Did the French fell on their head?

In its continuing efforts to incorporate French sensibilities into its menu abroad, tomorrow McDonald's France will unleash a line of limited-edition burgers that feature such beloved French cheeses as Camembert, Comte, Chevre, and Raclette. And, as The Australian reports, some French people are already pretty upset about the whole thing, with Camembert producers in particular complaining that they “feel used.”

Patrick Mercier, chairman of an association of Camembert producers in Normandy, tells the newspaper that McDonald's never consulted with the organization on the McCamembert. Though Basse-Normandie reports that Camembert is the second most popular cheese in France, its name is not protected. Therefore, non-Normandy producers are able to label their cheese “Camembert” outside of the AOC Camembert de Normandie. Mercier says that the McDonald's version is “as bottom of the market as you can get. It comes from Brittany.”