More About Mcdonald's

[Claire]

The following is just an excerpt from the longer article. Claire

JUPITER COULE SUE MCDONALD'S, CLAIMING FRIES MADE DAUGHTER ILL

Associated Press

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The parents of a 5-year-old girl sued McDonald's Corp., claiming its french fries contained a wheat protein that caused their daughter to become seriously ill.

Mark and Theresa Chimiak of Jupiter said in the lawsuit filed Friday in Palm Beach Circuit Court that their daughter Annalise had an intolerance to gluten.

The Chimiaks said they filed the lawsuit after McDonald's acknowledged earlier in the week that wheat and dairy ingredients were used in cooking oil for french fries.

The family's attorney, Brian W. Smith, said the family had checked with McDonald's before she ate the fries.

"They were assured by McDonald's Web site and local restaurant managers that the product was gluten-free," Smith said.

Media calls Saturday to McDonald's corporate offices were directed to a phone line that rang unanswered.

According to the lawsuit, Annalise became seriously ill with advanced celiac disease, an autoimmune condition, as well as epileptic seizures and stomach ulcers.

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See also:

MCDONALD'S GOOFS AGAIN; FRENCH FRIES AREN'T GULTEN FREE AFTER ALL!

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[Claire]

This is just an excerpt from the article. Url below. Claire

Excerpt from article:

If wheat or dairy products have ended up in the French fries after you said they were not, then McDonald's is in a whole heap of trouble. Many of those who suffer from this awful celiac disease are children who have parents freaking out about what they allow their kids to put in their mouth. And for good reason, too! It's life threatening in some instances.

This should be a HUGE wake-up call to the restaurant industry -- MAKE SURE YOUR GLUTEN-FREE MENU IS AS ACCURATE AND COMPREHENSIVE AS POSSIBLE! Otherwise, you too could be facing legal action against you for making false claims.

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[psawyer]

Unfortunately, it could also send this message:

If you have a gluten-free list, menu, label, etcetera it may attract a potential lawsuit. If you don't want the hassle, just tell them that there is wheat in everything, even if there isn't, just to be safe.

[VydorScope]

Unfortunately, it could also send this message:

If you have a gluten-free list, menu, label, etcetera it may attract a potential lawsuit. If you don't want the hassle, just tell them that there is wheat in everything, even if there isn't, just to be safe.

And this is the more likly outcome , hence why most of use are posting that we will refuse to join any class action lawsuit. In the end I think McDonalds is GUILTY of poor thinking behind releasing this information, and while that can be harmful/hurtfull I do not think its CRIMINAL.

[judy05]

And this is the more likly outcome , hence why most of use are posting that we will refuse to join any class action lawsuit. In the end I think McDonalds is GUILTY of poor thinking behind releasing this information, and while that can be harmful/hurtfull I do not think its CRIMINAL.

McDonalds is a huge corporation that cares about nothing except making a profit. They were wrong if they knowingly lied about the fries containing wheat. All companies should be made aware that wheat is like rat poison to us and knowing that children love their products makes it twice as wrong. We need attention brought to our cause, there are too many of us who have suffered many years from having doctors pass us off as hypochondriacs. I wish I could afford to sue a few of them who misdiagnosed me in the past, especially a board certified allergist who knew about the test but wouldn't order a blood test for me. I don't know in the end if this will help our cause or not but it does bring it out in the open. There are too many of us

now and we must demand and keep demanding for gluten free foods and restaurants. We also need to become more proactive when we visit our doctors and insist on having the proper testing done. Sorry for the rant, I just hate to think of the thousands of children who may have become sicker because of their stupid mistake.

[ryebaby0]

But you just said it yourself -- McDonald's is a corporation interested in profit. They aren't a charity, a non-profit or a soup kitchen. While we want them to be as accurate as possible, demanding that they be infallible will only hurt us. It's not immoral or illegal for a company to consider it's bottom line, and lawsuits work against us.

Any company faced with hundreds of irate potential customers, or millions in legal fees, is going to tell us they can't guarantee anything about the food, and refuse to tell us either way. Or, they'll purposefully add wheat to drive us away. I don't see how that advocates for people with food issues in any good way.

joanna

[killernj13]

Well these corporations care about profits and when they see the sale of gluten-free products had something like a 300% increase this year they will realize they need to keep providing them for us.

[Rachel--24]

Well these corporations care about profits and when they see the sale of gluten-free products had something like a 300% increase this year they will realize they need to keep providing them for us.

I'm sure the risk of possible lawsuits would be more damaging to the corporations than worrying about losing the business of Celiacs. In the end...we lose.

[Claire]

I know that restaurants sometimes decline to serve customers who mention 'allergy'.

I wonder if they could get away with posting a 'We Do Not Serve Celiacs' sign?

[tarnalberry]

I know that restaurants sometimes decline to serve customers who mention 'allergy'.

I wonder if they could get away with posting a 'We Do Not Serve Celiacs' sign?

No, but they *could* get away with a sign saying "We cannot guarantee any of our food is safe for those with food allergies."

[marcmtl]

Statement from McDonalds's Canada.

The media stories do not apply to McDonald's Canada.

Our frying oil is different, therefore trans fat levels are lower than the US, and the oil does not containan any wheat or dairy derivatives.

Full story at www.celiac.ca

[johnm]

Wow I'm completely shocked people would take their side on this. I'm in a furious rage right now. I've been working hard to change whats been a life crippling disease. I did my research and figured I was safe to eat their fries. Now I find their negligence in labeling their products might well be responsible for the problems I continue to have? I'm sorry but I don't feel priviledged to eat products made by such an uncaring food makers. I won't lie down and take it just in hopes they don't spite me in some fashion. This is nothing but negligence and I HATE class actions law suits because they only make lawyers rich, but this is a class I would join in a heart beat I believe. Ymmv and all that, but if someone died because they didn't list nuts I think people would be much more up in arms. I don't its unreasonable to expect truthful disclosure of the ingredients in your products.

[Rusla]

The thing is I think one would have to be able to prove that MacDonald's not only intentionally but maliciously hid the information from people. They were only going by what the manufacturer told them and they were obviously given bad information about gluten. Not everyone is well informed on Celiac disease. Let's face it there are tons of doctors out there who have no clue about the disease either.

They may be a big corporation and yes they are interested in money. Just because they are not knowlegeable about Celiac does not show evil intent. How many of us were that knowlegeable before getting it.

I am not defending them at all just looking at it from a logical point.

[psawyer]

As far as we seem to know, McDonalds acted in good faith. Their supplier represented to them that there was no gluten in the frozen, par fried potato product. McDonalds believed them, and represented to their customers the same thing.

As soon as their supplier indicated that there might be wheat in the product, they immediately voluntarily updated their ingredient lists to reflect what they had had been told. They have also arranged with an independent party to test the fries to see if they have these proteins in them.

They muffed the announcement, and their call center people did not have answers to the questions that arose from the media reports. But, I don't think that they have been deceptive or dishonest at any point. And I don't think that suing them will provide any benefit to celiacs. It will only hurt us.

[Nate]

As far as we seem to know, McDonalds acted in good faith. Their supplier represented to them that there was no gluten in the frozen, par fried potato product. McDonalds believed them, and represented to their customers the same thing.

As soon as their supplier indicated that there might be wheat in the product, they immediately voluntarily updated their ingredient lists to reflect what they had had been told. They have also arranged with an independent party to test the fries to see if they have these proteins in them.

They muffed the announcement, and their call center people did not have answers to the questions that arose from the media reports. But, I don't think that they have been deceptive or dishonest at any point. And I don't think that suing them will provide any benefit to celiacs. It will only hurt us.

I'm glad someone said it.

My thoughts exactly. Filing a lawsuit isn't going to get them any closer to working with us and I'm glad they admitted it. I see it near impossible for any restaurant to guarantee a gluten free menu while selling and cooking food with gluten in the same kitchen. It's a risk regardless of how much they try. We have a restaurant here that sells gluten free food but they warn of cross contamination and ask how strong you'll react because they know it's impossible. I could file 20 lawsuits from company's that said they were gluten free but got sick from.

N