the_RepsterV2

Symptomatic Celiac

This is kind of a weird question… So factually McDonald’s French Fries are NOT GF. Every time I have had them I have been glutened. Obviously it could have been something else too, but I want to know how many other Celiacs and Gluten Intolerant people have reactions too.

• kimberly58524 I’ve eaten McDonalds fries with nothing else and no reaction. My 2 kids worked at Mcd’s and only fries are fried in that fry bin.

• angie74688 I actually asked about their fries and checked their website. No gluten containing ingredients and fried in a dedicated fryer. I’ve never had an issue.

• the_RepsterV2 Ok! I’ve just read that they use artificial meat flavoring that contains wheat. Maybe that’s just some places and it could also have been something else from there like a burger with no bun like I sometimes get. Thanks.

• MelissaAnn Contact McDonald’s because what I have known is that they are NOT gf. They do coat fries with wheat in the United States but not all countries.

• caro76295 Not sure where you are in the world, but so far with McD fries. in Europe, I had no issues

• cheryl72842 I can not eat McDonald’s fries or anything else from there. If the truly wheat flavoring. That would explain it.

• desertoasish I remember being gluten and dairy free and frequently getting the oatmeal with water and hash browns and I also didn't have issues 🤔

• katmacd93 I have only ever eaten the fries while in Canada. I was told the ones in the USA are not gf.

• ronl_sfo McD went from GF fries in beef tallow to GF fries sprayed with beef tallow in vegetable oil to non-GF fries sprayed with wheat starch. Folks complained about cholesterol but wanted the same crunch. 1 reply

• jesscole It depends on the McDonalds you go to! The big branches often have a seperate fryer for just fries, and the small ones (inside malls etc) often share fryers. Best to still double check before you order tho

• Evan_R I’ve had McDonald in many places in Canada and I’ve never had an issue with the fries, not once

• KimM0516 I used to eat McDonald’s french fries without incident, and I am a very sensitive celiac. They do have a dedicated fryer for the fries, and corporate is very strict about keeping that rule. However one day the very kind manager that works at our local McDonald’s came up to me with the nutritional book looking concerned, because he knew how strict I was with keeping gfree. He researched it for me and even called corporate. In the US he apparently was told to check the nutritional information book. Yes apparently the fries themselves are gfree, but they are sprayed with some sort of flavoring that makes them tasty and extra crispy. That spray does have wheat starch in it. I know there’s a lot of debate about that ingredient and whether or not it is for celiacs particularly when cooked at very high temperatures like in a fryer. I’m an extremely sensitive celiac though, so from that day forward I sadly never ate another McDonald’s french fries again. I hope that helps.

• jan123549 I won’t eat them because I have been glutened twice. I was told by someone who worked at McDonald’s that they do have a dedicated fryer and when filtering the oil after hours they are supposed to do the dedicated fryer first so there will not be cross contamination. Unfortunately, that process is not always followed by the employees resulting in the oil being contaminated.

• emma19 I got very ill after eating them in the US. But had no issues eating them in Italy (they are also posted safe in Italy though)

• alchilly I’ve had the fries in Australia and felt ok.

• mima23488 Hello, it depends on the location! French fries in Europe are 100% gluten free and even safe from cross contamination, because they use separate fryer for them. Also, hash browns in Europe are safe too, they are made only from potatoes and fried in the same fryer as French fries.

• robin148848 Fries in Canada are ok. They are coated in US to make them crispy and the coating has wheat. The fryer may be just for fries but they are still coated.

• imogen59249 I’m fine with eating McDonald’s fries never had a reaction

• the_RepsterV2 Ok that makes so much sense! I live in the USA, so that’s why I’ve had a reaction.

• TRTraveler Someone told me McDonald’s french fries have milk in them. Maybe it was that?

• lanik3 McDonald’s fries have a beef flavoring that contain gluten. Nothing at McD’s is safe. At least not in the US.

• Melissa1995_7 In the USA they are NOT safe. But in Canada they ARE safe!

• Bellev17 Apparently McDonalds fries in the US contain hydrolyzed wheat. I thought the crappy feeling I would get after eating them was just junk food, then I found out about the wheat…

• tosha45528 They have separate fries however Fry the hash browns with the fries and the hash browns aren’t gf

• sleaze26564 Not gf

• alaytheamarie I got sick every time I ate McDonald’s fries, they’re supposedly coated in a spray that contains wheat, for color.

• sarahbeth28879 They aren’t gluten free in the US. They’ve glutened me multiple times before i researched

• brittany33 In the U.s. McDonald’s puts wheat in their fries so they are not gluten free

• sally97382 I get bloated when I eat them

• sarah04 McDonald’s in Northern Ireland have gf chips but no burger buns

• desiree52622 In the Netherlands they are gluten-free. We even have gluten-free burgers at McDonald’s.

• raybarks This depends on what country you’re in. In Canada, they’re GF (except for small food court McDonald’s that don’t have space for separate fryers). The hashbrowns are also GF too.

• Zannyphantom The rule I live by is: the only thing gluten free from McD is the sealed apple slices and the sealed drinks.

• max89747 McDonald’s fries are NOT gluten free. From their website: Ingredients: Potatoes, Vegetable Oil (canola Oil, Corn Oil, Soybean Oil, Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Natural Beef Flavor [wheat And Milk Derivatives]*), Dextrose, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate (maintain Color), Salt. *natural Beef Flavor Contains Hydrolyzed Wheat And Hydrolyzed Milk As Starting Ingredients.

• Tessdumont US fries are coated in a spray that includes wheat and are NOT gluten free, even if they confirm separate fryers.

• chaos I avoid McDonalds fries because they are not guaranteed to have a dedicated fryer. It’s not worth driving up and asking at every store, so I stick to Chick-Fil-A for my fry cravings.

• gillian6446 Absolutely country dependent, fries in NZ have no gluten but cooked in same fryer as hash browns so unsafe