McDonald’s: French
fries have potential allergens
Dave Carpenter
CHICAGO — Not long after disclosing that its french fries
contain more trans fat than thought, McDonald’s Corp. said
Monday that wheat and dairy ingredients are used to flavor the popular
menu item — an acknowledgment it had not previously made.
The presence of those substances can cause allergic or other medical
reactions in food-sensitive consumers.
McDonald’s had said until recently that its fries were free
of gluten and milk or wheat allergens and safe to eat for those
with dietary issues related to the consumption of dairy items. But
the fast-food company quietly added “Contains wheat and milk
ingredients” this month 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.
McDonald’s director of global nutrition, Cathy Kapica, said
its potato suppliers remove all wheat and dairy proteins, such as
gluten, which can cause allergic reactions. But the flavoring agent
in the cooking oil is a derivative of wheat and dairy ingredients,
and the company decided to note their presence because of the FDA’s
stipulation that potential allergens be disclosed.
“We knew there were always wheat and dairy derivatives in
there, but they were not the protein component,” she said.
“Technically there are no allergens in there. What this is
an example of is science evolving” and McDonald’s responding
as more is learned, she said.
While the company wanted to make consumers aware that fries were
derived in part from wheat and dairy sources, she said, those who
have eaten the product without problem should be able to continue
to do so without incident.
The acknowledgment has stirred anger and some concern among consumers
who are on gluten-free diets since it was posted on McDonald’s
Web site.
“If they’re saying there’s wheat and dairy derivatives
in the oil, as far as anyone with this disease is concerned there’s
actually wheat in it,” said New York resident Jillian Williams,
one of more than 2 million Americans with celiac disease, an autoimmune
disorder triggered by gluten.
“They should have disclosed that all along,” she said.
“They should never have been calling them gluten-free.”
It’s not the first time McDonald’s forthrightness has
been called into question concerning what’s in its famous
fries.
The company paid $10 million in 2002 to settle a lawsuit by vegetarian
groups after it was disclosed that its fries were cooked in beef-flavored
oil despite the company’s insistence in 1990 that it was abandoning
beef tallow for pure vegetable oil.
Last February, it paid $8.5 million to settle a suit by a nonprofit
advocacy group accusing the company of misleading consumers by announcing
plans in September 2002 to change its cooking oil but then delaying
the switch indefinitely within months. Reluctant to change the taste
of a top-selling item, McDonald’s has continued to maintain
for the past three years that testing continues.
Asked about the status of those efforts Monday, Kapica said: “It’s
a very high priority and we are very committed to continuing with
testing and lowering the level of trans fat without raising the
level of saturated fat. ... It’s a lot harder than we originally
thought but that is not stopping us.”
McDonald’s shares rose 3 cents to close at $36.36 on the New
York Stock Exchange — up 8 percent in 2006.
(Associated Press)
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