Mcd Fries Cross Contamination

[jnifred]

ok, so I have been thinking a lot about this topic, as it has been at the forefront for the last several week of posts it seems......so anyway

I know McD's says the fries are gluten-free, testing done etc.personally I seem to be fine eating them......but there are a lot of you out there who still get sick from eating them. What about cross contamination???? Not to put anyone down, but most McD's employees are not well educated people. Is the dedicated fry fryer next to the nugget fryer??could grease from that pop into the fry fyer and therefore put gluten inadvertantly in there??? Could the employee bagging the fries, or in anyway coming into contact with the fries ahve just been handling a bun??? or nuggets???

There are so many variables when eating out, and at a fast food chain especially it just seems extremely risky for anyone who is very sensitive to gluten, or has severe medical problems from Celiac to get something like french fries from a place like Mcd.....

I'm just throwing out some thoughts I had, maybe someone else mentioned this already, and if so I am sorry, I did not read all the posting about Mcd fries, do not enough time in my day for that, so it could have been said, I just thought it was food for thought and thought I would mention it.....

[penguin]

McDonald's stores are set up so that the nugget/chicken/fish fryer is on the opposite side of the store, because you need easy access to the window, not the grill. The people that take the orders generally fill them, so they have handled drinks, bags, burgers, etc before making the fries and adding to to the order. There isn't a lot of loose flour running around, but on the bottoms of the buns there is often extra flour. This gets on the grill person's hands, which get on the wrapper, which get on the server's hands when she touches it.

The window people or runners make up the fry orders. The grill is generally too busy. Although, they will sometimes empty the bags of frozen fries into the hopper to be dumped into the baskets. CC is definitely a possibility.

Also, the fry oil is in a dedicated fryer.

Of course, these rules don't necessarily apply in stores that are in stores, truck stops, airports, etc. But that is how the freestanding stores are set up.

I guess the two years of working at McDonald's was of some use after all

[jnifred]

Thanks for that insight, there seems to always be the possiblity of some CC, even if it is minut(sp???add the e??).....

and i worked fast food in my high school years, so I really am not trying to put anyone down, its just not something most McD workers are going to be concerned with or even remotely knowledgeable on, and not just McD, but any fast food.

[VydorScope]

CC is always a risk , no matter where you eat. Its just the reality we live with.

[Guest Viola]

There is possible CC in every aspect of our lives. Even just having a coffee, or pop, or even a glass of water at a friends home, or cafe leaves you with possible gluten crumbs stuck to the cup, glass what ever out of the dishwasher. So ... if you are afraid of the "possibility" of CC you wouldn't walk out of your own home, and BTW .. unless your own home is totally gluten free ... there is possible CC. So ... do we let Celiac Disease run our whole lives, or do we 'manage' the disease as well as possible and get on with living?

[Canadian Karen]

If the window people are the ones who get the fries, then my first thought is YUCK! Do they put gloves on to get the fries? If not, you mean to tell me they are touching disgusting dirty money with germs all over it and then touching my fries? YUCK!

Karen

[lovemyboy]

If the window people are the ones who get the fries, then my first thought is YUCK! Do they put gloves on to get the fries? If not, you mean to tell me they are touching disgusting dirty money with germs all over it and then touching my fries? YUCK!

Karen

To add to this, it actually depends on the size of the store how many friers there are. I'm in Canada but I would imagine small stores in the states are the same. I worked at three different locations all free standing. two had seperate friers that the nuggets and all that were cooked in, the third had seperate slots so no oil mixing but yes the nuggets were cooked right beside them and I've seen nuggets etc... land in the french fry slots. Also I was thinking of this after reading all the mcd threads when we were super busy there has been times frys were throwen in the nugget fryer to keep up to demand. Also how about how the fryers are filtred nightly usually the fry oil went through first and then the other oils but if the filter machine was not cleaned properly, could cause problems. that would only be in restuarants that have the fry and nugget etc machines together. More things to worry about I guess i probably should stop feeding them to my son.

[happygirl]

for whatever reason, i cannot tolerate their fries anymore....they are my #1 'no-no'

[VydorScope]

There is possible CC in every aspect of our lives. Even just having a coffee, or pop, or even a glass of water at a friends home, or cafe leaves you with possible gluten crumbs stuck to the cup, glass what ever out of the dishwasher. So ... if you are afraid of the "possibility" of CC you wouldn't walk out of your own home, and BTW .. unless your own home is totally gluten free ... there is possible CC. So ... do we let Celiac Disease run our whole lives, or do we 'manage' the disease as well as possible and get on with living?

Exactly! Well said (we need a clapping smiley-face.)

[penguin]

If the window people are the ones who get the fries, then my first thought is YUCK! Do they put gloves on to get the fries? If not, you mean to tell me they are touching disgusting dirty money with germs all over it and then touching my fries? YUCK!

Karen

Disgusting but true. Whether they have to wear gloves or not depends on city or county ordinance (in the states anyway).

Mmmm, sounds yummy!

And you don't know if they were just emptying wastebaskets, mopping, doing dishes, blowing their nose...

You're supposed to wash your hands between tasks, but, yeah, how often does that happen?

Eww. I'm going to be sick.

[psawyer]

If the prescribed practices are followed, there is no direct contact with food by the front crew; they only touch the container or wrapper that the food is in. All contact with the actual food is made with stainless steel utensils.

[Canadian Karen]

Exactly! Well said (we need a clapping smiley-face.)

I'm still hoping I get a little devil smiley!!!! LOL!

Karen