After the discovery of misleading claims regarding the substitution of real cheese with alternatives in burgers and nuggets at a McDonald’s outlet last week, the state of Maharashtra will be inspecting outlets of all global fast-food chains for food regulation violations, as reported by Reuters citing an official source.
Following McDonald’s crackdown, Maharashtra will intensify its inspection efforts by checking for misleading promotion of non-cheese items falsely advertised as containing cheese. All McDonald’s outlets in Maharashtra will be inspected by the state’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as part of this heightened oversight initiative.
“We are planning to check all outlets of McDonald’s,” Abhimanyu Kale, the FDA chief told Reuters. “We will also take action on other well-known and frequently visited global fast-food chain outlets,” he added, but declined to identify the brands being targeted.
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Saurabh Kalra, Managing Director of Westlife Development, the company operating McDonald’s in western and southern India, expressed readiness for any inspections and affirmed their commitment to maintaining the “highest standards”.
The company’s shares dropped to INR 762 when the news surfaced, but later regained ground.
The FDA had temporarily suspended the license of a McDonald’s outlet in Ahmednagar, prompting the chain to remove the term “cheese” from several items. However, the license was subsequently reinstated.
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The regulator accused McDonald’s of using cheese analogs without adequate disclosure, leading consumers to believe they were consuming real cheese. The state FDA has also urged the chain to implement corrective measures across the state and potentially nationwide.
Following the crackdown, Westlife Foodworld issued a clarification last week, stating that it is actively communicating with the relevant authorities regarding this matter 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.
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