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

Mcdonalds - Beware


Guest gliX

Recommended Posts

Guest gliX

I am 16 and last week we had a band trip to San Francisco. We stopped at mcdonalds for lunch and it was packed. I asked for a burger without the bun and got the bun so i returned it and asked again. On the back table where i could see, the cashier used her fingers, ripped the bun off and it looked really nasty. then i just ate my fries because i wasnt that hungry anyways but wow..


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



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



dbuhl79 Contributor

Glix,

Sorry you had such a poor experience! Fast food is definitely not a place to expect high quality service, but when that's all your stuck with, I guess fries only are your safest bet!

You should rent "Supersize Me" its a very interesting documentary on McDonalds, might amuse you.

Guest gfinnebraska

WHEN you saw them just take the bun off and give you the burger again, you should have demanded a new burger. I have had to do this often. I just let them know that the meal was ruined for me the minute the bun touched the patty. I have never had a problem with McDonalds. They always fix it to my satisfaction. I have even been given free meals before due to their not getting it right the first time. Just because you are 16 does not mean you can not be firm!! Next time make sure they fix it right. :D

Guest gliX

i usually do make sure but that morning we had gone to a buffet and i almost closed the place down B)

Guest gfinnebraska

How did you almost close the place down?? Was there that many entrees that were gluten-free?? I have zero luck at buffets usually ~ and therefore not worth the cost!!

I sit and watch everyone else eat. Then I go to McDonalds!! :)

Guest gliX

a lot of eggs and grits : )

MySuicidalTurtle Enthusiast

I think that is just a certain insance. My brother eats ther eon Saturdays and a few times I have had to return his food and have never had a problem. What that worker did is surely against policey and very lazy. You should have gotten a manager due to that disgusting behavior.


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



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



cdobbs Rookie

my family went to a mcdonalds and they tried to do the same thing but i caught them and let them know. i have found in our town that i can teat at the big mcdonalds bc they are careless but th esmall one in walmart knows us and are very good at our orders. if all else fails email the corp office. i had another situation where my son got a bacterial infection and the last place i looked was the mcdonalds. i emailed them and they seem to be very serious about how their workers handle things. of course everyone gets lazy but maybe an email will bring their regional manager by to check them more often

cdobbs

Guest gliX

I know to ask for a new one and I always do. I am just warning those of you who don't know to be careful and watch what they're doing.

lovegrov Collaborator

On a trip this weekend we were desperate and stopped at a McDonald's. Contaimination or no contamination what a disappointment that hamburger was (I never did like McD hamburgers even when I could eat the bun). Hardee's and BK are SOOO much better. We will not be returning to McD.

richard

Guest gliX

are burger king burgers (no bun) and fries gluten-free?

im pretty sure wendy fries are not gluten-free, are their burgers (no bun) gluten-free?

thanks

darlindeb25 Collaborator
:D wendy's fries are ok here where i am--my sister went to 3 differentones and asked about their fryers and was told they are only for fries--she has had the fries at our local wendys and they were fine---i know that burger king fries are not--they fryers are not dedicated fryers---deb
lovegrov Collaborator

Actually, BK fries ARE cooked in dedicated fryers (although I always ask to make sure). It even says so if you go to the BK web site. The allergen chart notes if a product is cooked in the same oil with a known allergen. The fries are not.

Open Original Shared Link

The burgers with no bun are gluten-free. So are the condiments.

Wendy burgers with no bun are gluten-free but the fires are not on their gluten-free list. I believe this is because of a potential cross contamionation issue.

I like the Hardee's thickburger best of all but their fries are NOT cooked in a dedicated fryer, at least not at the one near our house.

richard

Connie R-E Apprentice

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

I'm so glad they do this now!! I like to read the ingredients in my own home!

Connie

~can't wait until my little ones no longer need toys with their food!

Guest gliX

Thanks.

So..i shouldnt trust wendy's fries rightt

FreyaUSA Contributor

I know the BK site says they are gluten-free. Meanwhile, you have to check out your own BK/fast food place. The BK one near me sent an onion ring home mixed in my son's fries (and we had three days of misery.) We no longer go there and because of this experience, I'm leery of all BKs now. So far, we've had no problems with McDs fries and the Wendy's near me has a dedicated fryer and we've had no reaction from them either.

Kind of hit and hope to miss, I guess.

lovegrov Collaborator

Fast food, no matter where you go, is probably aout the riskiest eating you can do. Stuff is all over the place. Contamination is just a major problem. Plus the food is just packed with fat, calories, sodium, and bizarre things you've never heard of. Reading the ingredients in a simple piece of chicken can make you queasy. It's best to avoid it as much as you can.

richard

Carriefaith Enthusiast

I agree, I refuse to eat at fast foods restaurants anymore. Contamination is very likely. I might order a pop but that's it.

darlindeb25 Collaborator

always ask if the fryer is dedicated--if it is only used for the fries, then yes, they are safe--my sister is celiac too and she has asked at 3 wendy's in our area and they are safe--she loves wendy's fries--i do eat mcdonalds fries and hashbrowns and have never had a reaction-- ;) eating out will always be chancy for us :( that is a given--we are only as safe as our food handlers are <_< deb

terri Contributor

I've been finding restaurants where they get my hopes up by saying yes, they have a dedicated fryer for their fries. Then, they drop the bombshell that they flour the french fries before frying them to give them that nice little crunch. So, number one on my Christmas list is a deep fat fryer so I can make my own! I'm even going to try to make a bloomin onion, or at least an onion ring! Anyhow, you might want to remember to ask about flouring the fries from now on as it seems to be a common practice.

lovegrov Collaborator

I've heard the flouring happens at some places but not at BK, McDoanld's or Wendy's. Also not at Hardee's but the fryer there isn't dedicated.

richard

Boojca Apprentice

And now for the other "bah humbug" on another board I'm on they were talking about Wendy's and how their chicken breasts are no longer gluten-free bc they use soy sauce in the marinade....which also means the burgers aren't gluten-free bc of cross-contamination on the grill...which meanst he chili isn't gluten-free bc they use the leftover burgers for the meat in the chili.

Just passing along the discussion I was seeing...I haven't decided what I think of this or not.

Bridget

Guest gliX

as long as mcdonalds burgers and fries are gluten free ill be fine ;)

darlindeb25 Collaborator
:o ummmm i am not a specialist in this area by any means :P but i am pretty sure that wendy's chili comes to them already made--they arent allowed to use leftover burgers for something like that--the burgers for these places come already frozen to pop on the grill, nothing is fresh with any of them and none of the fast food places make anything from scratch--there is no way that the chili would taste the same all the time if it was being made at individual restaurants--i will be checking on this one though at my local wendys ;) deb
lovegrov Collaborator

McD's burgers and fries are gluten-free, but in case you're a Big Mac fan (I never could stand them) the special sauce is NOT gluten-free.

richard

Archived

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


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,979
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    volivier
    Newest Member
    volivier
    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
      @tiffanygosci, Hello.  I apologize for your thread being hijacked.   I recognize your symptoms as being similar to what I experienced, the migraines, food and chemical sensitivities, hives, nausea, the numbness and tingling, joint pain, tummy problems, sleep problems, emotional lability, and the mom brain.  My cycle returned early after I had my son, and I became pregnant again with all my symptoms worsening.  Unfortunately, I lost that baby.  In hindsight, I recognized that I was suffering so much from Thiamine deficiency and other nutritional deficiencies that I was not able to carry it.   Celiac Disease affects the absorption of nutrients from our food.  There's eight B vitamins that must be replenished every day.  Thiamine Vitamin B1 becomes depleted first because it cannot be stored very long, less than two weeks.  Other B vitamins can be stored for two months or so.  But Thiamine can get low enough to produce symptoms in as little as three days.  As the thiamine level gets lower, symptoms worsen.  Early symptoms like fatigue and anxiety are often attributed to life situations, and so frequently go unrecognized by medical professionals who "have a pill for that".   I used to get severe migraines and vomiting after gluten consumption.  Thiamine and the other B vitamins are needed to turn carbohydrates, fats and proteins into fuel for our bodies.  With a large influx of carbohydrates from gluten containing foods, the demand for Thiamine increases greatly.  Available thiamine can be depleted quickly, resulting in suddenly worsening symptoms.  Emotional stress or trauma, physical activity (athletes and laborers) and physiological stresses like pregnancy or injury (even surgery or infection) increase the need for Thiamine and can precipitate a thiamine insufficiency. Pregnancy requires more thiamine, not just for the mother, but for the child as well.  The mother's Thiamine stores are often depleted trying to meet the higher demand of a growing fetus.  Thiamine insufficiency can affect babies in utero and after birth (autism, ADHD).  Having babies close together doesn't allow time for the mother to replenish thiamine stores sufficiently.   Thiamine insufficiency can cause migraines, pins and needles (paresthesia), and gastrointestinal Beriberi (gas, bloating, diarrhea or constipation, back pain).   Thiamine deficiency can cause blurry vision, difficulty focusing, and affect the eyes in other ways.  Thiamine deficiency can damage the optic nerves.  I have permanent vision problems.  High histamine levels can make your brain feel like it's on fire or swelling inside your cranium.  High histamine levels can affect behavior and mood.  Histamine is released by Mast Cells as part of the immune system response to gluten.  Mast Cells need Thiamine to regulate histamine release.  Mast Cells without sufficient thiamine release histamine at the slightest provocation.  This shows up as sensitivities to foods, smelly chemicals, plants, and dust mites.  Thiamine and the other B vitamins are needed to lower histamine levels.  Vitamin D is needed to calm the immune system and to regulate our hormones.  Menstrual irregularities can be caused by low Vitamin D.   Celiac Disease is a disease if Malabsorption of Nutrients.  We must take great care to eat a nutritionally dense diet.  Our bodies cannot make vitamins.  We must get them from what we eat.  Supplementation with essential vitamins and minerals is warranted while we are healing and to ensure we don't become deficient over time.  Our bodies will not function properly without essential vitamins and minerals.  Doctors have swept their importance under the rug in favor of a pill that covers the symptoms but doesn't resolve the underlying issue of malnutrition. Do talk to your doctor and dietician about checking for nutritional deficiencies.  Most blood tests for the eight B vitamins do not reflect how much is available or stored inside cells.  Blood tests reflect how much is circulating in the blood stream, the transportation system.  Blood levels can be "normal" while a deficiency exists inside cells where the vitamins are actually used.  The best way to see if you're low in B vitamins is to take a B Complex, and additional Thiamine and look for improvement.   Most vitamin supplements contain Thiamine Mononitrate, which is not easily absorbed nor utilized by the body.  Only thirty percent of thiamine mononitrate listed on the label is absorbed, less is actually utilized.  This is because thiamine mononitrate is shelf stable, it won't breakdown sitting on a shelf in the grocery store.  It's so hard to breakdown, our bodies don't absorb it and can't turn it into a form the body can use.  Take Thiamine in the form Benfotiamine or TTFD (tetrahydrofurfuryl disulfide) which the body can utilize much better.  (Ask for an Erythrocyte Transketolace Activity test for Thiamine level.  Though not accurate, this test does better picking up on a thiamine deficiency than a blood test.) Are you keeping your babies on a gluten free diet?  This can prevent genetically susceptible children from developing Celiac Disease.   P. S. Interesting Reading  Thiamine deficiency in pregnancy and lactation: implications and present perspectives https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10158844/ Descriptive spectrum of thiamine deficiency in pregnancy: A potentially preventable condition https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37458305/ B vitamins and their combination could reduce migraine headaches: A randomized double-blind controlled trial https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9860208/
    • trents
      @Riley, on this forum we sometimes get reports from people with similar experiences as you. That is, their celiac disease seems to go into remission. Typically, that doesn't last. At age 18 you are at your physical-biological peek in life where your body is stronger than it will ever be and it is able to fight well against many threats and abuses. As Wheatwacked pointed out, absence of symptoms is not always a reliable indicator that no damage is being done to the body. I was one of those "silent" celiacs with no symptoms, or at least very minor symptoms, whose body was being slowly damaged for many years before the damage became pronounced enough to warrant investigation, leading to a diagnosis. By that time I had suffered significant bone demineralization and now I suffer with back and neck problems. Please, if you choose to continue consuming gluten, which I do not recommend, at least get tested regularly so that you won't get caught in the silent celiac trap down the road like I did. You really do not outgrow celiac disease. It is baked into the genes. Once the genes get triggered, as far as we know, they are turned on for good. Social rejection is something most celiacs struggle with. Being compliant with the gluten free diet places restrictions on what we can eat and where we can eat. Our friends usually try to work with us at first but then it gets to be a drag and we begin to get left out. We often lose some friends in the process but we also find out who really are our true friends. I think the hardest hits come at those times when friends spontaneously say, "Hey, let's go get some burgers and fries" and you know you can't safely do that. One way to cope in these situations is to have some ready made gluten-free meals packed in the fridge that you can take with you on the spot and still join them but eat safely. Most "real" friends will get used to this and so will you. Perhaps this little video will be helpful to you.  
    • Wheatwacked
      @Riley., Welcome to the forum.   It was once believed that Celiac Disease was only a childhood disease and it can be outgrown.  That was before 1951, before gluten was discovered to be cause of Celiac Disease, also called Infantilism.  Back then Cileac Disease was thought to be only a gastro intestinal disease, once you  "outgrew" the colicky phase, you were cured. You were so lucky to be diagnosed at 5 years old so your developing years were normal.  Gluten can affect multiple systems.  The nervous system, your intellegence. The muscules, skeleton. It can cause neurological issues like brain fog, anxiety, and peripheral neuropathy.  It can cause joint pain, muscle weakness, and skin rashes. Epilepsy is 1.8 times more prevalent in patients with celiac disease, compared to the general population. Because through malabsorption and food avoidances, it causes vitamin D and numerouus other essential nutrient deficiencies, it allows allergies, infections, poor growth, stuffy sinuses and eustacian tubes. There is even a catagory of celiac disease called "Silent Celiac".  Any symptoms are explained away as this, that or the other thing. Gluten is one of the most addictive substances we consume.  Activating the Opiod receptors in our cells, it can numb us to the damage that it, and other foods are causing.  It has become socially acceptable to eat foods that make us feel sick.  "There's a pill for that".   It is generally accepted that n fact you are weird if you don't. The hardest part is that if you don't eat gluten you will feel great and think why not.  But slowly it will effect you, you'll be diagnosed with real diseases that you don't have. You'll be more susseptable to other autoimmune diseases.  As you read through the posts here, notice how many are finally dianosed, after years of suffering at older ages.  Is it worth it? I think not. Perhaps this book will help:  Here is a list of possible symptoms:   
    • Riley.
      Hi! Im Riley, 18 years old and have been diagnosed for 13 years.. the testing started bc I stopped growing and didn’t gain any weight and was really small and thin for my age.  I got diagnosed when I was 5 and have been living gluten free since, in elementary and middle school it was hard for me and I kept contaminating myself bc I wanted to fit in with my friends so so badly. I ate gluten secretly at school and mostly regretted it 30 minutes later.  I’ve had symptoms like diarrhea, nausea, headaches, stomachaches, threw up a lot and was really emotional.  In 2022 I really started working on myself and tried to stay gluten free and if I did eat gluten I wouldn’t tell anyone and suffer in silence.  Last year in July I begged my mom to let me „cheat“ one day bc I just wanted to fit in… I ate a lot of different stuff, all the stuff I missed out on in my childhood like nuggets, pizza and all that.. I didn’t have symptoms that day and was doing really fine My mom and I wanted to test how far we can go and said we would test it for 12 weeks to get my blood taken after to see if I’m doing good or if symptoms start showing  As a now 18 year old girl who finally gained a normal weight and doesn’t get symptoms I’m to scared to get tested/my blood taken cuz I finally found comfort in food and it got so much easier for me and my family.  A year and 4 months later i still didn’t get any symptoms and have been eating gluten daily.  I’m scared to get tested/my blood taken cuz what if I’m actually not fine and have to go back to eating gluten free. Any tips to get over that fear and „suck it up“ cuz I know I could seriously damage my body… sorry if I seem like a idiot here… just don’t really know what to do :,)
    • Mari
      There is much helpful 'truth' posted on this forum. Truths about Celiac Disease are based on scientific research and people's experience. Celiac disease is inherited. There are 2 main Celiac 'genes' but they are variations of one gene called HLa - DQ What is inherited when a person inherits one or both of the DQ2 or the DQ8 is a predisposition to develop celiac disease after exposure to a environmental trigger. These 2 versions of the DQ gene are useful in diagnosing  celiac disease but there are about 25 other genes that are known to influence celiac disease so this food intolerance is a multigenic autoimmune disease. So with so many genes involved and each person inheriting a different array of these other genes one person's symptoms may be different than another's symptoms.  so many of these other genes.  I don't think that much research on these other genes as yet. So first I wrote something that seem to tie together celiac disease and migraines.  Then you posted that you had migraines and since you went gluten free they only come back when you are glutened. Then Scott showed an article that reported no connection between migraines and celiac disease, Then Trents wrote that it was possible that celiacs had more migraines  and some believed there was a causal effect. You are each telling the truth as you know it or experienced it.   
×
×
  • 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.