McDonald's French Fries

If Winter Ends · Jul 25, 2006

I'd like to bring it to the attention of anyone still eating fast-food that McDonald's french fries are not vegetarian because not only are they cooked in the same oil as meat, they also contain natural beef flavor. <a href="http://www.mcdonalds.com/app_controller.nutrition.categories.ingredients.index.html" target="_blank">McDonalds Ingredients</a> French Fries: 
Potatoes, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, natural flavor (beef, wheat and dairy sources), dextrose, sodium acid pyrophosphate (to preserve natural color). Cooked in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils (may contain partially hydrogenated soybean oil and/or partially hydrogenated corn oil and/or partially hydrogenated canola oil and/or cottonseed oil and/or sunflower oil and/or corn oil). Contains derivatives of wheat and dairy.

kpickell · Jul 25, 2006

Yep, same with their hash browns. 
Burger King's fries are vegan. 
PS: Your font shows up really really tiny on my screen.

MaryC1999 · Jul 25, 2006

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by If Winter Ends <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a> I'd like to bring it to the attention of anyone still eating fast-food that McDonald's french fries are not vegetarian because not only are they cooked in the same oil as meat, they also contain natural beef flavor. <a href="http://www.mcdonalds.com/app_controller.nutrition.categories.ingredients.index.html" target="_blank">McDonalds Ingredients</a> French Fries: 
Potatoes, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, natural flavor (beef, wheat and dairy sources), dextrose, sodium acid pyrophosphate (to preserve natural color). Cooked in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils (may contain partially hydrogenated soybean oil and/or partially hydrogenated corn oil and/or partially hydrogenated canola oil and/or cottonseed oil and/or sunflower oil and/or corn oil). Contains derivatives of wheat and dairy.</div>
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Actually they are not typically cooked in the same vats as the meat. In *all McD's operating in the US, at least, chicken, fish and potatoes all have their own vats of oil. It's patently against policy to mix them. Mostly because of the flavor transfer. 
Also, the flavoring is a regional thing. I know when I worked at the one I worked at there wasn't any "natural" flavorings in the fries. They were plain old McCains french fries. 
I agree, though, better to be safe than sorry. They're definitely not good for you in the long run and you just never know if a lazy cook dumps the chicken in the fry vat because they ran out or whatever. 
(I don't eat the fries from ANY fast food outlet for pretty much that reason) 
Mary

If Winter Ends · Jul 25, 2006

Burger King? Are they still cooked in the same grease? 
I figured that some people may not realize this. 
P.S. It is supposed to, but I put it up to 2 just for you.

jeneticallymodified · Jul 25, 2006

anybody visiting the uk- mcdonalds hashbrowns and french fries are ok over there! 
i think wendys fries are ok ingredients wise too, but think that they are cooked in the same oil as chicken.

If Winter Ends · Jul 25, 2006

I know they cook in the same oil at Arby's, I figured most fast-food places did it. 
And I'm sure that McDonald's sued McCain over french fries ingredients. They contain gluten and dairy flavoring when McCain said they didn't and since it should be a food allergy precaution for customers, they got sued. Maybe it was after you quit working there.

If Winter Ends · Jul 25, 2006

Associated Press 
CHICAGO — McDonald's Corp. is facing at least three lawsuits related to its disclosure last week that its french fries contain wheat and dairy products. 
Debra Moffatt of Lombard, Ill., seeks unspecified damages in a suit filed Friday in Cook County Circuit Court that accuses the company of misleading the public. Her attorney, Thomas Pakenas, said his client has celiac disease that causes gastrointestinal symptoms when set off by eating gluten, a protein found in wheat. 
"You cannot sell gluten-free french fries when they have gluten," Pakenas said. Moffatt's lawsuit seeks class-action status. 
McDonald's said Feb. 13 that wheat and dairy ingredients are used to flavor its fries. Those substances can cause allergic or other medical reactions in food-sensitive consumers. 
Earlier this month, McDonald's also acknowledged that its fries contain a third more trans fats than it previously knew, citing results of a new testing method it began using in December. 
Jack Daly, McDonald's senior vice president, said in a statement the company has not reviewed the case yet and is testing its fries for gluten through a food allergy research program at the University of Nebraska. 
On Friday, Mark and Theresa Chimiak of Jupiter, Fla., sued the fast-food chain, claiming their 5-year-old daughter has an intolerance to gluten. On Wednesday, Nadia Sugich of Los Angeles sued McDonald's, saying she is a vegan and would not have eaten the fries if she had known they contained dairy products. 
Until recently, the company had said its fries were free of gluten and milk or wheat allergens and safe for people with dietary issues related to the consumption of dairy items. But this month, the fast-food company quietly added "Contains wheat and milk ingredients" to the french fries listing on its Web site. 
The company said the move came in response to new rules by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the packaged foods industry, including one requiring that the presence of common allergens such as milk, eggs, wheat, fish or peanuts be reported. As a restaurant operator, Oak Brook, Ill.-based McDonald's does not have to comply but is doing so voluntarily.

kpickell · Jul 25, 2006

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by MaryC1999 <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a> 
Actually they are not typically cooked in the same vats as the meat. In *all McD's operating in the US, at least, chicken, fish and potatoes all have their own vats of oil. It's patently against policy to mix them. Mostly because of the flavor transfer. 
Also, the flavoring is a regional thing. I know when I worked at the one I worked at there wasn't any "natural" flavorings in the fries. They were plain old McCains french fries. 
I agree, though, better to be safe than sorry. They're definitely not good for you in the long run and you just never know if a lazy cook dumps the chicken in the fry vat because they ran out or whatever. 
(I don't eat the fries from ANY fast food outlet for pretty much that reason) 
Mary</div>
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It is regional in that some other countries do not contain beef flavoring, such as the UK. But all McDonald's fries everywhere in the United States do contain the natural beef flavoring. It's added at the processing stage well before they reach any restaurants. 
Also, yeah, at Burger King the fries have their own seperate frier too.

4EverGrounded · Jul 25, 2006

Didn't we just recently have a thread like this or has the heat totally warped my brain and I'm blending things? <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/dizzy2.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":dizzy:">

Satin · Jul 25, 2006

I don`t like McDonald anymore they going under because Subways are overtaking them when it come to having veggie burger and you can see what they are putting on your veggie burger they also change they gloves for each customer because I ask them and they say in every time that they service a customer they change the servcing glove each time... 
Satin

kpickell · Jul 25, 2006

haha, McDonald's is not going under because of Subway. That's good that you had a good experience at Subway though. You're lucky about the gloves, I've never seen them change gloves when I order, but I never ask them too either since I couldn't care less. As an FYI, Subway does not offer a veggieburger at most of their stores, and McDonald's does offer a veggieburger at some of their stores too--both only offer them regionally at select stores. 
4Ever, yeah we seem to get a new Fast Food thread every couple weeks.

Tofu-N-Sprouts · Jul 25, 2006

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by 4EverGrounded <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a> 
Didn't we just recently have a thread like this or has the heat totally warped my brain and I'm blending things? <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/dizzy2.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":dizzy:"></div>
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We had a thread about the evil that is McDonalds non-vegetarian french fries yesterday I think. 
And last week. 
And two weeks ago. 
And a month ago. 
And last year... 
And... 
Would you like fries with that? <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/devil.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":devil:">

Absolut · Jul 26, 2006

New Zealand McDonalds fries are vegan (they're cooked in vege oil too, and not in the same fats as fish/chicken.)

orapunzel · Jul 26, 2006

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by MaryC1999 <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a> 
I agree, though, better to be safe than sorry. They're definitely not good for you in the long run and you just never know if a lazy cook dumps the chicken in the fry vat because they ran out or whatever. 
(I don't eat the fries from ANY fast food outlet for pretty much that reason) 
Mary</div>
</div>
 
I had that experience at a McD a few years ago (and obviously before anyone knew they were NOT vegan) with hashbrowns. We were on the other side of town (60 miles away) on biz. Had gotten out there early and we were hungry, again. Only thing I could eat was the hashbrowns. Ordered them, ate them - tasted like fish. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/furious.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":furious:"> They mixed them. Got sick and had a migraine within 5 minutes. 
never EVER eaten at McD again. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/spew.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":spew:">

IamJen · Jul 26, 2006

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by MaryC1999 <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a> 
Also, the flavoring is a regional thing. I know when I worked at the one I worked at there wasn't any "natural" flavorings in the fries. They were plain old McCains french fries. </div>
</div>
 
The flavoring is not a regional thing within the US, at least. McDonalds makes no claim otherwise (in part because their ass was sued about this very issue). 
re: the fry vat issue...I think most every fastfood place has separate friers, but like some folks have said, that's really no guarantee. I remember in my BK days (granted this was before food allergies became common knowledge), we would sometimes use the "specialty" (fish/chicken) vat to do fries in because we needed a lot of fries quickly, such as when a busload came in to eat. <div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by hoodedclawjen <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a> 
anybody visiting the uk- mcdonalds hashbrowns and french fries are ok over there! </div>
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But..you still have to patronize McDonalds. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/wink3.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="

"> Honestly, after the experiences I've had or read about in the US, I will never trust McDonalds again, despite what they say. The wheat gluten issue seems to show they have little respect for human life/health. 
I understand the philosophy of supporting companies efforts to provide veg items, but sometimes (to me) a company is just too corrupt.

queenarmadillo · Jul 26, 2006

Re: uk McDonalds, are you sure the Hash Browns are vegi? I knew that the fries were, but I thought Hash Browns contained some kind of bacon grease type thing?

kpickell · Jul 26, 2006

All the ingredients are posted on their website. There's no mention of bacon grease in the UK hash browns.

Diana · Jul 26, 2006

Why any vegetarian or vegan, who are well-versed in health nutrition matters (well, usually they are) would want to eat at MacDonalds beats me. Amazing. It blows my mind.

codemonkey · Jul 26, 2006

It's all about the in-n-out fries. They're made from fresh potatoes and since they don't have anything else fried on the munu, you don't have to worry about them mucking up the oil with chicken or fish or bacon.

jeff_veg · Jul 26, 2006

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by Diana <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a> 
Why any vegetarian or vegan, who are well-versed in health nutrition matters (well, usually they are) would want to eat at MacDonalds beats me. Amazing. It blows my mind.</div>
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I was thinking the same thing myself. I suppose people might get dragged in by their friends, but if you go to McDonalds by yourself for lunch or something, you need to give your head a shake! 
Ignoring the food issues, I would view choosing to eat there as supporting McDonalds policies and practices.

McDonald's French Fries

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