FIFA Faces Pressure Regarding WC Food Sales Of Local Sandwich

FIFA is under pressure to allow sales of a native Brazilian sandwich in stadiums at the 2014 World Cup "amid allegations that the governing body is bowing to corporate sponsors such as McDonald's," according to the AFP. The dispute centers on acaraje, an iconic black-eyed pea fritter from the northeastern state of Bahia, and a FIFA regulation that "bars street vendors within a two-kilometer (1.2 mile) radius" of World Cup venues. A petition circulated by the Association of Bahian female acaraje (ABAM) vendors is "demanding that FIFA guarantees space inside stadiums for its members." ABAM and its supporters said that the restrictions were "imposed to protect the interests and hamburger sales of McDonald’s, one of the World Cup’s main sponsors, and argue that it would be outrageous to bar acaraje, particularly in the Fonte Nova stadium of the Bahian state capital Salvador." However, FIFA insisted the restrictions were implemented for "security and safety reasons and have nothing to do with McDonald’s" (AFP, 11/4).