NEW DELHI: The Russia-Ukraine war has had an unlikely casualty:
McDonald
’s filet-o-fish burger. From Mumbai to Delhi, the sudden disappearance of this popular dish from the burger chain’s menu has left consumers flummoxed. “It’s my go-to burger every time I visit McDonald’s,” said
Shruti Guha
, a Mumbai-based advertising professional. “But for a couple of days, I have not been able to find it at McDonald’s outlets or even online.”
It’s a similar story at the office of a tech startup in South Delhi. “I usually order the filet-o-fish from McDonald’s for lunch because it’s light compared to a chicken burger. But our office peon has been returning empty-handed. He says it’s not available at any outlet,” said
Bipul Dutta
, a graphic designer.
While a McDonald’s spokesperson in the capital did not comment on the story, a source told TOI that shipments of Alaska pollock, the fish from which the patty of the McDonald’s filet-o-fish burger is made, have been hit.
Among other places, Alaska pollock is found in high concentration in the
Bering Sea
, which is adjacent to Russia. “Supplies may be restored soon. It seems like a temporary glitch,” said the source without sharing any other details.
While fish like Hilsa is imported to India from Bangladesh, Atlantic Salmon from Norway and Bassa from Vietnam, India does not depend on the EU for the supply of fresh fish, according to
Mathew Joseph
, COO at FreshToHome.
“The business-to-consumer (B2C) industry is predominantly driven by the demand for fresh and local breeds of fish,” he said.