's food ban was especially costly to many European producers, reports NPR, but many of these products were simply relabeled and smuggled into the country. Unfortunately, for lovers of European delicacies, nothing gets past Putin and his army of food-destroying incinerators and steamrollers. Possibly even more important, however, many Russians find themselves wondering why the otherwise fine food couldn't go to the country's less fortunate citizens instead of being wasted.
Hundreds of thousands signed a petition asking the Kremlin to reconsider its decision. For now, Putin has decided not to proclaim, "Let them eat parmesan!"
[h/t The Consumerist]
