NEW DELHI: Amid allegations of using substitutes instead of real cheese, McDonald's maintained that it uses quality cheese and also stressed its commitment to ingredient transparency and quality meals.
A statement released by McDonald's India (West & South) said, “In light of recent reports of removal of 'cheese' from our menu at McDonald's locations in Maharashtra, we would like to assure our valued customers that it is only real cheese.” of high quality.” is used in all of our cheese-containing products. Working with suppliers that adhere to global standards ensures that our product offering contains the highest quality cheese and no cheese analogues or other substitutes. We are actively cooperating with the relevant authorities on this matter and await their final clarification. We always adhere to strict food standards and are fully compliant with all applicable food laws. Our commitment to transparency in our ingredients and our commitment to providing delicious, high-quality meals to our customers remain unwavering.”
On Thursday, the Maharashtra FDA has suspended the license of a McDonald's outlet in Ahmednagar after it was found that substitutes were used instead of real cheese in burgers and nuggets. In response, the chain removed the term “cheese” from various items at the affected location. The FDA is urging McDonald's to expand the corrective action beyond the specific store and is advocating for nationwide and possibly statewide implementation.
McDonald's took to X, officially known as Twitter, claiming to use only real, quality cheese and emphasizing its commitment to ingredient transparency and quality meals. However, the accuracy of these claims may require further verification through independent investigations or regulatory action. Further events will determine how McDonald's responds to the concerns raised by the FDA.
FDA Commissioner Abhimanyu Kale told TOI that omitting such crucial details was completely misleading to consumers and could have health implications. “During the inspection, our officers found no evidence of cheese analogues anywhere. “Items like “cheese nuggets,” “cheese dip,” and “cheese burgers” were labeled as such without any indication that the cheese was a substitute,” he said. “Most other fast food pizza and burger joints could engage in the same practice. We plan to examine these chains as well.”
McDonald's wrote to the FDA in December saying it had renamed the products and removed the word “cheese.” Among other things, they renamed “Cheesy Nuggets” to “Veg Nuggets”, “McCheese Veg Burger” to “Cheddar Delight Veg Burger” and “Blueberry Cheese Cake” to “Blueberry Cake”. Some stores in Santacruz, Kurla and Bhendi Bazar have started carrying the new names.
But when TOI contacted McDonald's on Thursday, the company denied using any substitutes. “Regarding the removal of the word 'cheese' from our menu at McDonald's outlets in Maharashtra, we would like to assure our customers that we use only genuine quality cheese in all our cheese-containing products.”
A statement released by McDonald's India (West & South) said, “In light of recent reports of removal of 'cheese' from our menu at McDonald's locations in Maharashtra, we would like to assure our valued customers that it is only real cheese.” of high quality.” is used in all of our cheese-containing products. Working with suppliers that adhere to global standards ensures that our product offering contains the highest quality cheese and no cheese analogues or other substitutes. We are actively cooperating with the relevant authorities on this matter and await their final clarification. We always adhere to strict food standards and are fully compliant with all applicable food laws. Our commitment to transparency in our ingredients and our commitment to providing delicious, high-quality meals to our customers remain unwavering.”
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On Thursday, the Maharashtra FDA has suspended the license of a McDonald's outlet in Ahmednagar after it was found that substitutes were used instead of real cheese in burgers and nuggets. In response, the chain removed the term “cheese” from various items at the affected location. The FDA is urging McDonald's to expand the corrective action beyond the specific store and is advocating for nationwide and possibly statewide implementation.
McDonald's took to X, officially known as Twitter, claiming to use only real, quality cheese and emphasizing its commitment to ingredient transparency and quality meals. However, the accuracy of these claims may require further verification through independent investigations or regulatory action. Further events will determine how McDonald's responds to the concerns raised by the FDA.
FDA Commissioner Abhimanyu Kale told TOI that omitting such crucial details was completely misleading to consumers and could have health implications. “During the inspection, our officers found no evidence of cheese analogues anywhere. “Items like “cheese nuggets,” “cheese dip,” and “cheese burgers” were labeled as such without any indication that the cheese was a substitute,” he said. “Most other fast food pizza and burger joints could engage in the same practice. We plan to examine these chains as well.”
McDonald's wrote to the FDA in December saying it had renamed the products and removed the word “cheese.” Among other things, they renamed “Cheesy Nuggets” to “Veg Nuggets”, “McCheese Veg Burger” to “Cheddar Delight Veg Burger” and “Blueberry Cheese Cake” to “Blueberry Cake”. Some stores in Santacruz, Kurla and Bhendi Bazar have started carrying the new names.
But when TOI contacted McDonald's on Thursday, the company denied using any substitutes. “Regarding the removal of the word 'cheese' from our menu at McDonald's outlets in Maharashtra, we would like to assure our customers that we use only genuine quality cheese in all our cheese-containing products.”
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