A SINN FÉIN politician has accused McDonald’s of “partitionism” for only making its new “Irish” burger available in the Republic.

West Tyrone MLA Barry McElduff criticised the fast food chain yesterday after it confirmed that the limited-edition McMór burger will not be sold in Northern Irish outlets.

“It is not ‘mór go leor’ because it does not incorporate the six counties. If it’s available in Letterkenny, then it should be available in Omagh,” he told the Irish News.

McDonald’s is a global firm and some people have concerns about its ethics, but we can now add the sin of protectionism to the list.

McDonald’s launched the burger yesterday as a “tribute to the best produce and finest flavours from across Ireland”.

Not so artisan

The McMór – which is available for the next six weeks – features Charleville cheddar, Ballymaloe Relish, bacon, cabbage and 100% Irish beef.

It was promoted as “artisan” earlier this week, until Food Safety Authority regulation required the term to be removed from promotional material.

Under the guidelines, food products can only be described as artisan if they are “made in limited quantities by skilled craftspeople”.

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The processing method must be fully mechanised, following a traditional method, and the food must be made in a micro-enterprise at a single location.

Also, product ingredients must be grown or produced locally “where seasonally available and practical”.