Search the Community

Celiac.com 04/08/2023 - Looking for a fast food French fry that is gluten-free, and safe for people with celiac disease? French fries from Burger King and many other fast food restaurants are not considered 100% gluten-free and safe for people with celiac disease. They are either cooked in shared fryers and/or contain wheat or gluten ingredients. These French fries are not safe for those with gluten food allergies and wheat allergy. Sadly, this is the case with most fast food restaurants. Nearly all fast food restaurants that serve French fries also serve hamburgers on buns, and other ingredients that contain wheat. Because of this, most of them won't be able to guarantee a gluten-free French fry. That said, if you're careful, and do your homework, you can get French fries at a number of fast food restaurants that are cooked without gluten ingredients in a dedicated fryer. The restaurants on this list take extra measures to make sure their French fries are free of gluten ingredients, and prepared in a way that is unlikely to result in gluten contamination. As always, double check with each restaurant, to be sure you can trust their French fries. When in doubt, opt out. Restaurants That Offer French Fries Cooked Without Gluten Ingredients in a Dedicated Fryer Five Guys Five Guys cooks their hand-cut fries in a dedicated French fry fryer in peanut oil. Honest Burger Honest Burger is a popular fast-food chain in the UK. Both the French fries and onion rings are cooked in a dedicated fryer. In-N-Out Burger The popular fast-food chain In-N-Out-Burger offers gluten-free French fries cooked in a dedicated fryer using sunflower oil. Larkburger Denver, Colorado-based Larkburger serves gluten-free French fries and onion rings cooked in a dedicated gluten-free fryer. Lion’s Choice Lion’s Choice offers gluten-free burgers and fries cooked in a dedicated fryer. Lion's Choice serves locations throughout Missouri. Red Robin Red Robin will cook their famous steak fries in a dedicated gluten-free fryer by request. Smashburger Smashburger offers Udi’s gluten-free buns with their burgers and sandwiches at locations. Most of their toppings are gluten-free. Smashburger does warn that due to shared preparation environments, some cross-contamination may occur. According to the company website, their fries are okay for people on a gluten-free diet. Sonic Drive-In Selected Sonic Drive-In restaurants have a dedicated gluten-free fryer for cooking both French fries and tater tots. Check specific locations for more information about Sonic’s gluten-free options. Ted’s Montana Grill Ted’s Montana Grill offers fresh-cut fries cooked in a dedicated fryer. Article Updated 05/06/2023: McDonald's McDonald's French fries are free of gluten ingredients, and cooked in dedicated fryers, according to McDonald's UK web site. However, there is some controversy as to whether their fries are gluten-free in the USA. McDonald's in the USA does not directly market ANY of their products as gluten-free, and their French fries contain beef flavor that includes hydrolyzed wheat, and this is an ingredient that has had its gluten removed through a chemical process. Until recently such an ingredient was not allowed to be labelled "gluten-free" under USA laws, but this changed a couple of years ago, so the USA is now more in line with European labelling laws (this is why you can now buy DiGiorno Gluten-Free pizza, which is made using wheat starch). McDonald's always used the same ingredients, and usually dedicated fryers--but no matter what, make sure to ask if their fries are cooked in a dedicated fryer as some McDonald's in the USA have been known to cook wheat items in their French fry fryers. To date Celiac.com is are not aware of their French fries ever testing positive for gluten. https://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en-us/product/small-french-fries.html More about hydrolyzed vegetable protein: Did we miss any of your favorite spots for gluten-free French fries? Share them with us in the comments below.

Celiac.com 04/18/2023 - The collective wisdom is that people with celiac disease should avoid eating French fries cooked in fryers shared with wheat products. But what's the real story? Is there any science to back up the idea? It turns out, there is. A research team recently assessed gluten levels in French fries that were free of gluten-containing ingredients, but were cooked in shared fryers with wheat-containing foods. Here's the rundown. To do so, researchers bought 20 orders of fries from 10 different restaurants and tested them for gluten levels using two different ELISA tests. All the restaurants confirmed that their fryers were used to cook both gluten-free and wheat-containing foods. Study Results Showed Gluten Contamination is Common when Gluten-Free Foods are Cooked in Shared Wheat Food Fryers According to the sandwich ELISA test, gluten was found in 9 out of 20 fry orders, ranging from 7 to over 80 ppm gluten. The competitive ELISA test found gluten in 3 out of 20 fry orders, ranging from 14 to over 270 ppm gluten. However, the study also noted that ELISAs may underperform when analyzing for gluten that has been heated. The findings suggest that one out of four French fry orders would not be considered gluten-free, which suggests that individuals with celiac disease may risk gluten exposure when eating fried foods cooked in fryers shared with wheat-containing foods. The study emphasizes the importance of informing individuals with celiac disease and other gluten-related disorders about the potential risks of consuming fried foods cooked in shared fryers, and the need for food service establishments to adopt policies to prevent gluten contamination. This study is important for people with celiac disease, who must avoid gluten completely to manage their condition, and for whom even trace amounts of gluten can cause harm. The results suggest that many restaurants may not fully understand the risks of cross-contamination when cooking gluten-free foods in shared fryers. Unreliable ELISA Results for Heated Foods This study also highlights the limitations of using ELISA tests to detect gluten in heated foods, as the tests may underperform in these situations. This may suggest that the actual gluten levels in the fries could be higher than what was detected in the study. Because of this, people with celiac disease need to be aware of this risk and probably want to avoid French fries, or any other products, cooked in shared fryers. More research is probably needed to determine the exact extent and conditions of gluten contamination in shared fryers, and to develop better testing methods to accurately measure gluten levels in heated foods. But even in the absence of further data, cross-contamination of gluten-free foods cooked in shared fryers is definitely an issue for people with celiac disease, and those affected should avoid eating any food that is cooked in a fryer that is also used to cook products that contain wheat. Here's an article on where people with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity can get decent fast food French fries.

Celiac.com 11/12/2021 - Is it possible for a large, multi-billion dollar, multi-national corporation like McDonald’s to make an honest mistake—even if that mistake benefits them directly by increasing their sales and bottom line? For many people the answer is no—never—there must be some conspiracy or greedy modus operandi at work which better explains the situation. If you are a die-hard conspiracy theorist there may be little in this article that will change your position with regard to McDonald’s and their recent “gluten problem.” My hope, however, is that people on both sides of this issue will gain some knowledge here—especially with respect to how difficult it really is for all food companies to determine and guarantee the gluten-free status of their foods. Additionally, I believe that we can all learn something from McDonald’s mistake (or uncovered secret plot!), and how they have dealt with it. For many years McDonald’s has told its customers via their Web site and customer service telephone line that their French fries and hash browns were gluten-free. Due to their wide availability and low price these menu items have become a staple for many people on a gluten-free diet. The drama surrounding these foods began on February 13, 2006, when the Houston Chronicle broke this story: “McDonald’s: Fries Have Potential Allergens.” This article revealed that the natural flavoring used in those menu items actually contains wheat as an ingredient. According to a March 8th email from Catherine E. Adams Ph.D, R.D., McDonald’s Corporate Vice President Worldwide Quality Systems and Nutrition, McDonald’s first noticed this potential problem when one of their ingredient suppliers had to comply with the new Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act, which required that supplier to list, if present, any of the eight major allergens (or their derivatives) on the packaged food’s product label. The supplier complied and informed McDonald’s of their “use of wheat as an ingredient in the natural flavoring.” A Case for Innocence There are several reasons why I believe that this whole incident was a large, avoidable, mistake on the part of McDonald’s (rather than a secret plot): The timing of the event: This story broke one month after the new labeling laws took effect. McDonald’s likely had no idea that wheat was in the natural flavoring until it was revealed to them by their supplier (of course they should have done due diligence and known this back when they created their gluten-free product listing.); Something that was contained in Ms. Adams’ March 8th email response: “While the new law applies to packaged food products—not the restaurant industry—in our ongoing efforts to communicate to our customers we thought it was important to share this information.” She is legally correct here—the new law does not require McDonald’s to reveal the fact that there is a wheat-derivative in their natural flavoring—the law does not apply to the restaurant industry and only applies to the packaged food consumer market (certainly this is a loophole that needs to be changed in the future). If McDonald’s wanted to keep this a secret from the public they could easily have done so because there is no legal requirement for them to disclose any allergens in their foods. They have done this on a strictly voluntarily basis for many years now; Public image: McDonald’s has gone to a great deal of effort over the years to voluntarily disclose their list of “safe” foods for people with various allergies—mainly because it is good for their public image—and to a certain extent the allergy market has been a source of revenue and has likely increased their sales. Misleading people with regard to the allergens in their foods, whether it is done on purpose or by mistake, would surely lead to major lawsuits that would likely negate any financial gain achieved from this relatively small market—and would create a public relations nightmare. To a company like McDonald’s public image is everything. It seems doubtful that they would intentionally take such a great risk to gain a share in such a small market. Let the Lawsuits Begin Very soon after the newspaper story broke the French fries and hash browns were taken off of McDonald’s gluten-free list on their Web site. On February 19,, 2006, the Wall Street Journal ran the article: “McDonald’s Faces Three Lawsuits,” and thus began the “lawsuit bandwagon” that continues to the present. It has the potential to ultimately cost them tens if not hundreds of millions of dollars through a class action suit. At about this same time I actually had to ban a major Colorado law firm from the Gluten-Free Forum (www.glutenfreeforum.com) because they were trying to use the site to solicit forum users to join a class action suit that they planned to bring against McDonald’s. This violated the site’s rules against advertising. McDonald’s Response On February 20,, 2006, only one day after the Wall Street Journal article appeared, Jack Daly, Senior Vice President of McDonald’s Corporation, issued a media statement on their Web site titled: “McDonald’s Fries are ‘Gluten and Allergen Free,’ According to Expert.” It stated that: “Scientific evaluation by one of the world’s leading experts on gluten sensitivity and allergenicity, Dr. Steven Taylor of the Food Allergy Research and Resource Program of the University of Nebraska, has confirmed again that our fries are gluten free and allergen free. Based on this analysis, we believe the lawsuits filed are without legal merit.” Support Groups to the Rescue Shortly after the release of Jack Daly’s media statement the Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG) issued a press release titled “McDonald’s: A Safe Place for Celiacs to Eat According to the Gluten Intolerance Group”, which backs up McDonald’s claim that their fries and hash browns are gluten-free. The Celiac Sprue Association (CSA) also released a statement on their Web site that supported McDonald’s, and in much more detail than the GIG’s, including the following statement: “The CSA has examined the commercial manufacturing process of the natural flavoring with wheat as a starting ingredient which is used in connection with the McDonald’s Corporation French fries and hash browns. CSA provides the following statement after knowledgeable, careful evaluation and review of the process and pertinent test results. French fries and hash browns prepared in oils with this flavoring might be considered, commercially, to ‘contain no gluten.’” What Does “Gluten-Free” Mean Anyway? Reliable sources have since revealed that the wheat used in McDonald’s natural flavoring is processed in such a way that nearly all proteins are removed, much like the distillation process removes gluten from wheat, and that the actual gluten content in the French fries and hash browns—according to RidaScreen Gliadin Elisa testing—is less than 3 parts per million (PPM). It is still possible for partially broken down wheat proteins to be present, so a Rast test was also done and no wheat-allergic residue was detected. Together these results are convincing and indicate that McDonald’s French fries and hash browns are indeed gluten-free by any current standards that are in use anywhere. But “less than 3 PPM” is not zero gluten—right? Keep in mind that it is currently impossible for anyone to say that any food or product is 100% gluten-free—there is no analytical technique that can say that there is zero gluten in a sample, and the best detection limits I have seen report low ranges from 2 to 20 PPM—not zero. The Codex Alimentarius, which covers the U.S.A., and Canadian standards for gluten-free is 20 PPM for naturally gluten-free foods, and there is currently no gluten-free standard for the U.S.A. Do the Lawsuits have Merit? Based on the aforementioned test results it is highly doubtful that McDonald’s has hurt anyone with these products—which is what must be shown in such cases—the claimants must demonstrate actual damages, loss or injuries related to the defendant’s actions (or inactions), and if they cannot do this their suits will be without merit and will be thrown out (which is what I believe will happen here). Even if the testing had found higher levels of gluten in the products the claimants would still be facing an uphill battle. This is because they would still have to demonstrate that a specific injury was caused to them by McDonald’s, and that their injury didn’t occur by another means. In other words they would have to show that there were no other sources of gluten contamination in their diets, which is something that is difficult if not impossible to do in a legal context. On top of these problems the claimants must overcome the fact that in the U.S.A. there are no current legal regulations regarding the use of the term “gluten-free” on packaged or restaurant foods. The only thing that comes close is the Codex Alimentarius, which are voluntary industry guidelines and not legal regulations. The Damage Done Whether or not McDonald’s wins or loses these lawsuits may, however, be irrelevant. To a certain extent the damage has already been done—and it does not stop simply with the damage that was done to their public image and reputation. The fact that many people with allergies and intolerances will never again trust McDonald’s (or companies like them) is just the most obvious fallout from this whole mess. There is a much larger picture taking shape that began with McDonald’s no longer listing the gluten-free product information for many of the items that they used to list. Their French fries, hash browns, shakes, dressings, etc., and other companies have also discontinued their “gluten-free” product listings. Some companies have even stopped using the term “gluten-free” on their labels, even though their products remain gluten-free. One company even contacted me and wanted to be removed from the offerings at The Gluten-Free Mall due to liability concerns that began when they heard about the McDonald’s fiasco. For companies like McDonald’s the potential benefits of providing such voluntary information must outweighs the risks. The extensive publicity surrounding these events has made it clear that the risk of being wrong when making the claim that a product is free from an allergen, even if the mistake is an honest one that began with perfectly good intentions, is very great. So why risk making such claims at all? (This will be the question asked by the companies’ lawyers anyway.) The fallout from this may not end for some time. Certainly anyone making, selling or claiming that their products are gluten-free (or free from some other allergen) must be concerned about the possibility of litigation. In the end it will likely be easier for many companies not to bother with the allergen market at all, especially once real gluten-free regulations are created here in the U.S.A., which will happen in the next couple of years. Hindsight How could McDonald’s have avoided all these problems in the first place? The most obvious answer is that they could have avoided making any claims about the allergens in their products. That would have left those of us who have food challenges in the dark. Does that sound like McDonald’s to you? I hope such a negative scenario doesn’t become the norm for such companies. Perhaps the best solution would have been for them to consult with some of the many celiac disease/gluten-free experts, for example the Gluten Intolerance Group’s new Food Certification Program, or with Donald D. Kasarda, Former Research Chemist for the United States Department of Agriculture, and made 100% sure that their lists were accurate (in this case it appears that their lists were accurate, but disclosing ALL of the actual ingredients in their products would have avoided much of this controversy). I think that all food companies can learn a valuable lesson from these events: it is better to test your products before you have any issues, and to continue to test them periodically. It is better to conduct ingredient research up front and consult with experts before publishing any gluten-free product listings—this is an ongoing process and must be done regularly because ingredient suppliers may change. Once the information is compiled and determined to be accurate it is better to disclose ALL ingredients used in every product. Web sites are a great place for such information. Even if you operate a restaurant and are not legally required to do so, public disclosure is best when it comes to things that your customers put in their mouths—and your customers have a right to know exactly what they are eating. Fast food companies should print ALL ingredients on the packaging no matter how scary they sound. Individuals who are concerned about such matters will, or should, be familiar with what is and is not safe for them.

Celiac.com 09/07/2021 - Updated 09/08/2021: This article was updated to reflect that Wendy's may still cook the new fries in shared vats, which means that they would not be gluten-free. That's right, French fry fans, popular hamburger chain Wendy's is reformulating their French fries. Well, like many things, the original fries contained no gluten ingredients, but they will still be prepared in fryers which are shared with gluten-containing foods, like breaded chicken. According to Wendy's, a "new version of brand's No. 1 sales product is being rolled out now in the U.S. and Canada and will be in system fully by September." Keep in mind that even in franchises which may cook their fries in dedicated vats, any gluten-free food could still be cross-contaminated within a busy fast food environment. According to John Li, Wendy’s vice president of culinary innovation, Wendy's new French fries are "designed to retain heat and crispness for between 15 and 30 minutes to accommodate the brand’s growth in drive-thru, carry-out and other off-premises sales channels." The new fries are a "cut above, literally,” said Emily Kessler, Wendy’s senior specialist for culinary and innovation, in a Zoom press conference Thursday. “And that's because these not-exactly-square French fries are by design. “One side is built with a thicker side, and it's built for heat retention, while the other side is thinner and that’s really to enhance crispiness because we know our customers want hot and crispy fries every time,” Kessler said. So, if you are a fan of a good French fry, this could be the news you've been waiting for, but unfortunately they are not safe for those with celiac disease.