McDonald’s cheese adulteration: Maharashtra FDA’s Accusations Unveiled

Mumbai: The Maharashtra FDA has accused McDonald’s of cheesy adulteration. According to FDA authorities, the company allegedly uses imitation cheese in its burgers and nuggets. Cheaper vegetable oils are frequently used instead of milk or dairy fat in cheese analogs, which are meant to resemble actual dairy cheese. The consumption of alternatives may provide health hazards, such as artificial additives and decreased nutritional value.

FDA Commissioner Abhimanyu Kale told reporters that omitting such crucial details is misleading for customers and raises potential health concerns. “Our officers found no mention of cheese analogs anywhere. Kale said that items such as ‘cheese nuggets’ and ‘cheeseburgers’ bore such labeling.

FDA Investigation

The FDA began investigating in October after inspecting a McDonald’s branch in Kedgaon, Ahmednagar. They issued a notice upon discovering at least eight menu items with cheese substitutes. Despite McDonald’s contesting the action, authorities suspended the outlet’s license due to its unsatisfactory response. In December, McDonald’s informed the FDA that they had removed “cheese” from product names.

However, when contacted on Thursday, McDonald’s denied using cheese substitutes. “We want to reassure customers that we only use real, quality cheese,” a spokesperson asserted.

The FDA plans to investigate other fast-food pizza and burger chains for similar violations. Most could be engaging in the same practice of passing off substitutes as real cheese without proper labeling. Regulators are pushing McDonald’s to expand corrective action statewide and even nationally.