<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

Please don't email any responses back to me directly regarding this summary or McD's. I won't have access to my computer for 3 weeks.

Summary: McD's fries.

One or two people said they or their children have gotten ill from McD's, fries or otherwise. The rest said the fries are safe. The most reliable answer came from someone who quoted GIG. Here's that response: 
 
This is an issue that is starting to pop up on labels. Here is the story:  
FALCPA (Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act) requires that all ingredients that are made from one of the top eight allergens be labeled as containing that allergen. The only time this is not required is in highly refined oils and any ingredients that have successfully filed for and received an exemption from the FDA. To date, seven exemptions have been filed and the FDA has approved none. So this means that the flavoring ingredients added to McDonald's fry oil has to declare that one of the ingredients was derived from wheat.  EVEN though that ingredient is so highly refined that the gluten proteins are no longer present.  Further, the product has been tested by one of the best labs in the country and there is no detectible gluten in the product.  This is where we are going to see some confusing labels and the Proposed Voluntary GF Labeling is so important. 
The Proposed Voluntary GF Labeling by FDA says that a product can be labeled GF - IF...   
a. the product contains no proteins from wheat, rye, barley and hybrids  
b. the product contains less than 20 PPM (parts per million) gluten 
What we are starting to see:  Labels that should have wheat listed in the ingredients and are also labeled Gluten Free ----WHICH CAN BE TRUE.  The McDonald fries are a good example of this that is verified by testing.  So a product (say with a 'rare' form of vinegar that started from wheat) could say: rice flour, vinegar (wheat), eggs, milk, ... and also be labeled GF. 
The voluntary GF labeling proposed by the FDA would say that this product could be labeled GF, as long as it met all the required labeling laws and could prove that the product has less than 20 PPM of gluten.  This product would meet that requirement, since vinegar has no gluten proteins in it and therefore has no gluten in it.  The rest of the ingredients are GF.so upon testing, the product is GF and can be labeled as such, EVEN THOUGH it says wheat in the ingredients.
Make sense?  It is very confusing.that is one reason we are seeing an increased interest in GFCO and the certification of products. This gives the consumer more confidence.  So what can we do? 
1.  The FDA will need to accept exemptions on some of the potential confusing ingredients to avoid this type of labeling.
2.  There is a major education campaign that will need to happen to bring consumer confidence back about products with these confusing labels. 
a. This presents some major challenges for educators with consumers.especially GF consumers who tend to be negative toward professionals trying to explain science to them. This consumer group is skeptical and not very trusting of science.  Educators are not inclined to want to be blasted by consumers, so they may be a bit reluctant to say "trust me..hydrolyzation takes the protein out of products."
b. Understand the limitation of FALCPA and the proposed voluntary GF labeling is important  
c. Encourage GFCO (Gluten Free Certification Organization, operated by GIG) certification. 
Bottom line on McDonalds:  They are playing it safe.  They are putting the information on the label and making the consumer responsible for making the decision.  Because of the law suits, they are unlikely to tell you they are ok - even though they are.  Based on all the confidential testing information I am aware of, the fries and hash brown patties are safe.  BUT the decision is ultimately the consumer's.  
PS:  If GFCO had its way, we would certify the flavoring used by McDonald's as GF and this would add credibility to the fact that the fries are GF.  Stay tuned.  

Betty

*Support summarization of posts, reply to the SENDER not the Celiac List*
Archives are at: Http://Listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?LIST=CELIAC