Maharashtra: Licence of McDonald outlet revoked for using “cheese substitute”

A McDonalds outlet in Maharashtrarsquos Ahmednagar had its license revoked for using a cheeselike product without properly labelling it The issue arose after officials found the eatery using terms like American Cheese Burger and Blueberry Cheese Cake despite the product containing vegetable fat alongside milk fat technically making it a cheese substituteThe Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration FDA revoked the licence of the eatery belonging to the fast food giant after it had faced scrutiny for allegedly using a ldquocheeselikerdquo product in their dishes without indicating that it was actually a cheese substitute thereby misleading customers he saidFollowing an inspection and subsequent objections the licence of the outlet was suspended but it was revoked recently after the chain filed a compliance report confirming that they had removed the word cheese from product names newswire PTI reportedldquoIn October 2023 we visited the outlet in Kedgaon and discovered that the names of food items displayed at the outlet included American Cheese Burger American Cheese Nuggets Cheese Burger Italian Cheesy Lava Burger and Blueberry Cheese Cake All these names are their brand names for their products said Rajendra Bade a food safety official from FDAAhmednagarAfter analysing Bade said they found that instead of pure cheese the joint was using a cheeselike product ldquoTechnically this is called a cheese analogue or cheese substitute While pure cheese contains milk fat the cheese analogue contains both milk fat and vegetable fat he saidFDA then sought the fast food giants clarification over the presence of milk fat and vegetable fat in products advertised as containing cheeseldquoSince their clarification was unsatisfactory we suspended their licence in November last year They appealed against the suspension before the FDA commissioner in Mumbai The commissioner heard arguments from both sides and instructed the fast food restaurant chain that they cannot use the word cheese in their product names if they are not using real cheeserdquo he saidIn the order FDA Commissioner Abhimanyu Kale directed McDonalds to revise their labelling and prominently tag the products as ldquocheese analogue nuggetsrdquo or ldquonondairy cheese nuggetsrdquo in a font size and colour that is easily visible and distinguishable from regular cheese productsThe order also required the outlet to list the ingredients on the packaging ensuring that the terms cheese analogue or nondairy cheese are prominently displayedMcDonalds was further told to keep customers informed about the use of cheese analogues in certain products through signage handouts and explanations regarding the reasons for using cheese analoguesIn their compliance report Bade said the American company said that they had amended the labels ldquoUpon receiving their compliance report a decision was made to revoke the suspension and they have been granted permission to resume business as beforerdquo Bade saidHardcastle Restaurant a subsidiary of Westlife Foodworld Ltd which has the franchisee rights to own and operate McDonalds restaurants in west and south markets in India said in its compliance report to the FDA that it had renamed certain products by removing the word cheeseIt listed the items as Cheesy Nuggets now Veg Nuggets Mc Cheese Veg Burger now Cheddar Delight Veg Burger Mc Cheese Veg Non Veg Burger Cheddar Delight NonVeg Burger Corn and Cheese Burger American Veg Burger Grilled Chicken and Cheese Burger American Non VegBurger Blueberry Cheese Cake Blueberry Cake Cheesy Italian Veg Burger Italian Veg Burger and Cheesy Italian Chicken Burger now Italian Chicken BurgerMeanwhile Hardcastle Restaurant said on Friday that it was engaging with the competent authorities in the FDA matterldquoWe 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 lawsrdquo said a statement from McDonalds India West amp South shared on BSE Bombay Stock Exchange by Westlife FoodworldldquoAmid recent reports about the removal of Cheese from our menu at McDonalds locations in Maharashtra we want to assure our valued customers that only genuine highquality cheese is used in all our cheesecontaining products the statement saidIt further said Collaborating with suppliers adhering to global standards ensures topquality cheese in our product offerings and not cheese analogues or any substituteMcDonalds India West amp South said ldquoOur commitment to transparency in our ingredients and dedication to providing delicious highquality meals to our customers remains unwaveringrdquo With inputs from PTI