NEW DELHICHENNAI, Aug 16 Reuters Burger King has scrapped tomatoes from its wraps and burgers in many Indian outlets after prices more than quadrupled, the latest symptom of surging food inflation that is hitting consumers hard across the world39;s most populous nation.

Even tomatoes need a vacation … we are unable to add tomatoes to our food, read notices pasted at two Burger King India outlets. The chain has cited quality issues in explaining the shortfall.

The burger chain, one of India39;s biggest with nearly 400 outlets, joins many McDonald39;s and Subway stores that have removed tomatoes from menus as India39;s food inflation this week hit its highest since January 2020.

The U.S. sandwich chain even cancelled the free cheese slices it offered for years.

Rival Domino39;s, meanwhile, has tried bringing down prices to appeal to struggling consumers with a 0.60 pizza its cheapest in the world.

The tomato supply crisis has coincided with a surge in prices by as much as 450 to record highs as monsoon rains disrupted crop and supply chains although they have since eased.

Why are there no tomatoes in my burgers? reads a question on the support page of Burger King India39;s web site. The answer states its Indian franchisee follows very high standards of quality and tomatoes will be back soon.

We request your patience and understanding, it says.

Restaurant Brands Asia, which operates Burger King in India, did not respond to requests for comment.

The pain is…