Mddonalds And Their New Oatmeal

[coffeeaddictfish]

So i sent McDonalds an email questioning about their new oatmeal.. unfortunately this was their crappy response... just wanted everyone to know.. I did eat this Saturday morning and considering today is Wednesday and i'm a little bloated.. i may have had a reaction.. not sure yet.. sometimes it takes a few days to figure out if i was glutened or not.

Hello Christina:

Thanks for your interest in McDonald's menu.

McDonald's no longer maintains a list of products that are considered gluten free. We do, however, provide extensive nutrition and ingredient information for our nationally offered menu product on our website. We update the information on our website (Open Original Shared Link) frequently as we receive new information from our product suppliers. We encourage you to read our ingredient statements and make personal decisions that meet your specific dietary needs.

Again, thank you for contacting McDonald's and we hope to have the opportunity to serve you again soon.

Jessica

McDonald's Customer Response Center

ref#:7489088

[heatherjane]

  On 1/12/2011 at 1:08 PM, coffeeaddictfish said:

So i sent McDonalds an email questioning about their new oatmeal.. unfortunately this was their crappy response... just wanted everyone to know.. I did eat this Saturday morning and considering today is Wednesday and i'm a little bloated.. i may have had a reaction.. not sure yet.. sometimes it takes a few days to figure out if i was glutened or not.

Hello Christina:

Thanks for your interest in McDonald's menu.

McDonald's no longer maintains a list of products that are considered gluten free. We do, however, provide extensive nutrition and ingredient information for our nationally offered menu product on our website. We update the information on our website (Open Original Shared Link) frequently as we receive new information from our product suppliers. We encourage you to read our ingredient statements and make personal decisions that meet your specific dietary needs.

Again, thank you for contacting McDonald's and we hope to have the opportunity to serve you again soon.

Jessica

McDonald's Customer Response Center

ref#:7489088

Oats are not considered safe unless they are certified gluten free, and even then they are a debatable choice for celiacs. Since McDs wouldn't confirm it, I would take the oatmeal as not being safe...steer clear.

[RideAllWays]

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought that oats were often contaminated with wheat during processing, and that even if they are not the protein structure is so similar to gluten that some celiacs can't tolerate it anyways.

[kareng]

The way that oats are grown, harvested, transported and in some cases processed leaves them full of wheat gluten. There are gluten-free oats and some Celiacs react to them, too.

[larry mac]

I for one can't hold it against McDonalds for not calling any of their products Gluten Free. I seem to recall a story that they were sued by the parents of a Celiac child. They claimed she got sick eating the fries, which were supposed to be gluten-free.

Not to start a fries debate (for the thousanth time), but I believe the fries are indeed gluten-free.

I'm surprised any company labels products gluten-free. It seems no matter how gluten-free something is, someone will think they reacted to it.

best regards, lm

[kevinmm]

The oatmeal debate doesn't have to take place on this product, since one of the ingredients is "barley malt extract"

[JudiS]

Here is the nutrition information on their oatmeal:

Oatmeal

Whole grain rolled oats, brown sugar, food starch-modified, salt, natural flavor (plant source), barley malt extract, caramel color.

Diced Apples

Apples, calcium ascorbate (a blend of calcium and vitamin C to maintain freshness and color).

Cranberry Raisin Blend

Dried sweetened cranberries (sugar, cranberries), California raisins, golden raisins, sunflower oil, sulfur dioxide (preservative).

Light Cream

Milk, cream, sodium phosphate, datem, sodium stearoyl lactylate, sodium citrate, carrageenan.

CONTAINS: MILK.

[Darn210]

Gluten free oats are outrageously expensive. No restaurant is going to produce an oat product with gluten free oats unless it is a specifically designated gluten free entree/item . . . which, as mentioned by others, would still cause a problem for some celiacs/glutent intolerants.

[Takala]

Cranberries with sunflower oil - another "iffy" thing because of how the oil may have been processed.

But Barley Malt right on the ingredients?! give me a break ! That not gluten free !

It's fairly well known in the general knowledge base when talking about oats, for celiacs, that oats need to be certified gluten free to be safe - and they are for some celiacs. In moderation. Others can't tolerate them.

People who insist on eating at McDonald's are taking a risk with cross contamination. Besides all the buns and biscuits flying around, they use a gluten bearing seasoning on some of their hamburger patties, which would mess up the grill for the meat. It's okay to take risks if that is how you want to be, but I get annoyed with people I've seen (not here) but on a few other sites insisting the stuff is perfectly safe and gluten free, re various fast food items. Here, if they do it, I will point out relevant nutritional information that the item is likely cross contaminated or actually LISTED as having a gluten ingredient. I think there is either a level of denial going on, or marketing. I have eaten fries (cautiously) at another local, smaller ff chain, where they slice the potatoes there and use a dedicated fryer, and they understand the allergy thing at the counter when you talk to them. I was okay, but it is still slightly risky.

McDonald's isn't there to appeal to the specialty consumer, but to the masses. This oatmeal is going to be a great thing for normal people, at least.