Maharashtra to Inspect Global Fast-Food Chains Post McDonald's Cheese Crackdown

Maharashtra will expand its inspection to global fast-food chain outlets, investigating the misrepresentation of products claiming to contain real cheese but possibly using alternatives.

This scrutiny, which extends beyond the recent McDonald's crackdown aims to ensure accurate labeling and product representation, according to a senior official.

Recent inflationary pressures have impacted the consumption of burgers and pizzas, which are relatively expensive for many Indian consumers, leading global brands to introduce discounted offerings.

This situation poses a potential challenge for these brands as the increased scrutiny from inspections could add further complications.

Westlife Foodworld, the largest franchisee of McDonald's in India, has been asserting the authenticity of its "real cheese" usage following media reports indicating that certain products were found to contain cheese analogues made from vegetable oil instead of genuine cheese during inspections conducted by state authorities last year.

The McDonald's franchisee disputed the findings; however, it opted to remove the term "cheese" from the names of numerous burgers and nuggets sold across the state in December, according to correspondence reviewed by Reuters.

For instance, it rebranded a "corn and cheese burger" as an "American vegetarian burger."

Abhimanyu Kale, the chief of the state's Food and Drug Administration, informed Reuters that inspectors will now conduct visits to all McDonald's outlets, along with those of other major brands, to ensure compliance with display and labeling regulations and to detect any similar violations.

"We intend to inspect every McDonald's outlet," he stated. "Additionally, we will address compliance issues at other popular global fast-food chain outlets," he continued, refraining from disclosing the specific brands under scrutiny.

A senior official from the state government, speaking on condition of anonymity, mentioned that inspectors would be visiting Indian franchise outlets of well-known brands like Domino's, Pizza Hut, Burger King, and KFC.

State authorities in India possess the authority to revoke the licenses of restaurants discovered to have violated food and safety regulations in a manner that deceives consumers.

Saurabh Kalra, the managing director of Westlife, which operates McDonald's in western and southern India, expressed readiness for any inspections and emphasized their commitment to maintaining the "highest standards."

Domino's franchise holder Jubilant FoodWorks, Restaurant Brands Asia, which operates Burger King, and Devyani International, responsible for running Yum Brands' Pizza Hut and KFC in India, did not provide responses to queries from Reuters.