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Julie Anne May <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>McDonalds resteraunts has a pamphlet availiable about which products are
>safe and which are not.  Please do check witht he staff as well as sometimes
>only one deep fryer is availiable and gluten containing foods get mixed in.

Julie, I notice from your email address that you are from Canada.  As I
understand it from the Canadian Celiac Association newsletter, McDonalds of
Canada very recently changed their hash brown potato formula from wheat starch
to corn starch.  Those potatoes are often fried in the same oil as their french
fries.  They made this change at the request of celiacs.

However, the AMERICAN McDonalds has NOT changed their formula!  Elaine Monarch
of the Celiac Disease Foundation has been lobbying them, and making some
progress, but there has been no decision to date.  Therefore, in an American
McDonald's, in my opinion, it is not safe for a celiac to eat fried foods. I
have closely questioned their managers and they cannot guarantee that the
French Fries fryer has not had hash browns in them.  They do try to segregate,
but these fryers are right next to each other and when they are busy, they tend
to fry everything everywhere.

In contrast, the fryers at Burger King for french fries run at a different
temperature than the fryers for onion rings and other products.  The two sets
of fryers are at different parts of the stores.  It is possible for a mixup to
occur, but this would violate corporate Burger King instructions to the
stores.  Generally, I ask every time I take my son to Burger King.  Now they
know me and it's easier (they probably still think I am crazy, though).

Personally, I hope McDonalds changes soon, as they have so many more outlets.

Bill Elkus