Burger King becomes latest global chain to drop tomatoes from India menus after prices quadruple

Food inflation hit its highest in India since January 2020

Burger King dropped tomatoes from its menu in India after the price of the fruit more than quadrupled.

The latest fast-food chain, which is the latest to face the brunt of skyrocketing prices, issued a notice in a lighter vein saying that “even tomatoes need a vacation” and announced that “we are unable to add tomatoes to our food”.

The fast-food chain is the latest to join McDonald’s and Subway outlets across India in scrapping tomatoes from their items as food inflation hit its highest this week since January 2020.

The US-based Subway was even forced to cancel their free cheese slices in subs and wraps it has been offering to customers for years.

The prices of the everyday staples in Indian households have been surging since the past couple of months and have skyrocketed by 450 per cent – the highest ever this year as monsoon rain damaged crops and disrupted supply chains.

“Why are there no tomatoes in my burgers?” a question on the support page of Burger King India’s website read.

The America-based multinational chain cited unavailability of quality tomatoes as they followed “very high standards of quality”. They assured that tomatoes will be back soon.

People buy tomatoes from a vendor at a vegetable market in Ahmedabad, India (REUTERS)

The pinch is being felt by many others as India’s yearly retail inflation in July surged to its highest level in 15 months due to a significant increase in the prices of vegetables and cereals.

The prices of vegetables have increased to 37 per cent over a year with the costs of staples such as onion, garlic, and peas more than doubling.

Natraj, 55, a tomato farmer, shows his tomato vines on his farm in Kolar district (REUTERS)

The price rise has put pressure on prime minister Narendra Modi’s government as it prepares for key state elections and national polls in 2024.

In order to address the supply shortage, India has initiated the import of tomatoes from Nepal. Additionally, the country has arranged for vehicles to distribute this essential commodity at more affordable prices nationwide, as evidenced by posts on social media showcasing extensive queues.

"Inflation is a problem that impacts everyone so this is an added headwind to household budgets and, hence, growth. The imperative to act may be stronger ahead of upcoming elections," Dhiraj Nim, economist at ANZ Research, told Reuters.