McDonald's responds on fake cheese controversy

Westlife Foodworld which runs McDonald's in West and South India has removed cheese from its menu after a crackdown by Maharashtra's Food and Drugs Administration (FDA). The company has assured the consumers that it only uses ‘genuine and high-quality cheese’ in its products. 

The FDA recently accused McDonald's of misleading practices related to the use of cheese substitutes in its food items. The organization also suspended the license of the food giant in one of the outlets in Ahmednagar in November last year, saying that its investigation found that the fast-food chain has been using substitutes of cheese or proprietary foods instead of cheese. FSSAI, however, is yet to respond on the same. 

Meanwhile, the Westlife Foodworld claims that they use high quality of cheese and are adhering to the global standards in all the products and is actively engaged with the authorities to get clarification on this.

According to the sources, the company has changed the names of some of the products across Maharashtra after action. In menu, Cheesy Nuggets have been changed to Veg Nuggets, Mc Cheese Veg Burger to Cheddar Delight Veg Burger, McCheese Non-Veg Burger to Cheddar Delight Non-Veg Burger, whereas Corn & Cheeseburger name has been changed to American Veg Burger, Grilled Chicken and Cheeseburger to American Non-Veg Burger, Blueberry Cheesecake to Blueberry cake, Cheese Italian Veg Burger to Italian Veg Burger, and Cheese Italian Chicken Burger to Italian Chicken Burger.