The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of Maharashtra had revoked the license of a McDonald's outlet in Ahmednagar district over paneer-related issues. Now, a new twist has emerged in the case. An official revealed that the outlet had to undergo FDA scrutiny for using an alternative substance instead of paneer in its dishes without publicly disclosing it.
After an investigation, the outlet's license was revoked, but it has been reinstated recently after the outlet provided several reports and evidence. The outlet reportedly removed the word 'paneer' from its dishes. FDA officer Rajendra Bade of Ahmednagar stated that during their visit to Kedgaon in October 2023, they found items displayed such as American Cheese Burger, American Cheese Nuggets, Cheese Burger, Italian Cheese Lava Burger, and Blueberry Cheese Cake, which are all brand names of their products.
The officer further explained that instead of pure paneer, the outlet was using products like paneer analog or paneer substitute, which contains both milk fat and vegetable fat. Consequently, FDA demanded clarification regarding the presence of milk fat and vegetable fat in paneer-advertised products. As the clarification provided by the outlet was unsatisfactory, their license was canceled in November last year. They appealed against the suspension in Mumbai before the FDA commissioner. After hearing both sides, the commissioner directed the fast-food outlet not to use the term 'paneer' in their product names if they are not using real paneer.
McDonald's was instructed to provide clarification on the use of analogs in some products through signage, handouts, and explanations. Rajendra Bade mentioned that they received compliance reports stating that the company had made changes to its labels. Following the receipt of their compliance report, the decision was made to lift the suspension, granting them permission to resume business as usual.
Westlife Foodworld Ltd's subsidiary, Hardcastle Restaurants, holds the franchise rights for McDonald's restaurants in Western and Southern markets of India. The outlet informed FDA in its compliance report that it has changed the names of some products by removing the word 'paneer'.
McDonald's India (West and South) stated that transparency in the ingredients used in their products and their commitment to providing customers with delicious, high-quality food remains unwavering.
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