McDonalds India Rejoices: Cheese Returns to Product Names Post FSSAI Verification

Westlife Foodworld, the operator of McDonald's restaurants in West and South India, announced on Tuesday that the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has verified the cheese used by the company and has allowed it to continue using the word "cheese" in the names of its products.

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FSSAI Verification and NABL Confirmation

The company's Managing Director, Saurabh Kalra, stated that an independent National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) has also confirmed that Westlife Foodworld uses authentic cheese in its food preparation and does not use cheese analogues or substitutes.

Earlier Controversy and Maharashtra FDA's Direction

Earlier, the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had expressed dissatisfaction with the cheese used in Westlife Foodworld's food preparations and had directed the company to remove the word "cheese" from its product names. In response, the company had temporarily removed the word "cheese" from its products.

Retaining the Term "Cheese"

Following the clean chit from FSSAI, McDonald's India West & South has retained the term "cheese" in the names of its products containing cheese. Kalra stated that the company has received a verification letter from FSSAI on the FoSCoS Food Safety Compliance System website, allowing it to use the word "cheese" in all products.

Response to Local FDA Inspection

Kalra explained that the local FDA authorities in Maharashtra had conducted a routine inspection of the Ahmednagar outlet and were not satisfied with the result of cheese. He emphasized that the company renamed its products under protest but ensured that the new names still signified cheese.

Impact on Business and Brand Trust

Kalra acknowledged that the controversy had raised questions about the brand and temporarily affected the trust built over 20 years. However, he expressed confidence in the company's position and maintained a confident tone of voice during the situation.

FSSAI's Verification Statement

In a statement, Westlife Foodworld stated that FSSAI has verified the cheese used by McDonald's India as "100% Real Cheese." The confirmation from FSSAI explicitly states that the articles in question contain cheese or cheese products as part of their composition and do not contain any dairy analogues.

Westlife Foodworld's Operations

Westlife Foodworld, formerly known as Westlife Development, operates a chain of McDonald's restaurants in West and South India through its subsidiary Hardcastle Restaurants Pvt Ltd (HRPL). As of December 31, 2023, the company operated 380 McDonald's restaurants across 62 cities.