Cheese Analogues In Pretext Of Real Cheese: A Tale Of Visual Fraud And Misleading Food Labelling!

Just a week ago, when you were planning to have a ‘Cheesy weekend’ with your favourite cheese meal, the Maharashtra FDA took action against fast-food titan McDonald’s, blaming it for deceptive practices concerning the use of cheese analogues instead of real cheese in meals like burgers and nuggets. The FDA has suspended the licence of one of the McDonald’s outlets in Ahmednagar. It was later revoked after the company said it had removed the word ‘cheese’ from specific products and committed to being genuine with the customers. 

The regulator alleged that McDonald’s used cheese analogues without appropriate disclosure, misleading the consumers into thinking they were eating real cheese. The state FDA has also asked the chain to implement corrective actions statewide and possibly nationwide.

McDonald’s largest India franchisee, Westlife Foodworld, has defended its usage of “genuine cheese” after media reported last year that state regulators discovered some products used so-called cheese analogues of vegetable oil rather than actual cheese. The McDonald’s franchisee disagreed with the conclusions, but in December, it removed the word “cheese” from the labels of many of its burgers and nuggets sold across the state. It renamed its “corn and cheeseburger” as “American vegetarian burger”, for example. This raises a question: why did they remove the word ‘cheese’ from specific menus if they are using’ real cheese’? Isn’t this a ‘cheesy deception’?

After discovering false claims about the usage of analogues instead of real cheese in burgers and nuggets at a McDonald’s store last week, the state of Maharashtra decided to examine all global fast-food chains for food control infractions. Following the McDonald’s crackdown, the Indian state will conduct an investigation into the false promotion of non-cheese foods as containing cheese, as well as audit all McDonald’s shops in Maharashtra for the same, broadening its scrutiny. The state’s officials would reportedly visit all McDonald’s locations and those of other prominent fast-food franchises to guarantee compliance with display and labelling requirements. 

Following the Maharashtra FDA’s decision to suspend the licence of a McDonald’s restaurant in Ahmednagar, Telangana’s food safety regulators also planned to conduct checks at the chain’s locations throughout the state.

This investigation goes beyond the initial inspection of McDonald’s, offering potential issues for multinational companies as inflationary pressures affect the consumption of higher-priced burgers and pizzas in India. Although the precise brands targeted for inspection were not given, outlets of prominent chains such as Domino’s, Pizza Hut, Burger King, and KFC are expected to be scrutinised.

Why are these cheese analogues a point of concern?

Experts have flagged the concern of cheese alternatives in fast food items, with children at a higher risk. 

What are cheese analogues?

Cheese analogues (sometimes known as cheese alternatives) are culinary analogues for cheese. They are typically products created by combining cheaper fats or proteins and utilised in convenience foods. These foods may be meant as cheese analogues, with the goal of being mistaken for real cheese, but have attributes such as cheaper costs or different melting points that appeal to businesses. This can be one of the reasons why fast food giants might be using cheese analogues to save bucks for their profits. The global analogue-based cheese market was valued at $ 850 million in 2022.

According to Mark Philipose, a former executive sous chef at the Sheraton Grand in Pune, fake cheese analogues are frequently sold for ₹200 or less per kg block, whereas genuine Indian processed cheese costs between ₹450 and ₹500 per kg. He also notes that cheese analogues are common in today’s market.

These products are anticipated to mimic traditional cheese’s texture, taste and functionality. These alternatives are typically created from plant-based sources such as cashews, almonds, soy, coconut or even vegetables. Some may also incorporate stabilisers, additives, and flavourings. Individuals with nut or soy allergies can have problems after consuming these cheese analogues. 

Is using cheese analogues wrong? If not, then why is there an issue?

According to FDA Commissioner Kale, the most pressing issue is food labelling. Analogues of cheese or other substances are not banned. However, it is critical to maintain transparency with consumers. Analogues can be used, but they cannot be sold as the original product, and Indian regulations are extremely explicit on this. The official adds that if the company serves vegetable oil or a cheese substitute, the product should explicitly state so.

In the case of cheese items, if the product is non-dairy, terms that sound similar to dairy ingredients should not be used. For example, if a consumer is looking at a blueberry cheesecake and buys it, they think it contains cheese, milk and sugar. However, they unknowingly consume a lot of vegetable oil because of misleading food labels. And if they are allergic to those oils used in making cheese analogues, then this is a point of concern that the FDA is worried about. By the way, this blueberry cheesecake is the one that got its name changed to Blueberry cake. 

Although these cheese analogues would be great for a person who is looking for a vegan option or looking for some plant-based alternatives; however, clarification on the label is something that cannot be taken for granted!

Multinational fast-food chains are already witnessing the slash of inflation in the food industry and competition from local vendors. This investigation further can be another bottleneck for these organisations. Hope the multinational fast-food brands understand this and stick to Indian laws and regulations.