McDonald's: Cheese Substitutes Found in Maharashtra Outlet (image/pixabay)
Fast-food giant, McDonald’s has found itself in hot water once again. This time, the multinational firm has been accused by the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA)of using cheese substitutes in its burgers and nuggets.
According to a report in The Times of India, the Maharashtra FDA has taken issue with McDonald’s for using cheese substitutes without proper disclosure, leading to the suspension of the license of one of its outlets in Ahmednagar. The move has also prompted McDonald’s to remove the word “cheese” from several items at the outlet.
The Maharashtra FDA accused the chain of misleading consumers by using cheese alternatives, also called cheese analogues, without indicating it on food labels or the electronic display boards. The cheese substitutes mimic the taste and texture of conventional dairy cheese. Reportedly, these substitutes, found in certain items at McDonald’s, replace dairy or milk fat with cheaper vegetable oil.
Abhimanyu Kale, the FDA Commissioner, expressed his concern over the lack of transparency, stating that omitting vital information could have harmful implications for consumers. He added, “Items like “cheese nuggets”, “cheesy dip”, and “cheese burger’ were being labelled as such without indicating that the cheese was a substitute,” as reported in The Times of India report.
The action against McDonald’s began following an examination of its Kedgaon branch in Ahmednagar last October. Subsequently, the FDA served a show-cause notice to the outlet after finding cheese alternatives in at least eight menu items, including cheesy nuggets, McCheese veg and non-veg burger, corn and cheese burger, and blueberry cheesecake.
McDonald’s license was suspended after the company”s explanation was deemed inadequate and unsatisfactory by the FDA. In response, the FDA Commissioner issued a directive highlighting the importance of clear labelling and the display of nutritional information for items containing cheese substitutes. Kale also emphasised the need for font size and colour to distinguish such labeling from real cheese and urged for nutritional details to occupy up to 40 percent of display board space in restaurants.
In December, McDonald’s claimed to have renamed the products, removing the word “cheese” from the menu. Some outlets in Santacruz, Kurla and Bhendi followed suit. However, they denied using substitutes when questioned about it. A spokesperson from McDonald’s India (W&S) reassured customers that only real, quality cheese is used in their products containing cheese, as per the TOI report.
Nevertheless, the FDA is pushing McDonald’s to extend the corrective action across the state and even nationally. It also plans to investigate other fast-food chains for similar practices.
