Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

I Can't Believe It!

4tomorrow

By 4tomorrow
in Publications & Publicity

Recommended Posts

4tomorrow Apprentice
4tomorrow
Posted

CHICAGO - Not long after disclosing that its french fries contain more trans fat than thought, McDonald's Corp. said Monday that wheat and dairy ingredients are used to flavor the popular menu item — an acknowledgment it had not previously made.

ADVERTISEMENT

The presence of those substances can cause allergic or other medical reactions in food-sensitive consumers.

McDonald's had said until recently that its fries were free of gluten and milk or wheat allergens and safe to eat for those with dietary issues related to the consumption of dairy items. But the fast-food company quietly added "Contains wheat and milk ingredients" this month to the french fries listing on its Web site.

The company said the move came in response to new rules by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the packaged foods industry, including one requiring that the presence of common allergens such as milk, eggs, wheat, fish or peanuts be reported. As a restaurant operator, Oak Brook, Ill.-based McDonald's does not have to comply but is doing so voluntarily.

McDonald's director of global nutrition, Cathy Kapica, said its potato suppliers remove all wheat and dairy proteins, such as gluten, which can cause allergic reactions. But the flavoring agent in the cooking oil is a derivative of wheat and dairy ingredients, and the company decided to note their presence because of the FDA's stipulation that potential allergens be disclosed.

"We knew there were always wheat and dairy derivatives in there, but they were not the protein component," she said. "Technically there are no allergens in there. What this is an example of is science evolving" and McDonald's responding as more is learned, she said.

While the company wanted to make consumers aware that fries were derived in part from wheat and dairy sources, she said, those who have eaten the product without problem should be able to continue to do so without incident.

The acknowledgment has stirred anger and some concern among consumers who are on gluten-free diets since it was posted on McDonald's Web site.

"If they're saying there's wheat and dairy derivatives in the oil, as far as anyone with this disease is concerned there's actually wheat in it," said New York resident Jillian Williams, one of more than 2 million Americans with celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder triggered by gluten.

"They should have disclosed that all along," she said. "They should never have been calling them gluten-free."

It's not the first time McDonald's forthrightness has been called into question concerning what's in its famous fries.

The company paid $10 million in 2002 to settle a lawsuit by vegetarian groups after it was disclosed that its fries were cooked in beef-flavored oil despite the company's insistence in 1990 that it was abandoning beef tallow for pure vegetable oil.

Last February, it paid $8.5 million to settle a suit by a nonprofit advocacy group accusing the company of misleading consumers by announcing plans in September 2002 to change its cooking oil but then delaying the switch indefinitely within months. Reluctant to change the taste of a top-selling item, McDonald's has continued to maintain for the past three years that testing continues.

Asked about the status of those efforts Monday, Kapica said: "It's a very high priority and we are very committed to continuing with testing and lowering the level of trans fat without raising the level of saturated fat. ... It's a lot harder than we originally thought but that is not stopping us."

McDonald's shares rose 3 cents to close at $36.36 on the New York Stock Exchange — up 8 percent in 2006.

___

On the Net:

Open Original Shared Link

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


VydorScope Proficient
VydorScope
Posted

yep, about 20000000000 pages of threads here on this now.

4tomorrow Apprentice
4tomorrow
Posted
  • Author

Wow, that was really rude. It was on the main Yahoo page and I thought that it was amazing. Forgive me for finding it wonderful that they are getting the word out more. :angry:

Canadian Karen Community Regular
Canadian Karen
Posted

Hi 4tomorrow.......

I don't think Vydorscope meant to be rude, honestly.... It is hard sometimes to figure out how a post was meant to be taken, and knowing Vincent, I don't think he is being mean, it just came out wrong, I think.....

We're actually losing control of the posts here on this message board regarding the Mcdonald's disclosure! It has been extensively discussed, debated and disected here. In fact, the story was "born" here, and it was us that contacted the Wall Street Journal reporter to investigate this.... I'll post a few links for ya:

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

That'll keep ya busy for awhile!!! LOL! :P;)

Hugs

Karen

4tomorrow Apprentice
4tomorrow
Posted
  • Author

As a newbie I understand that there will be some confusion as to what people mean. I just assumed it would be a big deal that it was on the front page of yahoo. I won't make the mistake again. I was trying to participate more other than asking opinions.

Thanks for trying to smooth it out, but I don't think he meant it in a friendly way at all.

Canadian Karen Community Regular
Canadian Karen
Posted

We are excited too! Every different area of media that this story is popping up on, we are doing the happy dance!! I just posted that it was also picked up on the Canada newswire!

There has been a wide variety of reactions to this news...... I think we are all still in shock, actually...... :o

Hugs.

Karen

VydorScope Proficient
VydorScope
Posted
Wow, that was really rude. It was on the main Yahoo page and I thought that it was amazing. Forgive me for finding it wonderful that they are getting the word out more. :angry:

As a newbie I understand that there will be some confusion as to what people mean. I just assumed it would be a big deal that it was on the front page of yahoo. I won't make the mistake again. I was trying to participate more other than asking opinions.

Thanks for trying to smooth it out, but I don't think he meant it in a friendly way at all.

:( I am very sorry I never ment it to be rude, please accept my appoliges for my poor choice of wording. :(

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


4tomorrow Apprentice
4tomorrow
Posted
  • Author

Not a problem. I was hoping that I was taking it the wrong way but..........

I understand where you are coming from though. I've been to plenty of boards where the posting is redundant. I will try harder in the future to avoid that. I certainly don't want to clog the board w/ useless posts. :)

tiredofdoctors Enthusiast
tiredofdoctors
Posted

4tomorrow: Please don't take that remark personally. We have all just gone through a lot with this whole french fry thing, and we've been frustrated, hacked off, and just plain scared. I've been on a LOT of threads with Vincent -- he is a very kind, considerate man. I feel very sure he did not mean any harm. Take care and isn't it about time they came clean????? Lynne

tarnalberry Community Regular
tarnalberry
Posted

I saw this today, and as it struck a chord with *every* message board/forum/blog that I've been on/read/written, I thought I'd post it here. I was going to start a new thread, but thought it would be relevant here at this point.

Open Original Shared Link

Guest nini
Guest nini
Posted
Not a problem. I was hoping that I was taking it the wrong way but..........

I understand where you are coming from though. I've been to plenty of boards where the posting is redundant. I will try harder in the future to avoid that. I certainly don't want to clog the board w/ useless posts. :)

please don't ever feel that your posts are reduntant or useless... feel free to post about whatever you want to post about gluten free, celiac, living with, questions whatever... the only useless post is the one NOT POSTED! :) How would you know if you didn't post? Not everyone is tech savvy and can figure these message board threads out easily. Don't Worry bout a thing!

floridanative Community Regular
floridanative
Posted

Vincent is one of the most helpful and considerate men on this board in my opinion. I would bet good money that he did not mean to be rude in any way. That's not who he is. He's helped me and others many times and I'm sure he'll help me and anyone else who needs help in the future.

Idahogirl Apprentice
Idahogirl
Posted

I wonder what the science is behind removing the protein from the grain. Sounds simple enough. The gluten is only part of the wheat, not the actual wheat, right? So, why the big deal? If it's true, then their fries are safe for us after all. Maybe it's more complicated than I realize. Also, if this really is the "evolution of science", will this affect how other foods can be made with wheat, but have the gluten protein extracted? I am intrigued by this.

Lisa

mouse Enthusiast
mouse
Posted

tarnelberry, what a great posting with the thread for all of us to read. I think no matter how hard we try, someone is going to mis-interept our intent. Hopefully we will try and rethink what the person was trying to convey. Boy, is this thought convoluted :blink::blink: .

  • 4 weeks later...
ms-sillyak-screwed Enthusiast
ms-sillyak-screwed
Posted

4tomorrow -- don't let this MCDonald french fry thing get to you.

I posted something back a few threads back that generated a lot of hate mail for my suggestions I was happy celiac disease was in the news and the family was in a law suit with McD. I was happy they were making McD accountable and what better way. Everyone got on me about it not being good. It is their thoughts and feelings. It's okay! Many said that McDonalds didn't miss lead the consumers. I didn't feel that way. But now I just read the thread about it came out in CNN that they do have gluten in the fries. I reserve anymore comments. I'm just going to sit back and watch how this all plays out.

Please don't take what is said here personal. This web site has a lot of wonderful people that care deeply about one and other (& U 2) and celiac disease.

So please keep posting and stay tuned in. :wub:

Be well!

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to Jmartes71's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      10

      My only proof

      Hello, @NanceK, I'm glad you're willing to give Benfotiamine with B Complex another go! I'm certain you'll feel much better. Yes, supplementation is a good idea even if you're healing and gluten free. The gluten free diet can be low in B vitamins and other nutrients. A nutritionist can help guide you to a nutrient dense diet, but food sensitivities...
    2. NanceK
      - NanceK replied to Jmartes71's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      10

      My only proof

      Oh wow! Thanks for this information! I’m going to try the Benfotiamine again and will also add a B-complex to my supplements. Presently, I just take sublingual B12 (methylcobalomin). Is supplementation for celiacs always necessary even though you remain gluten-free and you’re healing as shown on endoscopy? I also take D3, mag glycinate, and try to get cal...
    3. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to Hmart's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      13

      Is this celiac?

      @Hmart, The reason why your intestinal damage was so severe, yet your tTg IgA was so minimal can be due to cutting back on gluten (and food in general) due to worsening symptoms. The tTg IgA antibodies are made in the intestines. While three grams of gluten per day for several weeks are enough to cause gastrointestinal symptoms, ten grams of gluten...
    4. Trish G
      - Trish G replied to Trish G's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      10

      Fiber Supplement

      Thanks, that's a great addition that I hadn't thought of.
    5. trents
      - trents replied to Hmart's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      13

      Is this celiac?

      Other diseases, medical conditions, medications and even (for some people) some non-gluten foods can cause villous atrophy. There is also something called refractory celiac disease but it is pretty uncommon.
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      132,358
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Lorna Wynter
    Newest Member
    Lorna Wynter
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • knitty kitty
      My only proof

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      Hello, @NanceK, I'm glad you're willing to give Benfotiamine with B Complex another go!  I'm certain you'll feel much better.   Yes, supplementation is a good idea even if you're healing and gluten free.  The gluten free diet can be low in B vitamins and other nutrients. A nutritionist can help guide you to a nutrient dense diet, but food sensitivities and food preferences can limit choices.  I can't consume fish and shellfish due to the sulfa hypersensitivity and iodine content, and dairy is out as well.  I react to casein, the protein in dairy, as well as the iodine in dairy.  My Dermatitis Herpetiformis is aggravated by iodine.   Blood tests for B vitamin levels are notoriously inaccurate.  You can have deficiency symptoms before blood levels change to show a deficiency.  I had subclinical vitamin deficiencies for years which affected my health, leading to a slow downward spiral.  Because the B vitamins are water soluble, they are easily excreted in urine if not needed.  It's better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.   Wheat and other gluten containing grain products have vitamins and minerals added to them to replace those nutrients lost in processing.  Manufacturers add cheap vitamins that our bodies don't absorb or utilize well.  Even normal people can suffer from vitamin deficiencies.  The rise in obesity can be caused by High Calorie Malnutrition, where people eat more carbohydrate calories but don't get sufficient thiamine and B vitamins to turn the calories into energy.  The calories are stored as fat in an effort to ration out diminishing thiamine  stores.    It's time to buy your own vitamins in forms like Benfotiamine that our bodies can use well.   Not sleeping well and fatigue are symptoms of Thiamine deficiency.   I'm certain Benfotiamine with a B Complex will help you immensely.  Just don't take them at night since B vitamins provide lots of energy, you can become too energetic to sleep.  Better to take them earlier in your day.   Do keep me posted on your progress!
    • NanceK
      My only proof

      By NanceK · Posted

      Oh wow! Thanks for this information! I’m going to try the Benfotiamine again and will also add a B-complex to my supplements. Presently, I just take sublingual B12 (methylcobalomin). Is supplementation for celiacs always necessary even though you remain gluten-free and you’re healing as shown on endoscopy? I also take D3, mag glycinate, and try to get calcium through diet. I am trying to bump up my energy level because I don’t sleep very well and feel fatigued quite often. I’m now hopeful that adding the Benfotiamine and B-complex will help. I really appreciate your explanation and advice! Thanks again Knitty Kitty!
    • knitty kitty
      Is this celiac?

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @Hmart, The reason why your intestinal damage was so severe, yet your tTg IgA was so minimal can be due to cutting back on gluten (and food in general) due to worsening symptoms.  The tTg IgA antibodies are made in the intestines.  While three grams of gluten per day for several weeks are enough to cause gastrointestinal symptoms, ten grams of gluten per day for for several weeks are required to provoke sufficient antibody production so that the antibodies move out of the intestines and into the blood stream where they can be measured in blood tests.  Since you reduced your gluten consumption before testing, the antibody production went down and did not leave the intestines, hence lower than expected tTg IgA.   Still having abdominal pain and other symptoms this far out is indicative of nutritional deficiencies.  With such a severely damaged small intestine, you are not absorbing sufficient nutrients, especially Thiamine Vitamin B 1, so your body us burning stored fat and even breaking down muscle to fuel your body.   Yes, it is a very good idea to supplement with vitamins and minerals during healing.  The eight essential B vitamins are water soluble and easily lost with diarrhea.  The B vitamins all work together interconnectedly, and should be supplemented together.  Taking vitamin supplements provides your body with greater opportunity to absorb them.  Thiamine and the other B vitamins cannot be stored for long, so they must be replenished every day.  Thiamine tends to become depleted first which leads to Gastrointestinal Beriberi, a condition that doctors frequently fail to recognize.  Symptoms of Gastrointestinal Beriberi are abdominal pain and nausea, but neuropathy can also occur, as well as body and joint pain, headaches and more.  Heart rhythm disruptions including tachycardia are classic symptoms of thiamine deficiency.  Heart attack patients are routinely administered thiamine now.   Blood tests for vitamins are notoriously inaccurate.  You can have "normal" blood levels, while tissues and organs are depleted.  Such is the case with Gastrointestinal Beriberi, a thiamine deficiency in the digestive tract.  Eating a diet high in carbohydrates, like rice, starches, and sugar, can further deplete thiamine.  The more carbohydrates one eats, the more thiamine is required per calorie to turn carbs into energy.  Burning stored fats require less thiamine, so in times of thiamine shortage, the body burns fat and muscles instead.  Muscle wasting is a classic symptoms of thiamine deficiency.  A high carbohydrate diet may also promote SIBO and/or Candida infection which can also add to symptoms.  Thiamine is required to keep SIBO and Candida in check.   Thiamine works with Pyridoxine B 6, so if Thiamine is low and can't interact with Pyridoxine, the unused B 6 accumulates and shows up as high.   Look into the Autoimmune Protocol diet.  Dr. Sarah Ballantyne is a Celiac herself.  Her book "The Paleo Approach" has been most helpful to me.  Following the AIP diet made a huge improvement in my symptoms.  Between the AIP diet and correcting nutritional deficiencies, I felt much better after a long struggle with not feeling well.   Do talk to your doctor about Gastrointestinal Beriberi.  Share the article linked below. Thiamine, gastrointestinal beriberi and acetylcholine signaling https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12014454/ Keep us posted on your progress!
    • Trish G
      Fiber Supplement

      By Trish G · Posted

      Thanks, that's a great addition that I hadn't thought of. 
    • trents
      Is this celiac?

      By trents · Posted

      Other diseases, medical conditions, medications and even (for some people) some non-gluten foods can cause villous atrophy. There is also something called refractory celiac disease but it is pretty uncommon.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.