How Rising Prices have changed the Menu at McDonald's

In the last 10 days we have seen tomato prices touching sky in most part of the country. From 25-35 rupees a kilogram, the prices have gone up to Rs 150 for a kilogram in cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and others parts of the country.

And, this has pushed restaurants to remove tomatoes from their menu. In a recent announcement, McDonald’s (North & East) has removed tomatoes from their burgers and other food items in many parts of India. 

This action by the largest burger chain in the country comes as tomato prices have skyrocketed in the last month. 

The QSR chain on Friday said it is dropping tomatoes from its menu items due to a “temporary” seasonal issue in procurement and that they will bring back them on the menu soon. 

A large number of its outlets in the national capital also hung a notice about the unavailability of tomatoes. 

Owing to factors such as prolonged heatwaves and heavy rain in certain geographies, tomato prices have skyrocketed in the last month, forcing many state governments to take action. In some regions, wholesale prices of tomatoes have tripled in a month to a high of 140 rupees, with retail prices even higher.

However, denying that McDonald’s is dropping tomatoes from menu because of soaring prices, a spokesperson shared, "We reiterate that it is not due to the surge in the prices. It is only due to the non-availability of tomatoes meeting our quality specifications."

He also mentioned that restaurants in Punjab-Chandigarh area where the brand is able to source the commodity in adequate quantities, McDonald's continues to serve tomatoes in its menu.

"We are working towards resolving this issue by employing sustainable agriculture practices including hydroponically-grown tomatoes in a completely controlled environment to de-risk our requirements from vagaries of season," he added by pointing that the restaurant will be able to bring back tomatoes to the menu soon.