New Delhi [India], July 8 : With the rising price of tomatoes in India, many McDonald's restaurants in the country have removed tomatoes from their burgers and wraps due to supply shortages and concerns about the vegetable's quality.
The fast-food titan has dropped the fruit from their menu citing a "temporary" seasonal issue.
McDonald's India, North and East, said it is constrained to "hold tomatoes for the time being" and is trying to resolve this issue by employing sustainable agriculture practices.
"Due to seasonal crop issues arising out of farm fields in a few regions, there are not enough quantities meeting our quality specifications available. To ensure our customers get the best quality we are known to serve, we are constrained to hold tomatoes for the time being," an official statement said.
Unfavourable weather conditions, including heavy rains in certain growing regions and above-average temperatures last month, have significantly impacted tomato production, leading to a fivefold price increase this year. While tomatoes typically become expensive during the lean production months of June and July, the impact this year has been particularly pronounced.
Many attributed the sharp rise in vegetable prices to the prevailing heatwave in key tomato-growing areas, as well as heavy rains, leading to a disruption in supply chains.
Tomatoes also have a relatively lower shelf life, which is also believed to be having a bearing on their prices.
A customer, Gaurav told ANI, "I think because of the high price of tomatoes, McDonald's is not using tomatoes."
Another customer Pooja Gupta said, "Tomato prices are skyrocketing. If they use tomatoes in their food, the cost might increase."
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