McDonald's India outlet gets regulatory warning over rotten tomatoes, reused oil

A statue of Ronald McDonald, a mascot of the McDonald's fast-food restaurant chain is seen outside the restaurant in Mumbai, India, Feb 26, 2024. REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas

Indian food safety officials have warned a McDonald’s outlet in Jaipur after an inspection found cooking oil unfit for consumption and rotten tomatoes in storage, prompting regulators to seize samples for testing, an official told Reuters.

During an inspection at the outlet on Monday in Jaipur, a tourist hotspot in the desert state of Rajasthan, inspectors found 40 litres of oil repeatedly used in cooking and unfit of consumption, government food safety officer Sushil Chotwani said.

That breached food safety norms and "officials collected oil samples for further testing," Chotwani said.

McDonald's spokesperson in the United States did not respond to Reuters queries outside regular business hours.

Its franchise for North and East India, Connaught Plaza Restaurants, said it was cooperating with the food safety authorities and was "strictly compliant" with their guidelines, and also followed "rigorous McDonald’s global standards."

Chotwani said McDonald's was issued a warning and given 14 days to fix its practices at the outlet or face further "strict" action.

Officials would "inspect more McDonald's outlets in the city," he said.

Food adulteration is often reported across India, but safety lapses at high-profile brands like McDonald's are rare.

McDonald's is one of India’s most popular restaurant chains, with hundreds outlets that draw customers with its burgers and other offerings.