'dedicated' Fast Food Fryers

[Deaminated Marcus]

Wow that was an interesting read...

[psawyer]

I just learned something very unnerving. Called a Wendy’s restaurant and asked if they had seperate fryer for fries and all things breaded. They say “Yes”. I press the issue a little futher telling the manager my Gluten concerns to which he responds…Well we do mix all the oils together when we strain the food bits out then re-populate the separate fryer with the mixed oil.

 

Not an expert but this sounds like a real problem. Press the issue folks. Separate fryers are useless if they mix the oil together.

Maybe at Wendy's, but never at McDonalds. Doing that would taint the fry oil and affect the taste of the fries. The taste of the fries is sacred at McD and nothing is ever allowed to contaminate the oil. It is not to keep it gluten-free, but we do benefit as a side effect.

[karichelle]

My husband has worked in 2 different fast food restaurants (neither was McD's or Wendy's) and he told me as well that they used separate fryers for fries because the breaded items and all the stuff they shed into the oil would make the fries taste bad.

 

So these restaurants are going against protocol AND making a product taste bad. :-\

[anti-soprano]

I know y'all are talkin fries, but...

When I was in school, at worked at both a Chuck E. Cheese and an Ice cream stand that sold mostly soft serve.  At the soft serve place, they taught us if a cone didn't come out right, we could dump the odd looking structure back into the top of the machine (just the soft serve- not the cone itself) and recycle it.  This happened all the time.  Thinking nothing of it, I did it once while making a cone at Chuck E. Cheese and a customer freaked out.  I had no idea why at the time. My "managers" should have been able to tell me why, but either didn't know or didn't care to share it with me.  Anyways, 20 years later- now I know and feel horrible that this woman or her kid probably wanted some ice cream, but it was contaminated by a glutenous cone.  Karma's a B.

 

My point is if an employee isn't educated on WHY they have certain procedures, odds are they aren't going to follow them.  Knowledge and awareness is the key.  Wish I could offer a class for fast food workers at this point!

[kareng]

I know y'all are talkin fries, but...

When I was in school, at worked at both a Chuck E. Cheese and an Ice cream stand that sold mostly soft serve.  At the soft serve place, they taught us if a cone didn't come out right, we could dump the odd looking structure back into the top of the machine (just the soft serve- not the cone itself) and recycle it.  This happened all the time.  Thinking nothing of it, I did it once while making a cone at Chuck E. Cheese and a customer freaked out.  I had no idea why at the time. My "managers" should have been able to tell me why, but either didn't know or didn't care to share it with me.  Anyways, 20 years later- now I know and feel horrible that this woman or her kid probably wanted some ice cream, but it was contaminated by a glutenous cone.  Karma's a B.

 

My point is if an employee isn't educated on WHY they have certain procedures, odds are they aren't going to follow them.  Knowledge and awareness is the key.  Wish I could offer a class for fast food workers at this point!

I have heard this before. If the health department finds out they are doing this, they will be in trouble.

[anti-soprano]

I have heard this before. If the health department finds out they are doing this, they will be in trouble.

YES!!  But as a teenager working in two different spots, no one ever told me A. don't do that and B. why you shouldn't ever do that.  Simply sad.  Maybe it's better now 20 years later?  

[Jewels50]

I recently watched a so called dedicated fryer get cross contaminated in a fast food restaurant that many with Celiac disease trust. I was so disappointed!! This was my one spot I thought I could eat at.

How safe is it really for those of us with Celac disease to eat out? Cross contamination is a big issue unless the restaurant is totally gluten free.

[Vinturi]

I eat Chick fil a fries about once a week. Ha! They also have grilled nuggets and their sauces are gluten-free. My local CFA is very aware and I am even able to order at the drive thru.

[GF-J]

Five Guys fries are the best. They don’t sell any thing fried except French fries so no chance they mix oils, accidentally fry chicken in the wrong fryer,etc. they also taste really good. 

[Rex]

I operate a restaurant where I'm trying to go Gluten Free.  After reading through this thread, I'm beginning to really understand the worries of those who are in search of Gluten Free foods and restaurants that understand it.  

I will definitely be adding a 2nd fryer which will be my main fryer and since my food will be Gluten Free it should be good.  My original fryer will be a back up fryer for when I'm busy and I will make sure to have the appropriate signage. I'm kind of hating myself right now cause I only needed to do a minor tweak to my recipe when I first started in order to be Gluten Free. This is literally a $750 (cost of a new fryer) mistake......