Maharashtra FDA Exposes McDonald's For Alleged Food Quality Concerns, Food Chain Responds

File Photo

New Delhi: McDonald's, a leading fast-food chain, has reassured its customers that it exclusively employs authentic and premium-quality cheese in its cheese-infused products. This assurance comes after certain outlets in Maharashtra faced scrutiny from the state's Food & Drugs Administration (FDA).

The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) discovered that several outlets of the prominent fast-food chain in the state were using cheese analogues as an alternative to genuine cheese in certain products like burgers and nuggets. ()

It's important to mention that cheese analogues are designed to imitate the flavor and consistency of conventional dairy cheese. These substitutes often substitute dairy fat with more cost-effective vegetable oil. ()

Maharashtra FDA Commissioner Abhimanyu Kale stated that they received customer feedback regarding the use of cheese analogues instead of real cheese. Upon inspection, they found that vegetable oil (Dalda oil) was being used instead of genuine cheese.

As a result of this discovery, the license of a McDonald's outlet in Ahmednagar, Maharashtra was reportedly suspended by the FDA. In response, the chain removed the term "cheese" from certain locations where cheese analogues were being used. Cheese analogues, which use vegetable oil to cut costs, are a more economical option.

McDonald's Statement in Response

Although McDonald's disputed the decision, the outlet's license was still suspended. McDonald’s has denied allegations of using substitutes and has assured customers that it exclusively utilizes genuine cheese. A spokesperson was quoted by TOI stating, "...we want to reassure customers that we use only real, quality cheese in all our products." 

Westlife Foodworld responsible for managing McDonald's franchises across 62 cities in southern and western India stated that it is awaiting conclusive clarification from authorities regarding this matter.

The company stated that they consistently follow strict food standards and comply with all relevant food laws. They emphasized their commitment to transparency in disclosing ingredients and their dedication to offering tasty, high-quality meals to their customers.