Mcdonald's

[jaimi alderson]

Hi! Does anyone order a burger with cheese at McDonald's? Obviously with no bun...but I can not find on their website if their cheese or hamburger alone are gluten-free. I am traveling for pretty much my first time since diagnosis tomorrow morning & need to know what I can eat at McD's.

Thank you!

[Nantzie]

Nope. The hamburger patties are not gluten-free. The fries are up for debate. I don't have a problem eating the fries and get them about once a month. Most fast food places use some sort of gluten in their meat. Including Taco Bell.

At In N Out Burger you can order a burger "Protein Style" and they make it wrapped in lettuce. Their burger meat is gluten-free. The fries are also gluten-free.

I've heard that Chick Fil-A has some gluten-free options, but haven't eaten there personally.

Nancy

[LKelly8]

Here's McD's Open Original Shared Link on gluten-free menu items.

This list is as of 3/06 - and it still lists the plain beef patty. Nantzie? Is it wrong?

[VydorScope]

The burgers should be fine, but the chance for CC form the workers gloves, and etc is extremly high.

The flavoring for the fries contain gluten as per thier gluten statment (which is different then thier wheat statement), and the cross contimanation risk of their often miss used frier is also extremly high. Many are the ppl here that are report getting gluten'd by thier fries, but some are fine with tem. I personaly will never let my son eat there, esply since the few times we did go before I knew better he got glutened EVERYTIME with out fail.

Eating out is a risk, eating out at any fast food joint is a MUCH greater risk. Its your body, and your health, and ultimatly your choice to make. My adivce, aviod all known sources of gluten (like McDondlas freis) as the unknow and the CC risks are bad enough by themselvs and realy do not need any help.

[frenchiemama]

I tried a few times when I was first diagnosed, but CC is almost inevitable. The food just isn't good enough to be worth the risk (IMO, anyway).

[Nantzie]

I guess not! I thought I had heard that their burgers had some sort of filler in them. I must have mentally crossed them off the list because of cross-contamination.

Nancy

[CarlaB]

I would stick with Wendy's chili and a Frosty.

Or else Chick-fil-a grilled chicken salad -- no sunflower seeds, and tortilla strips instead of croutons. Their waffle fries are also safe.

[Guhlia]

If you must eat at McDonalds I would suggest a side salad with dressing and apple dippers. The apple dippers come pre-packaged and are really good with the caramel dip. Also, the fruit and yogurt parfaits have never given me a problem.

[GeneC]

From the McD web site ingredients list:

Beef Patty:

100% pure USDA inspected beef; no additives, no fillers, no extenders.

Pasteurized Process American Cheese:

Milk, milkfat, water, cream, sodium citrate, salt, sodium phosphate, sorbic acid (preservative), artificial color, cheese culture, acetic acid, soy lecithin, enzymes, with starch added for slice separation. Contains milk and soybean ingredients.

Open Original Shared Link

[Nic]

From the McD web site ingredients list:

Beef Patty:

100% pure USDA inspected beef; no additives, no fillers, no extenders.

Pasteurized Process American Cheese:

Milk, milkfat, water, cream, sodium citrate, salt, sodium phosphate, sorbic acid (preservative), artificial color, cheese culture, acetic acid, soy lecithin, enzymes, with starch added for slice separation. Contains milk and soybean ingredients.

Open Original Shared Link

Since they labeled the allergens (milk and soy) I am wondering if the starch is corn based. I am going to call and find out. I would hope that they would have also labeled wheat if it were in there. Do they have to abide by the new labeling laws or is that just for packaged foods?

Nicole

[heathen]

i've eaten the bun-less quarter pounder with cheese, and i haven't had a problem. of course, my glutening responses aren't as bad as others. ordering goes better if you go inside, speak loudly, and explain the situation as simply as possible. in the drive-thru, it's a crap shoot. and don't hesitate to take something back.

[stef-the-kicking-cuty]

OK, this thread has been a while, but I thought, I'd answer anyways. I have pretty severe reactions to gluten and I have never had a problem with their cheese slices. I was actually looking on some info for the McRib, that's back in our area. And I know, when I was not diagnosed yet, I loved the McRib. I was just wondering, if we could eat the McRib without the bun.

[stef-the-kicking-cuty]

I think, I found, what I was looking for. I'm going to try one without the bun tomorrow.

[Rosewied]

I was just looking up some McDonald's info and noticed the french fries very clearly say "Contains Wheat," now. I just wanted to make sure people knew that. Let us know how the McRib went!

[Lisa]

I was just looking up some McDonald's info and noticed the french fries very clearly say "Contains Wheat," now. I just wanted to make sure people knew that. Let us know how the McRib went!

Yes, but processed to the point that there is no detectable gluten, and tested.

[psawyer]

I was just looking up some McDonald's info and noticed the french fries very clearly say "Contains Wheat," now. I just wanted to make sure people knew that. Let us know how the McRib went!

Enjoy reading some of the early threads on that topic There have been hundreds.

https://www.celiac.com/forums/topic/14304-a-class-action-suit-against-mcds/

https://www.celiac.com/forums/topic/14343-more-about-mcdonalds/

https://www.celiac.com/forums/topic/14410-about-mcdonalds/

https://www.celiac.com/forums/topic/14427-new-mcd-statement-fries-are-gluten-free/

https://www.celiac.com/forums/topic/14434-mcdonalds-fries-new-poll/

https://www.celiac.com/forums/topic/14527-mcd-fries-cross-contamination/

The CSA statement:

https://www.celiac.com/forums/topic/14714-csa-on-mcdonalds-fries/

March 10, 2006 summary:

https://www.celiac.com/forums/topic/15214-email-from-mcdonalds/

Dr. Steven Taylor of the Food Allergy Research and Resource Program of the University of Nebraska conducted the tests mentioned.

[Juliebove]

The wheat and milk in the fries are very old news. We won't eat them because daughter has a wheat allergy.

[bridgetm]

Yes, but processed to the point that there is no detectable gluten, and tested.

Anything that processed shouldn't be marketed as 'edible.' With that said, I had a problem with the fries last year. I didn't have the full-on glutening symptoms - just a nasty stomach ache and I couldn't even think about food for a day or two after - but it was enough that I haven't ordered fries at any restaurant since.

[Darn210]

We eat the fries . . . no problems for us and as my good friend Peter says . . . your mileage may vary.

[LYNN21]

My husband and 15 year old daughter have Celiac Disease. They eat quarter pounders with no bun all the time. Recently my husband had chest pains and had to go to the hospital. First they check your heart then they check for gastro problems. The gastro doc scoped him and said he had the prettiest intestines he has seen in a long time, said we are doing a great job on the gluten free diet nice to know his intestines are fine, but they did find a ulcer and one blocked vein. They think the ulcer is what is causing the chest pain. We have been gluten free for five years now.