Not loving it: Twitter fries McDonald’s when actual 'cheese sticks' ingredients are revealed

Not the best way to turn around a franchise in decline

One of the main ingredients in mozzarella sticks is, well, mozzarella. I mean, it’s right there in the name. Which explains why McDonald’s patrons who purchased the chain’s newest menu item have been extra disappointed to find their mozzarella cheese sticks sorely lacking in mozzarella cheese.

Using the hashtag #Wheresthecheese, disappointed customers have been posting photos showing cheese sticks that look like hollow breaded encasings. The mozzarella cheese filling that comes to mind when you think of traditional mozzarella sticks is nowhere to be found. On its website, McDonald’s features pictures of mozzarella sticks filled with rich, gooey, “100 percent real and melty mozzarella cheese.” Contrast those with the sad, empty food sticks people report receiving in real life:

It’s no secret that McDonald’s has been scrambling to stemprofit lossesover recent years. In an effort to bring back customers who have grown disinterested in the fare offered, the company began rapidly diversifying its menu, offering dishes like mozzarella sticks,macaroni and cheese and sweet potato fries. And the effort has seemingly worked, considering that McDonald’s profits reportedly rose by25 percent in 2015. But there have been some snafus along the way, and cheese-less cheese sticks seem to be one of them.

Several outlets reached out to McDonald’s for comment, but the company has yet to issue a response. According to its site, the mozzarella sticks, which becameavailable atthe start of this year, will continue to be available for some time. So if you’re looking for mozzarella sticks for cheap, know that Mickey D’s offers them in a serving of three for $2. Asone annoyed customer announced on social media, they’re apparently “perfect for the lactose intolerant.”

Kali Holloway is a senior writer and the associate editor of media and culture at AlterNet.