Mumbai: The Food and Drug Administration has taken action against the McDonald’s branch in Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, accusing them of substituting real cheese with fake alternatives in their burgers and nuggets in order to deceive customers. The outlet had even renamed certain dishes, replacing the word “cheese” with other terms.
In response to these claims, McDonald’s released a statement assuring customers that only authentic, high-quality cheese is used in their cheese-containing products. They stated, “We are in communication with the relevant authorities and are awaiting further clarification. Our food standards are stringent and compliant with all applicable laws.”
Following the controversy, the company provided letters from their cheese suppliers, confirming the use of genuine cheese from Dlecta Foods Pvt Ltd and not any substitutes.
According to FDA commissioner Abhimanyu Kale, during inspections, no evidence of cheese alternatives was found. The labeling of items like “cheese nuggets” and “cheese burger” did not indicate that the cheese used was a substitute. This incident has prompted the FDA to investigate other fast-food chains as well, after initially inspecting the McDonald’s outlet in Ahmednagar’s Kedgaon last October and issuing a show-cause notice regarding the discovery of cheese analogues in several food items.
Kale emphasized the importance of clearly stating the use of analogues on menu cards to address allergen and dietary concerns. In response to FDA’s findings, McDonald’s made changes to their menu, renaming items that previously contained the word “cheese” to avoid confusion.
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