Why global QSR giants rewrite recipes for India: no beef, less sugar, more aloo

McDonald's, Subway, Coca-Cola and Pepsi reformulate signature menus for India — swapping cane sugar, palm oil, omitting beef and pork, and Indianising flavors with items like the Aloo Patty — driven by FSSAI norms, price sensitivity and dietary constraints.

— Source publishedSat, 13 Jun, 2026, 17:20 IST·First seen Sat, 13 Jun, 2026, 17:28 IST·Source Business Today · Latest

What happened

McDonald's India · Analysis of how global QSR and beverage brands like McDonald's, Subway, Pepsi and Coca-Cola reformulate recipes for India — swapping

Why this matters

Screen India entry targets and JV partners on demonstrated recipe-localisation capability and FSSAI-aligned sourcing, as global menu portability is no longer a viable shortcut to market.