The verification confirms the brand’s assertion that it does not use any cheese analogues or substitutes in its products, countering the allegations made by the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration
Bengaluru: Apex food safety standards regulator of the country Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has verified the cheese used by McDonald’s India as 100% real, the fast-food retailer said in a press release on Tuesday.
The confirmation from FSSAI states that “Articles in question contain Cheese or cheese product as a part of composition and does not contain analogue in dairy context in any form”. Along with this, McDonald’s India received the results of the tests conducted by National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) accredited lab, also confirming the same.
The verification confirms the brand’s assertion that it does not use cheese analogues or substitutes in its products, countering the allegations made by the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
“The clean chit we have received from FSSAI affirms that our products contain 100% Real cheese, sourced from globally renowned suppliers,” said Saurabh Kalra, managing director, McDonald’s India (West and South). “Since the inception of our operations in 1996, we have maintained a steadfast commitment to the highest levels of food quality. We assure our customers and stakeholders that all our products are crafted with genuine, quality ingredients without any compromises whatsoever,” he added.
Pursuant to the clean chit, McDonald’s India (West and South) has retained the term ‘cheese’ in the names of its products after removing it amid objections raised by Maharashtra FDA.
Hardcastle Restaurant, a subsidiary of Westlife Foodworld Ltd, has the franchisee rights to own and operate McDonald’s restaurants in west and south markets in India since 1996. It serves over 200 million customers, annually, at its 380 McDonald’s restaurants across 62 cities as of December 2023.
