Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of Maharashtra suspended the license of McDonald’s outlet located in Ahmednagar district in November 2023. However, McDonald's filed a compliance report confirming the removal of the term 'cheese' from product names. Now, the Maharashtra FDA has granted the permission to resume the business.
Rajendra Bade, a food safety official from FDA-Ahmednagar, said that in October 2023, they visited the outlet in Kedgaon and discovered that the names of food items displayed at the outlet included American Cheese Burger, Cheese Burger, Italian Cheesy Lava Burger, American Cheese Nuggets, and Blueberry Cheese Cake. All these names are the brand names for their products.
Bade said that after analysis, they found that instead of pure cheese, the joint was using a cheese-like product. Technically, this is called a cheese analog or cheese substitute. While pure cheese contains milk fat, the cheese analog contains both milk fat and vegetable fat.
The FDA further demanded clarification from the fast food giant regarding the presence of milk fat and vegetable fat in products that were advertised as containing cheese.
Since their clarification was unsatisfactory, the FDA suspended their license in November of last year. Later, the outlet appealed against the suspension before the FDA commissioner in Mumbai. The commissioner heard arguments from both sides. Then they instructed the fast food restaurant chain that they cannot use the word ‘cheese’ in their product names if they are not using real cheese.
In the order, Abhimanyu Kale, FDA Commissioner, directed McDonald’s to revise their labeling and prominently tag the products as cheese analog nuggets or non-dairy cheese nuggets in a font size and color that is easily visible and differentiable from regular cheese products.
The order also mentioned the outlet to list the ingredients on the packaging, ensuring that the terms cheese analog or non-dairy cheese are prominently displayed. McDonald’s was further told to keep customers informed about the use of cheese analogs in certain products through signage, handouts, and explanations regarding the reasons for using cheese analogs.
Upon receiving the compliance report, a decision was made to revoke suspension, and permission has been granted to resume business as before.
In its compliance report, Hardcastle Restaurant said that it had renamed certain products by removing the word ‘cheese’. Hardcastle Restaurant is a subsidiary of Westlife Foodworld Ltd., which has the franchisee rights to own and operate McDonald’s restaurants in west and south markets in India.
It listed the items as Cheesy Nuggets (now Veg Nuggets), Mc Cheese Veg Burger (now Cheddar Delight Veg Burger), Corn and Cheese Burger (American Veg Burger), Grilled Chicken and Cheese Burger (American Non-Veg Burger), Mc Cheese Veg Non-Veg Burger (Cheddar Delight Non-Veg Burger), Blueberry Cheese Cake (Blueberry Cake), Cheesy Italian Veg Burger (Italian Veg Burger), and Cheesy Italian Chicken Burger (now Italian Chicken Burger).
(Input from various sources)
(Rehash/Komal Bhoi/MSM)
