McDonald’s using cheap vegetable oil in place of cheese-FDA
Maharashtra FDA has taken action against fast-food giant McDonald’s, accusing it of deceptive practices related to the use of substitutes instead of real cheese in burgers and nuggets, as per a TOI report. The FDA has suspended the licence of a McDonald’s outlet in Ahmednagar, leading the chain to remove the term “cheese” from various items. The regulator alleges that McDonald’s used cheese analogues without proper disclosure, misleading consumers into thinking they were consuming real cheese. The state FDA has also pushed the chain to implement corrective actions statewide and possibly nationally.
Cheese analogues are designed to replicate the taste and texture of traditional dairy cheese, often substituting dairy fat with more cost-effective vegetable oil. The FDA claims that McDonald’s failed to disclose the use of cheese analogues on food labels or electronic display boards, potentially posing health risks to consumers.
FDA commissioner Abhimanyu Kale told TOI, “During the inspection, our officers did not find any mention of cheese analogues anywhere. Items like ‘cheese nuggets’, ‘cheesy dip’, and ‘cheeseburger’ were being labelled as such without indicating that the cheese was a substitute,” he said. “Most other fast food pizza and burger joints could be indulging in the same practice. We plan to investigate these chains as well.”
The inspection of a McDonald’s branch in Ahmednagar in October revealed at least eight items containing cheese analogues. Despite McDonald’s contesting the action, the outlet’s licence was suspended due to an unsatisfactory explanation. McDonald’s wrote to the FDA in Dec that they have renamed the products by removing the word “cheese,” but the FDA is pushing for broader investigations into similar practices by other fast-food chains.
As per the TOI report, McDonald’s has now denied using substitutes. “…we want to reassure customers that we use only real, quality cheese in all our products,” a spokesperson said.
Here’s what McDonald’s said Westlife Foodworld issued a clarification saying that it is 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 remains unwavering,” the company said.
Westlife Foodworld handles McDonald’s’ franchises across 62 cities in southern and western India. Shares of Westlife Foodworld closed with a cut of over 2 per cent while the benchmark indices ended muted with a negative bias.