Mcd Fries 2: The Phone Calls :)

[Rachel--24]

I think people should just trust what their body is telling them. If they've had problems with the fries...stay away from them. If you have never experienced symptoms from eating the fries and you *know* how your body responds to gluten..then I'd guess its safe to eat the fries. I'm sure plenty of people who've been eating the fries with no problems have also had follow-up biopsies or bloodwork showing that they've healed. If you are not getting sick from the fries but are still in doubt....why not get some bloodwork done after eating the fries for a few months.

[Canadian Karen]

I think people should just trust what their body is telling them. If they've had problems with the fries...stay away from them. If you have never experienced symptoms from eating the fries and you *know* how your body responds to gluten..then I'd guess its safe to eat the fries. I'm sure plenty of people who've been eating the fries with no problems have also had follow-up biopsies or bloodwork showing that they've healed. If you are not getting sick from the fries but are still in doubt....why not get some bloodwork done after eating the fries for a few months.

There are plenty of people who are totally asymptomatic yet the damage is still being done. I think the fact of whether or not you have a reaction to them cannot be used to determine whether or not damage is being done. But I agree, anyone who has had follow-up biopsies or bloodwork after stuffing their face with McD's fries for three months, I would like to hear from you!

Karen

[casnco]

I think people should just trust what their body is telling them. If they've had problems with the fries...stay away from them. If you have never experienced symptoms from eating the fries and you *know* how your body responds to gluten..then I'd guess its safe to eat the fries. I'm sure plenty of people who've been eating the fries with no problems have also had follow-up biopsies or bloodwork showing that they've healed. If you are not getting sick from the fries but are still in doubt....why not get some bloodwork done after eating the fries for a few months.

Great suggestion

[VydorScope]

If you are not getting sick from the fries but are still in doubt....why not get some bloodwork done after eating the fries for a few months.

I can not imagine the vast quantiy of fries you would have to eat to get enough gluten to be detected in the blood test, meanwhile your eating posion. Heck even if hteres not gltuen in them, that much fires would be very unhealthy

No thanks!

[casnco]

I think the most important thing here for all of us to remember isn't if we can eat fries at McD's or not. The most important thing is make sure the information they give us is correct. I can live without fries. On the road I can stop at the convenience mart for chips. Or take fruit on trips. When I travel I can make other arrangements. I just want to know when I go into any resturant and tell them I need gluten free or I research their web site before patronizing them I learn what is correct.

Lets just start an email/letter writing campaign stateing our needs.

[Becky6]

This is frustrating! But every time dh would take my daughter there she would have issues the next day. I think that was the problem! The other problem is that they said years ago that the beef was removed because vegetarians had a issue with that. Now it is back! Terrible!

[VydorScope]

I have been thinking about this, and trying to come up with a postion that supportes eating the fires... lest look at this..

POSTION ONE "I trust McDondals"

PROBLEM - Thier Website says fries contain GLUTEN, not only wheat, but gluten specficly. It says it is in the "Natural Flavoring" . Fries are also no longer on thier gluten-free menu. If you choose to trust McDonalds then you cant eat thier fries. Some ppl have been told otherwise when they called in, but I suspect that has more to do with the newness of this information then anything else.

POSTION TWO "I do not trust McDonalds"

Umm then why you eating there to begin with?

And well here I gets stuck cause every other postion falls back on these two.

[Rachel--24]

There are plenty of people who are totally asymptomatic yet the damage is still being done. I think the fact of whether or not you have a reaction to them cannot be used to determine whether or not damage is being done.

Yes, this is why I said if you *know* what your reaction to gluten is and you dont react to the fries they may be completely safe for you. If you are asymptomatic then obviously you have no idea what the fries may or may not be doing to you so in that case you'd have to make a personal decision about whether or not you're willing to risk your health over the fries.

I think it all boils down to one thing in the end....personal choice. Some people will continue to eat the fries...others wont. Without undeniable proof of gluten in the fries we really dont know enough to say with 100% certainty that the fries are going to cause damage to Celiacs. We also dont know with 100% certainty that its safe for Celiacs to eat the fries. Until we know more about it its really going to be a personal choice we'll have to make.

[psawyer]

Thanks, Rachel. I do react to gluten in small amounts. I have gas and explosive diarreah. I have never had a reaction after eating McDonalds hash browns or fries. That does not prove that they are gluten-free. Scientifically you can not prove a negative. But, to me, it does mean that my body does not react, so if there is any gluten it is it an extremely low level. I think that I take a greater risk of bodily harm, or death, each time I drive my car. FWIW. P.

[Rachel--24]

Thanks Peter,

This was my point exactly.

Just because you don't react to the fries doesnt prove them to be 100% gluten-free. On the other hand just because someone else does react to the fries doesnt mean they are unsafe for all Celiacs. You just gotta do whats best for you. Also someone may react to the fries for a reason totally unrelated to gluten or because that particular batch got contaminated by a nugget in the fryer.

[Merika]

This splitting hairs over is-the-gluten-still-there-or-not with some cooking method reminds me of the laws in Europe which say (as I understand, not living there) that anything with less than .05 somethings of gluten in it can be labelled gluten free. Hence, European wheat starch is considered gluten free because it is a high quality starch that has had 99.9% of the wheat protein removed. It is believed there that a minute amount of gluten will not harm a celiac. YMMV (your mileage may vary).

To me, it sounds like the fries are made with gluten and always were, and they're just now labelling them as such. It's also possible the supplier sends the same flavor item to packaged food manufacturing places and so is sending blanket notifications to all their customers.

I think the medical jury is still out as to how pure something needs to be for a celiac to safely eat it. Personally, I'm not going anywhere near any gluten AT ALL I don't care if someone says it's safe.

Merika

[VydorScope]

Thanks Peter,

This was my point exactly.

Just because you don't react to the fries doesnt prove them to be 100% gluten-free. On the other hand just because someone else does react to the fries doesnt mean they are unsafe for all Celiacs. You just gotta do whats best for you. Also someone may react to the fries for a reason totally unrelated to gluten or because that particular batch got contaminated by a nugget in the fryer.

Oh I agree, if your comfrotable with Mcdonalds saying there is gluten in the fries, but believe it to be low enough not to bother you (ingoring CC), then go head and eat them. In the ned its YOUR body, and has to be your descion.

Personly, my son has never not reacted to them and I refuse to do that to him, myself... I never had them while being gluten-free so I can not say for sure I guess, so I probably need edit my post where I imply other wise. Since my son reacts and he seems to get everything like that from me, I am assuming that I will also react.