HBI Staff | Mumbai 
According to the media reports, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has taken firm action against McDonald’s, a fast-food giant, accusing it of deceptive practices involving the use of substitutes rather than real cheese in their burgers and nuggets.
Responding to the FDA’s allegations, the license of a McDonald’s outlet in Ahmednagar has been suspended. Consequently, the chain is now required to remove the term ‘cheese’ from several menu items.The FDA contends that McDonald’s employed cheese analogues without adequate disclosure, thereby misleading consumers into believing they were consuming genuine cheese.
Cheese analogues, engineered to mimic the taste and texture of traditional dairy cheese, often replace dairy fat with more economical vegetable oil.
Allegedly, McDonald’s failed to divulge the use of cheese analogues on food labels or electronic display boards, potentially jeopardizing consumers’ health.
Abhimanyu Kale, Commissioner, FDA said , “During inspection, our officers did not find any mention of cheese analogues anywhere. Items like ‘cheese nuggets’, ‘cheesy dip’, and ‘cheese burger’ were being labelled as such without indicating that the cheese was a substitute.”
The FDA’s scrutiny extends beyond McDonald’s, with plans to probe other fast-food chains suspected of similar practices, as stated by Kale.
Reacting to the development, McDonald’s issued a statement on Friday. McDonald’s India West & South spokesperson, in a statement, said, “Amid recent reports about the removal of ‘Cheese’ from our menu at McDonald’s locations in Maharashtra, we want to assure our valued customers that only genuine, high-quality cheese is used in all our cheese-containing products. Collaborating with suppliers adhering to global standards ensures top-quality cheese in our product offerings and not cheese analogues or any substitute.”
“We are actively engaging with the competent authorities on this issue and awaiting their final clarification. We have always been adhering to stringent food standards and are fully compliant with all applicable food laws. Our commitment to transparency in our ingredients and dedication to providing delicious, high-quality meals to our customers remain unwavering,” the statement said.
Despite McDonald’s disputing the FDA’s measures, the license of its outlet in Ahmednagar was suspended due to an inadequate explanation.
In December, McDonald’s reportedly informed the FDA that they had rebranded their products by removing the term ‘cheese.’ However, the FDA is pressing for wider investigations into similar practices among other fast-food chains.
