Burger King Joins McDonald's and Subway in Halting Tomato Use Amid Soaring Prices

Burger King, a popular fast-food chain, has recently made the decision to cease using tomatoes in its food offerings, becoming the latest in a line of quick-service restaurant (QSR) chains to do so. This move follows in the footsteps of other major players like McDonald's and Subway, all prompted by the exorbitant prices of this staple kitchen ingredient.

Operated by Restaurant Brands Asia, Burger King's decision is outlined on the support page of its website, citing both "quality" and "supply" issues as the primary reasons for the temporary removal of tomatoes from its menu items.

The company's message reads: *"We, at Restaurant Brands Asia Ltd, have very high standards of quality as we believe in serving real and authentic food. Due to unpredictable conditions on the quality & supply of tomato crops, we are unable to add tomatoes to our food. Rest assured, our tomatoes will be back soon."* The message concludes with a plea for customer patience and understanding regarding the situation.

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In some of the Burger King India outlets, humorous notices have been posted, stating, "Even tomatoes need a vacation… we are unable to add tomatoes to our food." The QSR industry is grappling with supply chain disruptions due to the soaring prices of tomatoes and challenges in sourcing high-quality produce.

Tomato prices in parts of the country have reached up to Rs 200 per kilogram due to supply disruptions caused by heavy rains. This unprecedented situation has compelled the Indian government to resort to tomato imports for the first time. India is currently procuring tomatoes from Nepal to bridge the supply gap.

Earlier this year in July, McDonald's, another fast-food giant, announced the cessation of tomato use in its menu offerings across most of its stores in northern and eastern India. The company cited the unavailability of quality produce as the key factor behind this decision. Subway India subsequently followed suit, also suspending the use of tomatoes in response to the surging prices in major cities.

The all-India average retail price decreased to Rs 107.87 per kg from Rs 118.7 per kg over the same period.

Thankfully, the arrival of the fresh tomato crop in states like Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh has begun to stabilize prices in wholesale markets, offering a glimmer of relief for both consumers and the affected QSR chains.

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