Fake Cheesegate: After McDonalds, FDA Cracks Whip Against Domino’s, Pizza Hut, KFC and Many More

After Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found that one of the McDonald's outlet using cheese analogues instead of real cheese, all fast food chains offering cheese items on their menus came under the radar of FDA investigation. Notices have been sent to these establishments regarding the cheese issue, as well as other non-compliance matters including inadequate documentation, discrepancies in purchase bills, and hygiene-related concerns. FDA undertook inspections at 13 McDonald's locations and 25 other fast-food chain restaurants, such as Subway, KFC, Pizza Hut, Domino's, Barbeque Nation, Burger King, and Chaos Control Cafe.

38 fast food outlets included McDonald's, Subway, KFC, Pizza Hut, Domino's, Barbeque Nation, Burger King, and Chaos Control Cafe. All received improvement notices and are currently undergoing further inspections. "We have not yet received reports of similar cheese issues from McDonald's outlets in Mumbai, but once we do, we will take appropriate action. In the meantime, we have instructed all outlets to transparently list all ingredients used in their products and their nutritional value on the menu," said Shailesh Addhav, a Joint Commissioner (Food).

During the inspection, the FDA has been examining purchase orders and the raw ingredients used in the dishes to verify the presence of cheese. However, the FDA is awaiting more detailed reports on the matter. "The improvement letters were issued over document discrepancies such as missing licenses and discrepancies in purchase bills. and other non-compliances. The improvement letters outline the identified issues, the requirements, and areas for improvement," added Addhav.

The incident at the Khedgaon Ahmednagar McDonald's outlet has raised concerns about the practices of fast food chain restaurants. At this particular outlet, substitutes were being used in burgers and nuggets instead of real cheese, leading to the suspension of the outlet's license. In response, Khedgaon McDonald's removed the word "cheese" from various items on the menu. The FDA is urging the chain to implement corrective actions statewide and potentially nationwide.

"Cheesy nugget means the cheese should be available in it, but here the products were made of vegetable oil and milk fats. The action was taken for misleading people, which is unethical for a business. We have mandated that all outlets across Maharashtra accurately display the nutritional values of their products. This ensures transparency and prevents misleading information," said another FDA official.

Cheese analogues are designed to mimic the taste, texture, and functionality of traditional dairy cheese. However, reportedly in this case, the use of substitutes made from vegetable oil, hydrogenated vegetable oil (used to preserve foods), milk solids, liquid glucose, and other additives was deemed misleading and unethical. "As per the Khedgaon report Cheese analogues include palm oil, cheese sauce, hydrogen vegetable oil, milk solids, emulsifiers (food additives used to help mix two substances), and more. Oil is not expected in the cheese, but that was one of the parts of the cheese used in the cheesy nuggets," added the FDA official.

McDonald's Spokesperson while speaking to LokmatTimes said, "We use cheese which has global standards, fully complied with food-related law authorities such as Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). We have suppliers like Vistafood on board, and we have full transparency when it comes to our products."

During visits to several outlets where inspections were conducted, an employee mentioned that they use cheddar cheese, renowned for its quality and commonly utilized in burgers, sandwiches, and other fast food items. However, on the display menu, the word 'Cheese' was nowhere to be found.

In a statement, McDonald's mentioned using the highest quality cheese in their products, rejecting the use of cheese analogues or substitutes and actively collaborating with the relevant authorities regarding this matter and awaiting their definitive clarification.

However, these raise concerns about McDonald's claims regarding the use of real cheese. The removal of the word "cheese" from their menus prompts questions about their ingredients and practices.