Mumbai: Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cracked down on fast food giant McDonald’s, slamming it for a cheesy deception — using substitutes in burgers and nuggets instead of real cheese. It has suspended the license of a McDonald’s outlet in Ahmednagar, prompting the chain to erase the word “cheese” from various items. FDA is pushing the chain to extend the corrective action state-wide and even nationally, media reports said.
Cheese alternatives, or cheese analogues, are designed to replicate taste, texture, and functionality of traditional dairy cheese.
The media reports said that the substitutes, allegedly identified in several McDonald’s items, typically replace milk or dairy fat with cost-effective vegetable oil. The food regulator has accused McDonald’s of using cheese analogues without proper disclosure on food labels or on electronic display boards, thereby “misleading” people into thinking they are eating real cheese.
According to FDA Commissioner Abhimanyu Kale, the omission of such crucial details is outright misleading for consumers and could have health implications. During inspection, our officers did not find any mention of cheese analogues anywhere. Items like ‘cheese nuggets’, ‘cheesy dip’, and ‘cheese burger’ were being labelled as such without indicating that the cheese was a substitute, he said. “Most other fast food pizza and burger joints could be indulging in the same practice. We plan to investigate these chains as well.”
The action against McDonald’s started in Oct with an inspection of their Kedgaon branch in Ahmednagar. FDA issued a show-cause notice to the establishment upon discovering at least eight items contained cheese analogues. Despite McDonald’s contesting the action, the outlet’s license was suspended as their explanation was deemed unsatisfactory. McDonald’s wrote to the FDA in December saying they have renamed the products by deleting the word “cheese”.
McDonald’s responds after FDA action:
Following a crackdown by Maharashtra’s Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), fast food giant McDonald’s has assured customers that it only uses “genuine, high-quality cheese” in its products. The FDA accused McDonald’s of deceptive practices related to the use of cheese substitutes in its items. It suspended the licence of a McDonald’s outlet in Ahmednagar, saying that its investigation found that the fast food chain was using cheese analogues or proprietary foods instead of cheese.
This prompted the fast food chain to remove the term “cheese” from various products. Westlife Foodworld Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hardcastle Restaurants Private Limited and operator of McDonald’s chains in West and South India, also released a statement in response to the report.
“Only genuine, high-quality cheese is used in all our cheese-containing products,” Westlife said. “We are actively engaging with the competent authorities on this issue and awaiting their final clarification,” the McDonald’s operator said.
“We have always been adhering to stringent food standards and are fully compliant with all applicable food laws. Our commitment to transparency in our ingredients and dedication to providing delicious, high-quality meals to our customers remains unwavering,” the statement added.
Notably, this incident has also prompted the FDA to consider investigating other fast-food chains for similar practices. In a statement, Mr Kale said that the FDA will continue inspections of food outlets to ensure they comply with regulatory guidelines in the interest of customers. If necessary, the state authorities will communicate with the FSSAI for any nationwide action, he said.
