<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>
 
Ben Moreland <[log in to unmask]> said:
 
>This might be a local thing, but the last time I checked out Burger
>King, I couldn't eat the French fries because they cooked them in
>the same oil as the onion rings...
 
Ben, here are excerpts from two of my earlier emails to the list on this
topic.  Local restaurants could depart from the accepted national
practice, though...
 =============================
Date:         Fri, 18 Nov 1994
From:         William Elkus <[log in to unmask]>
Subject:      Cross Contamination
 
<snip>  I found out that at Burger King, the situation is better **but not
perfect**.  After discussions with two local store managers and the head of
their national food systems, this is my understanding:
 
There are two separate sets of fryers at Burger King, and they operate at
different temperatures and on different timing cycles. ... By corporate
policy, only French Fries in the first set of fryers and all other fried
products in the other set.  [Chet England. the] The head of food [safety]
said that it should be impossible for cross-contamination.  He said that if
a breaded product was put in the French Fry fryer it would not cook properly
because the temperature and timing cycles were not suitable (and visa versa
for the French Fries). The oils are not mixed at night.
 
Different areas of the restaurant are used for the fries and other products.
The frying baskets are of the same design, but are scrubbed down every night
and there is no opportunity for them to be switched during the day.
 
Despite his assurances, I still quiz the manager on duty every time ..
[Once in a vacation city, ] the local manager told me that when they get a
large order for onion rings, they will occasionally use the French Fry
fryer!  I called [Chet England] and he was so upset at this prohibited
practice that he sent the regional representative to that store the very
same day to complain...<rest deleted>
 =============================
Date:         Fri, 20 Oct 1995
From:         Bill Elkus <[log in to unmask]>
Subject:      Re: Fast food french fries
 
<snip> 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.
 =============================
 
Bill Elkus
Los Angeles