<<Disclaimer:  Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>
 
Today,  Jean Jasinski wrote:
 
>Does anyone happen to know if any of the fast food restaurants
>can guarantee G/F french fries?  If they use the same oil for
>breaded foods like chicken nuggets or fish sandwiches, the fries would
>be contaminated.
 
I guess that I get the dubious distinction of being the person who has made
the most posts to this list about french fries.  My celiac son loves them
above all other foods.  You should check the archives -- there is significant
discussion on the topic.
 
A very short summary:
 
(a) Some people feel that the high temperature of the frying oil denatures the
gluten, and/or that the amount of gluten which carries over is so small that
no damage will occur.  Personally, I am not comfortable with these theories,
but each person should make their own judgment.
 
(b) McDonalds of Canada reformulated their hash browns to remove wheat flour,
so that the oil would be contaminated for their fries.  Unfortunately they
periodically have special promotions of different types of breaded fries which
then contaminates the oil anyway.
 
(c) McDonalds of America has to date refused to change their hash brown
formulation, and so there is a cross contamination issue.  They claim to be
considering a change. Please write to them!
 
(d) Burger King uses separate vats, and does not commingle oils at night.  The
breaded onion rings and french fries wind up next to each other in stainless
steel bins.  The servers are supposed to use different utensils to serve up
the rings and the fries, but usually don't, and crumbs from the rings can get
into the fries.  If you ask for 'no salt' fries, they will make a new batch
and put it directly into a serving container -- but remember to ask them to
wash the serving utensil beforehand.  I have found that in Los Angeles so many
people are on no-salt diets that these instructions are not deemed that
unusual.
 
(e) With other chains, be sure to check not only what else they fry in the
same vats, but whether oil from contaminated vats is combined with 'good' oil
for storage at night.
 
Bill Elkus
Los Angeles