Following the move by Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to suspend the licence of a McDonald’s outlet in Ahmednagar, Telangana food safety officials are also set to carry out checks in the chain’s outlets across the State.
The Maharashtra FDA cracked down on the American fast food giant alleging that it used cheese substitutes designed to replicate the taste and texture of dairy cheese without proper disclosure, misleading consumers into thinking they were consuming real cheese.
“Quality checks will be conducted across all food multinationals in the State during the first week of March. We will check the quality of not only cheese but also cooking oil, breads and other raw materials used by them,” said a senior official in the Food Safety department.
So far, the department has not received any complaint regarding the quality of cheese, the official said. “In case of any complaint in this regard, immediate checks will be conducted and action taken,” the official added.
The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) demanded a thorough investigation into the fast food giant’s products to evaluate the extent of the issue; till that is done, business operations of McDonald’s must be suspended countrywide.
“It is imperative to halt McDonald’s activities nationwide as there is a possibility of similar counterfeit raw materials being used in other locations, posing a risk to public health,” CAIT’s general secretary Praveen Khandelwal said.
Meanwhile, McDonald’s took to X (formerly Twitter), saying it uses “only real, quality cheese” and is actively engaged with the authorities.
