McDonald's Responds to Maharashtra's Fake Cheese Accusations

After Maharashtra's Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) conducted a crackdown, McDonald's has reassured its customers that it strictly utilizes "authentic, premium-grade cheese" in its offerings.

The FDA alleged deceptive practices by McDonald's regarding the utilization of cheese substitutes in its products.

Consequently, it suspended the license of a McDonald's branch in Ahmednagar, citing findings from its investigation which indicated the use of cheese analogs or proprietary food instead of authentic cheese by the fast-food giant.

"We received complaints and feedback from customers suggesting that McDonald's and other food chains should accurately list the ingredients of their food items on menu cards and display boards," stated Abhimanyu Kale, the Commissioner of the agency. Source, NDTV Profit.

"In our investigation, we discovered that they were employing cheese analogs or proprietary food substitutes rather than authentic cheese. Subsequently, following our observations, the outlets were shut down by inspectors," Mr. Kale further explained.

Following a month-long investigation conducted last year, the agency discovered that McDonald's was incorporating less expensive cheese substitutes such as vegetable oil in burgers and nuggets.

It alleged that the fast-food chain utilized cheese alternatives in numerous items without appropriate labeling, leading customers to believe they were consuming genuine cheese.

Consequently, the FDA suspended the license of the Ahmednagar outlet and insisted that it disclose the accurate ingredients on its menus and display boards in accordance with the norms set by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India.

As a result of these findings, the fast-food chain decided to eliminate the term "cheese" from several of its products.

Westlife Foodworld Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hardcastle Restaurants Private Limited and the operator of McDonald's outlets in West and South India, also issued a statement addressing the report.

Westlife stated, "We exclusively utilize authentic, premium-grade cheese in all products containing cheese."

The operator of McDonald's further expressed, "We are actively communicating with the appropriate authorities regarding this matter and await their definitive clarification."

The statement emphasized, "We have consistently maintained strict adherence to rigorous food standards and comply fully with all relevant food regulations.

Our dedication to transparency in disclosing our ingredients and our unwavering commitment to delivering delicious, high-quality meals to our customers remain steadfast."

This incident has led the FDA to contemplate investigating other fast-food chains for comparable actions.

Mr. Kale stated in a release that the FDA will persist in inspecting food establishments to guarantee adherence to regulatory standards for the benefit of customers. He mentioned that if needed, state authorities will liaise with the FSSAI for potential nationwide measures.