After a flurry of social media posts accused McDonald’s of serving customers mozzarella sticks without the cheese, the fast-food giant faces another damning complaint.
A California resident filed a class-action lawsuit against McDonald’s on Jan. 29, according to documents given to NBC Chicago. The suit alleges that the chain — based in suburban Oak Brook, Illinois — falsely advertised mozzarella sticks as "real mozzarella," and made with "100 percent real cheese."
The lawsuit claims that "McDonald’s has used starch as a cheap substitute and filler" instead of using only cheese in the mozzarella sticks, calling McDonald's labeling and advertising "misleading, deceptive, unfair, and fraudulent."
In a statement released to NBC Chicago, McDonald’s wrote, "Our mozzarella cheese sticks are made with 100% low moisture part skim mozzarella cheese. We intend to defend ourselves vigorously against these allegations."
The latest cheese controversy comes after McDonald’s customers took to social media last week to complain after their mozzarella sticks came without cheese.
The company responded to the cheese controversy in a statement to NBC Chicago, explaining that the cheese may have melted out of the sticks during the cooking process.
"We are aware of a low volume of guest concerns about our Mozzarella Cheese Sticks," spokeswoman Lisa McComb said in an emailed statement. "In these instances, we believe the cheese melted out during the baking process in our kitchens and shouldn't have been served. We apologize to any customers who may have been affected. We are working to fix this in our restaurants."
@McDonalds what is this lol no cheese in my mozzarella sticks pic.twitter.com/y4tQw4Fxfv
— Jonathan Lee Dai (@JoeNaeThin) January 27, 2016@McDonalds your mozzarella sticks had not one ounce of cheese fam. What gives mcdolans. pic.twitter.com/tXYjibCa8N
— Jose Pancakes (@JosePancakes) January 26, 2016@McDonalds I just bought your mozzarella sticks and not one of the three had cheese in the middle. This is pathetic. pic.twitter.com/tUyqk3kbwA
— Nick Pierce (@piercenick5) January 10, 2016@McDonalds What is this?!? My mozzarella stick had no cheese! How is that even possible?? 😭😭😭 #whereisthecheese pic.twitter.com/kA85MqHUgQ
— Francesca Stubbs (@FrancescaStubbs) January 20, 2016I love the new mozzarella sticks from @McDonalds. Well the breading since none of them had cheese. #feelingempty pic.twitter.com/XkLAiCv7MP
— Jennifer Nordin (@JennoHocan) January 23, 2016My McDonald's mozzarella sticks didn't have cheese.:https://t.co/3VVocpSwZz pic.twitter.com/5KhEcEjat2
— El Hermano (@ElHermanoAmigo) January 15, 2016All 3 of @McDonalds new Mozzarella Sticks came empty. #wheresthecheese #donttrythisitem pic.twitter.com/lQXKGmQhaN
— Brannon Peterson (@RaisinBran66) January 17, 2016