Last week, fast food restaurant chain McDonald’s came under the scanner of Maharashtra’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) where it was alleged that substitutes of cheese were used in burgers and nuggets, instead of actual cheese.
This has prompted the state to inspect all outlets of global fast food chains and check any violations pertaining to food regulation, stated a media report.
The state will run a check with regards to misleading promotion of non-cheese items as containing cheese. This will be followed by checking all the McDonald’s outlets in the state.
Read More: McDonald’s under food regulator’s scanner for using cheese substitutes
Westlife Foodworld Limited (WFL), who owns and operates McDonald’s restaurants across 11 states in West and South India, took to LinkedIn to officially clarify that the cheese used in their products is real and actually contains cheese.
“Here’s a fact check for you: We use only real, quality cheese in all our products containing cheese. Our commitment to transparency in our ingredients and dedication to providing delicious, high-quality meals to our customers remains unwavering,” they said in the post.
The FDA has suspended the license of a McDonald’s outlet in Ahmednagar, prompting the chain to delete the word “cheese” from various items. The authority is also pushing the chain to extend the corrective action state-wide and even nationally.
Read More: McDonalds MD takes to social media to bust allegations of “fake cheese” in burgers
The substitutes, allegedly identified in several McDonald’s items, typically replace milk or dairy fat with more cost-effective vegetable oil.
In a statement shared with Storyboard18, McDonald’s said, “Regarding the recent reports on the removal of the word ‘Cheese’ from our menu at McDonald’s stores in Maharashtra, we want to reassure our customers that we use only real, quality cheese in all our products containing cheese. We are actively working with the relevant authorities on this matter. Our commitment to transparency in our ingredients and dedication to providing delicious, high-quality meals to our customers remain unwavering.”
Read More: McDonald’s India operator Westlife Foodworld denies ‘fake cheese’ claims