‘Use only milk-based real cheese,’ McDonald’s says after Maharashtra FDA accuses fast food giant of using vegetable oil

NEW DELHI: Amid allegations of using substitutes instead of real cheese, McDonald’s asserted they use quality cheese and also emphasised its commitment to ingredients transparency as well as high quality meals.
In a statement released by McDonald’s India (West & South) stated that “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.”
On Thursday, the Maharashtra FDA has suspended the license of a McDonald’s outlet in Ahmednagar after discovering the use of substitutes in burgers and nuggets instead of real cheese. 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 measures beyond the specific outlet, advocating for a state-wide and potentially national implementation.
McDonald’s took to X officially known as Twitter, asserting they use only real, quality cheese and emphasising their commitment to ingredient transparency and high-quality meals. However, the accuracy of these claims may require further scrutiny through independent investigations or regulatory actions. The unfolding events will determine how McDonald’s addresses the concerns raised by the FDA.

FDA commissioner Abhimanyu Kale, told TOI on the omission of such crucial details is outright misleading for consumers and could have health implications. “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,” 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.”
McDonald’s wrote to FDA in December saying they have renamed the products by deleting the word “cheese”. They renamed cheesy nuggets as veg nuggets, McCheese veg burger as cheddar delight veg burger, blueberry cheese cake as blueberry cake, among others. A few outlets in Santacruz, Kurla and Bhendi Bazar have started displaying the new names.
But when TOI contacted Mc Donald’s on Thursday, the company denied using substitutes. “Regarding the removal of the word ‘cheese’ from our menu at McDonald’s stores in Maharashtra, we want to reassure our customers that we use only real, quality cheese in all our products containing cheese. “