McDonald's fake cheese scandal: The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), has demanded an immediate ban on McDonald's operations nationwide after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of Maharashtra uncovered a grave health violation at a McDonald's outlet in Maharashtra's Ahmednagar, where counterfeit cheese was allegedly found in the burgers served. 

The CAIT National President, BC Bhartia, and Secretary General, Praveen Khandelwal, have urgently called upon the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Government of India, and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to take decisive action against McDonald's.

CAIT said that there is a need for a thorough investigation into the matter to uncover the extent of the issue and hold responsible parties accountable for endangering public health and safety. 

Westlife Foodworld, the company that owns and operates McDonald's chains in West and South India, said they only use “genuine, high-quality” cheese in their cheese-containing products.

"Amid recent reports about the removal of 'Cheese' from our menu at McDonald's locations in Maharashtra, we want to assure our valued customers that only genuine, high-quality cheese is used in all our cheese-containing products. Collaborating with suppliers adhering to global standards ensures top-quality cheese in our product offerings and not cheese analogues or any substitute,” McDonald’s India (West & South) said.

The company added that they are actively engaging with the competent authorities on this issue and awaiting their final clarification.