Mc Donalds Ff

[happygirl]

There is always more to the story. Please read the following link for more information.

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[Lisa]

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It's a personal choice.

Sorry, but one link won't work.

pj, I have always heard and read that Chic-fil-A's fries were gluten free, using the same process/explanation as stated by the Celiac Sprue Association.

As with everything, educate yourself and then make a choice that is best for you.

[Lisa]

Open Original Shared Link

Chick-fil-A gluten free menu as per their website.

[Darn210]

[pj, I have always heard and read that Chic-fil-A's fries were gluten free, using the same process/explanation as stated by the Celiac Sprue Association.

pj was answering the Chic-fil-a question with a quote from the McDonald's website.

[Lisa]

pj was answering the Chic-fil-a question with a quote from the McDonald's website.

Ah, I see now at the bottom the quote source. Thanks Janet for pointing that out.

[larry mac]

..... there is no "individual physiology" that allows the body of anyone with celiac disease to tolerate gluten, such as that contained in McDonald's French fries.....

What does that mean, "such as that contained in McDonald's fries"? Do you mean because the ingredients list the word "wheat"?

As has been discussed a zillion times, the wheat and milk derived flavoring is added to the oil the fries are pre-parboiled in. The fries are frozen. They are then fried in a different oil at McDonald's (that doesn't contain the flavorings). The resulting product supposedly contains an extremely small amount of actual wheat gluten. How much? Nobody seems to know. It's just been reported that it's too small to measure using standard industry tests. Could it be measured? Yes. But it's supposed to be below levels being considered safe for Celiacs. At least as far as proposed gluten-free labeling guidelines are concerned.

I didn't intend to imply that individual physiology could impart an ability to tolerate gluten per se. I was referring to other food intolerances. Some individuals are more sensitive to gluten poisoning than others however. I will concede that I shouldn't state McDonald's fries are safe for me. Please let me rephrase. They don't seem to make me feel ill.

best regards, lm

[Viola 1]

Wow, this is mind boggling! I've been away from this web site for months...if not a couple of years, and this discussion is still going on! Amazing!

[Lisa]

Wow, this is mind boggling! I've been away from this web site for months...if not a couple of years, and this discussion is still going on! Amazing!

HI SHIRLEY AND WELCOME BACK!!!!! and yup McD's is might important to people.

[Viola 1]

I can see it being important, I just thought after all this time it would be figured out.

How have you been? It's good to see there are still a couple of old favourites still here

[Lisa]

: It's good to see there are still a couple of old favourites still here

Shirley you mean "old" as in mature and wise????

[Viola 1]

Shirley you mean "old" as in mature and wise????

Absolutely! Very wise

I must go for now as I have company arriving, but will check back in tomorrow evening.

[LoisArbuckle]

This is directly from the site. There is no sense in fried potato's having so many extra ingredients. Also, some places claim that their fries are wheat free but cooked in a fryer with other things that are not gluten free, I get sick. So I stay away from these.

French Fries:

Potatoes, vegetable oil (canola oil, hydrogenated soybean oil, natural beef flavor [wheat and milk derivatives]*), citric acid (preservative), dextrose, sodium acid pyrophosphate (maintain color), salt. Prepared in vegetable oil ((may contain one of the following: Canola oil, corn oil, soybean oil, hydrogenated soybean oil with TBHQ and citric acid added to preserve freshness), dimethylpolysiloxane added as an antifoaming agent). *

CONTAINS: WHEAT AND MILK (Natural beef flavor contains hydrolyzed wheat and hydrolyzed milk as starting ingredients).

[happygirl]

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[larry mac]

Open Original Shared Link

Very interesting link. Thank you for that.

best regards, lm

[Di-gfree]

The big question is, why is there beef broth in fries? Why not just potatoes and oil, and oh yeah, salt?

[angie291975]

Are they safe or not? There website states that the beef broth contains hydrongized (sp) wheat. I have read that this is not safe. However, I just read that they have been tested and pose no gluten responce. Help! My son loves mc donald ff! Thanks

There is not 1 food item that is safe there..even salad has cross contamination. McDonalds General Maanger said this and our daring expierences had also proved it to be true. If we go there, he takes food and orders Coke or Sprite.

Angela

[Sasyeyez]

I guess it is official....McDonalds french fries and hashbrowns are NOT Gluten Free!!!

Here is a post off of their official website: Open Original Shared Link

French Fries French Fries:

Potatoes, vegetable oil (canola oil, hydrogenated soybean oil, natural beef flavor [wheat and milk derivatives]*), citric acid (preservative), dextrose, sodium acid pyrophosphate (maintain color), salt. Prepared in vegetable oil ((may contain one of the following: Canola oil, corn oil, soybean oil, hydrogenated soybean oil with TBHQ and citric acid added to preserve freshness), dimethylpolysiloxane added as an antifoaming agent). *

CONTAINS: WHEAT AND MILK (Natural beef flavor contains hydrolyzed wheat and hydrolyzed milk as starting ingredients).

Hash Brown:

Potatoes, vegetable oil (canola oil, hydrogenated soybean oil, natural beef flavor [wheat and milk derivatives]*), citric acid (preservative), salt, corn flour, dehydrated potato, dextrose, sodium acid pyrophosphate (maintain color), extractives of black pepper. Prepared in vegetable oil ((may contain one of the following: Canola oil, corn oil, soybean oil, hydrogenated soybean oil with TBHQ and citric acid added to preserve freshness), dimethylpolysiloxane added as an antifoaming agent). *

CONTAINS: WHEAT AND MILK.

(Natural beef flavor contains hydrolyzed wheat and hydrolyzed milk as starting ingredients).

Along with some other things you might think safe...

Snack Size Fruit & Walnut Salad:

Apple Slices and Red Grapes: Apples, red grapes, calcium ascorbate (a blend of calcium and vitamin C added to maintain natural freshness and color. Low Fat Yogurt: Cultured pasteurized Grade A reduced fat milk, sugar, food starch-modified, fructose, whey protein concentrate, corn starch, kosher gelatin, natural (plant source) and artificial flavor, potassium sorbate (added to maintain freshness), artificial color.

CONTAINS: MILK.

Candied Walnuts: Walnuts (TBHQ added as a preservative), sugar, peanut oil, dry honey, salt, wheat starch, maltodextrin, xanthan gum, soy lecithin, natural (plant source) and artificial flavor.

CONTAINS: WHEAT, SOY LECITHIN, TREE NUTS (WALNUTS).

MAY CONTAIN SHELL PARTS, OTHER TREE NUTS AND PEANUTS.

Grilled Chicken Breast Filet:

Chicken breast filets with rib meat, water, seasoning (salt, sugar, food starch-modified, maltodextrin, spices, dextrose, autolyzed yeast extract, hydrolyzed [corn gluten, soy, wheat gluten] proteins, garlic powder, paprika, chicken fat, chicken broth, natural flavors (plant and animal source), caramel color, polysorbate 80, xanthan gum, onion powder, extractives of paprika), modified potato starch, and sodium phosphates.

CONTAINS: SOY AND WHEAT.

Barbeque Sauce:

High fructose corn syrup, water, tomato paste, grape vinegar, distilled vinegar, salt, soy sauce (water, wheat, soybeans, salt), food starch-modified, spices, dextrose, soybean oil, xanthan gum, natural smoke flavor (plant source), caramel color, garlic powder, cellulose gum, chili pepper, spices, malic acid, spice extractives, natural flavors (fruit and vegetable source), onion powder, sodium benzoate (preservative), succinic acid.

CONTAINS: WHEAT AND SOY.

Grilled Chicken Breast Filet:

Chicken breast filets with rib meat, water, seasoning (salt, sugar, food starch-modified, maltodextrin, spices, dextrose, autolyzed yeast extract, hydrolyzed [corn gluten, soy, wheat gluten] proteins, garlic powder, paprika, chicken fat, chicken broth, natural flavors (plant and animal source), caramel color, polysorbate 80, xanthan gum, onion powder, extractives of paprika), modified potato starch, and sodium phosphates.

CONTAINS: SOY AND WHEAT.

I also did see some things that you know would contain wheat, but did not reference it.

Just an FYI and update!

This list is effective 03-12-2009.

[larry mac]

I guess it is official....McDonalds french fries and hashbrowns are NOT Gluten Free!!!

........

I don't recall anyone ever saying they were actually gluten-free. The discussion is usually about whether they contain measurable or appreciable amounts of gluten at levels as to be considered "gluten containing", ie. whether Celiacs can safely consume them.

Some say yes. For others, if the word "wheat" is there, then that is enough.

best regards, lm

[Felidae]

I thought I should add the Canadian McDonalds info here. It seems in Canada there is no mention of wheat in the fries or hashbrowns.

This info was updated March 13th, 2009

Open Original Shared Link

French Fries: Potatoes, canola oil, hydrogenated soybean oil, safflower oil, natural flavour (vegetable source),

dextrose, sodium acid pyrophosphate (maintain colour), citric acid (preservative), dimethylpolysiloxane (antifoaming

agent) and cooked in vegetable oil (Canola oil, corn oil, soybean oil, hydrogenated soybean oil with THBQ, citric

acid and dimethypolysiloxane).

Salt: Salt.

Hashbrowns: Potatoes, canola oil, hydrogenated soybean oil, safflower oil, natural flavour (vegetable source), salt,

dehydrated potato, vegetable monoglycerides, corn flour, dextrose, sodium acid pyrophosphate (maintain colour),

extractives of black pepper, citric acid (preservative), dimethylpolysiloxane (antifoaming agent) and cooked in

vegetable oil (Canola oil, corn oil, soybean oil, hydrogenated soybean oil with THBQ, citric acid and

dimethypolysiloxane).

[cruelshoes]

I guess it is official....McDonalds french fries and hashbrowns are NOT Gluten Free!!!

This comes up with great regularity on all the celiac forums. Look at the CSA statement in the link happygirl posted above. They have been independently tested, and there is no detectable gluten in the fries. You have more risk from the CC at the restaurant. You may choose to consume them or not.

Open Original Shared Link

Let me check the horse. Yup, still dead.

[VegasCeliacBuckeye]

This is a Celiac topic that refuses to die. LOL

I have researched the topic and even read the Applicable portions of the University of Nebraska's study on the gluten content of McDonald's fries. Here are their conclusions (I am paraphrasing)

1. Assuming the oil has not been cross-contaminated, the oil is gluten free

2. Assming the fries have not been compromised the fries are gluten free.

Now, having said that, the problems that can exist and need to be dealt with, at least as far as I can tell, are the following:

1. Has the oil been cross-contaminated? (i.e. did an employee drop a filet-o-fish in the oil on accident or because they were in a rush)

2. Have the fries been compromised (i.e. is their still gluten on the fries)

3. Is there enough wheat/gluten content in the fries to make someone react?

4. Does the manufacturing processes eliminate gluten below the BDL (below detectable levels)

5. Is there a chance that those who got sick from McD's fries did not actually get sick because of gluten, but perhaps because they ingested a ton of fried food when their normal diet (being gluten free) does not have fried food as a part of it.

To these questions, I offer my theories:

1. Mcdonalds, as of 15-20 years ago (maybe longer), recognized that their fries and hash browns do not taste the same when they fry them in the same oil as their McChickens, Filet O Fish, Apple Pies, ect. To remedy that problem, they developed dedicated fryers (I don't remeber the exact date) for their fries and hash browns. If you go into a McDonalds and watch them prepare the food, you will notice the first 3 fryers or so only have fries or hash browns going in them. These are the dedicated fryers. In some newer McDonalds, the fryers for the other items are actually in the back of the restaurant kitchen and they place those items (after they have been fried) in little "warmers" that have shelves that slide open - in those new ones, the fryers you see on the left side of the kitchen are almost always only for fries and hash browns. Also, in the new ones, the McChickens, Filet O Fish and Nuggets are completely separate from the fries (frying and serving). Many of the older ones still have the dedicated fryers, but one of the fryers (normally the farthers from the heat lamp fry the gluten containing food items) cooks the gluten containing food.

2. This is the question the University of Nebraska dealt with in their study (along with studying the oil). Their conclusion was the fries were gluten free. Not sure what else to say on this issue.

3. I suppose this could conceivably concern Celiacs as perhaps the manufacturing process failed to remove all of the gluten. However, this theory presupposes that the fry, at some point, contained gluten. My understanding is before the fry is coated with the beef product, the product does not contain gluten (at least below detectable levels).

4. This seems to be the one question no one knows the answer to. Thwe University of Nebraska report, at least the parts I read did not delve into specific of the manufacturing process. Perhaps McDonalds could provide insight into that. Regardless, I can tell you that some wheat derivatives and by products (sometimes starches) do not contain gluten. It is possible for something to contain wheat, but not gluten. They can be mutually exclusive.

5. I have stated this theory to many of my Celiac friends over the years. Celiacs are funny people. Because of our disease, we become so paranoid of food, that any slight disturbance or instance of diarrhea instantly causes us to believe we have been "glutened". It is possible that spicy foods, or mexican cuisine, or beans, or chili, or fried foods sometimes is unsettling to your stomach. This occurs to non-celiacs all the time. However, non-celicas dont instanty cry out "it was food poisoning" every time they feel sick to their stomach or have the big "D". Sometimes, your body doesnt like something. This is particularly true for me if I dont eat fried food for awhile and then try to ingest a Extra Biggie McDonalds fries. Bottom line - its not always gluten, soemtimes your tummy is just upset.

Anyway, sorry for the novel. I havent posted in awhile and thought I would grab my soapbox.

Hope I didn't bore anyone...too late...

BB

[bakingbarb]

Very interesting link. Thank you for that.

best regards, lm

That link is 3 years old and NOT CURRENT. I contacted MCD'S and they state the fries are not gluten free.

[larry mac]

That link is 3 years old and NOT CURRENT. I contacted MCD'S and they state the fries are not gluten free.

Of course they're going to say that, they were sued. No company that sells a product having wheat as an ingredient is going to claim it's gluten-free. Even if theoretically it doesn't contain gluten. Have there been changes to the product in the last three years?

best regards, lm