McDonald’s removes tomatoes from burgers amid skyrocketing prices, but this is not the main reason

After making a way out from the common man’s kitchen, tomatoes have now started to disappear from the famous eatery kitchen as McDonald's announced that they will not be including tomatoes in any of their bun-based menu items. 

This choice was made in light of the rapidly rising cost of tomatoes in retail marketplaces which are now soaring at more than Rs 180 per kg in many places, Zee Business reported. However, this choice was not made only because of the soaring cost.  According to several sources, a few burger outlets may remove tomatoes from their menus for the upcoming few months owing to their generally low level of quality.

The fast-food eatery business has stopped serving tomatoes in certain of its stores throughout various regions of India. Connaught Plaza Restaurants, a McDonald's operator in India's north and east with roughly 150 locations, explained the decision as being due to "temporary" seasonal challenges in an official statement.

The same vendor provides fresh vegetables, including tomatoes, to Burger King and McDonald's. Tomatoes are currently not being delivered by this provider to the Delhi area.  According to a McDonald's India - North and East representative, there are not enough numbers fulfilling our quality criteria accessible due to seasonal crop challenges originating out of farm fields in select places.

However, as of now, Burger King has claimed to have enough tomatoes in its restaurants, CNBC reported.

The eateries are compelled to hold tomatoes for the time being in order to guarantee that the clients receive the highest quality they are renowned to deliver, McDonald's representative further added. As per the statement, restaurants, primarily in the Punjab-Chandigarh region, where food-chain are able to source adequate quantities and continue to serve tomatoes on their menu.

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"Despite our best efforts, we are unable to get sufficient amounts of tomatoes that meet our extremely rigorous quality standards. Therefore, we are compelled to provide you items without tomatoes for the time being," reads notice on McDonald's location in New Delhi.

Why do tomatoes cost so much?

The extreme weather is directly responsible for the increasing price of tomatoes. The tomato harvest was affected in several locations by the heat wave that had swept over the majority of the nation earlier in the year, which led to a decrease in crop yield.

The supply-side scenario has been made worse by persistent heavy rains that have jeopardised vulnerable supply networks across the nation. Prices are rising swiftly due to tomatoes' limited shelf life and diminishing supplies. Because of this, the cost of the basic food item has significantly climbed in states like Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Uttrakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and others.

(With inputs from Reuters)