Change in french fries at Disney World

[Mommee]

Disney used to be my safe place to eat french fries, but not any more I thought I would post in case there are other people where this might impact you..

It used to be that the "quick-fry" done before the fries were frozen and shipped would specify what type of oil was used (sunflower, soybean, cottonseed, etc). Now they don't specify; it only says "vegetable oil". That means anyone with an allergy to any possible oil must now avoid them.

BOG was great and offered to give me whatever I wanted as my side. Cosmic Ray's, on the other hand, gave me one of the children's bags of half a sliced apple and charged my husband full price for a combo meal . I ended up ordering children's meals a few times to get carrots and grapes as my sides, since french fries is a side most everywhere.

----

So I came home from Disney and promptly ordered some french fries from our local McDonald's, only to have a reaction. They changed, too

 

[Dis703]

Is this said to be a permanent change? Because as I understand it, they change vendors often so what they have today may not be what they have next week even. We couldn't get safe fries at BoG last year. Well, they were "may contain soy" and we took a chance. My twins had tummy pain much of the night after that so we aren't anticipating eating fries there again.

 

[Mommee]

The chef I spoke with was under the impression that the vendor for the fries had not changed, rather the vendor had changed the way they labeled the oil so they could use whatever and not change the labeling. I was last there in July and could have the fries; this was the end of February and he said the change was "a few months ago".

 

[Starwind]

Not sure what OP's allergen is, but these are the current ingredients for USA McDonald's fries, per their website:


FRENCH FRIES
Ingredients: Potatoes, Vegetable Oil (Canola Oil, Soybean Oil, Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Natural Beef Flavor [Wheat and Milk Derivatives]*, Citric Acid [Preservative]), Dextrose, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate (Maintain Color), Salt.
Prepared in Vegetable Oil: Canola Oil, Corn Oil, Soybean Oil, Hydrogenated Soybean Oil with TBHQ and Citric Acid added to preserve freshness. Dimethylpolysiloxane added as an antifoaming agent.

CONTAINS: WHEAT AND MILK

*Natural beef flavor contains hydrolyzed wheat and hydrolyzed milk as starting ingredients.

 

[Mommee]

According to that I should be fine (it's sunflower oil). It's possible the local store ran out of oil and bought some of their own or didn't use the approved supplier for the oil. Or they're not updating their ingredients as quickly as they should. Whichever way I can't risk it-I reacted big time so it wasn't just a bit of cross-contamination. I'm thinking of buying a french fry cutter thingie and making them at home.

 

[SMD]

BOG was great and offered to give me whatever I wanted as my side. Cosmic Ray's, on the other hand, gave me one of the children's bags of half a sliced apple and charged my husband full price for a combo meal . I ended up ordering children's meals a few times to get carrots and grapes as my sides, since french fries is a side most everywhere.

----

So I came home from Disney and promptly ordered some french fries from our local McDonald's, only to have a reaction. They changed, too

That really stinks. They should have more side choices than just fries.

The problem with McDs and most high volume fast food chains is that you don't know what else was fried in the same oil. Maybe something accidentally fell in the fryer, or maybe some of the oil came from another fryer. You'd hope that if you ask about dedicated fryers you could trust the answer, but you're counting on the best practices of workers who probably have very little training or who aren't going to admit that something fell in the fryer, they'll just scoop it out.

 

[WDWJonasGirl]

Oh boy. Glad to hear about Be Our Guest

 

[Random Ninja]

Those bags of apples are for adult or kid meals. The menus usually list that you can get fries or apple slices with the adult meals.

What oil are you allergic to? It looks like both have soy and might have canola.

 

[LoveMMC]

That completely confuses me. I checked at mcdonalds using the binder with the manger. It did not say the fries had milk. My son has a severe dairy, egg and peanut allergy. He is almost 2. If he touches something with dairy he gets hives, swells and stops breathing. Seen it happen more than once. He has had mcdonalds fries a handful of times- with no reaction. I wonder if that's because it's broken down or different in Canada???

 

[LoveMMC]

Ok- mini freak out! Checked the canadian site and no milk. Thank God you posted that! We would of easily given him a fry or two at Orlando airport or something. So grateful we know!

 

[SMD]

The "natural bees flavor" in the fries and hash browns contain what McDs says is hydrolyzed milk and wheat. Note to self, do not read McDs allergen info while lying in bed with stomach flu.

 

[Mommee]

Those bags of apples are for adult or kid meals. The menus usually list that you can get fries or apple slices with the adult meals.

I was back at the table and planning on splitting the meal with my daughter since neither of us can eat a full burger and I thought I was getting a full serving of fries. Whether it's listed on the menu that way or not, half an apple is not an even exchange and not worth the price of an adult meal. Shoot, the kids meals get two sides!

 

[Dis703]

That completely confuses me. I checked at mcdonalds using the binder with the manger. It did not say the fries had milk. My son has a severe dairy, egg and peanut allergy. He is almost 2. If he touches something with dairy he gets hives, swells and stops breathing. Seen it happen more than once. He has had mcdonalds fries a handful of times- with no reaction. I wonder if that's because it's broken down or different in Canada???

It may be different in Canada, but McDonald fries have had milk in them for as long as I can remember. It came up years ago because they weren't a vegan option and I've seen it mentioned a lot in allergy communities too.

 

[3Gsandme]

I'm just doing a drive by to remind folks with food allergies to see if they or their allergy is a candidate for desensitization!. Our daughter was desensitized a few year ago. It's awesome.

 

[LoveMMC]

Ok checked again- not that I want DS eating mcd! But this surprised me and I don't want to be in the states and have a reaction. American site said natural beef flavour from milk and wheat. Canadian site said natural flavour from vegetable source. Sorry I'm off topic. I'm just glad I know this now!

 

[SMD]

Ok checked again- not that I want DS eating mcd! But this surprised me and I don't want to be in the states and have a reaction. American site said natural beef flavour from milk and wheat. Canadian site said natural flavour from vegetable source. Sorry I'm off topic. I'm just glad I know this now!

It's just that American cows are grazing in wheat fields and drinking from their own udders. Then when they get sprinkled on the fries, that cross contaminates...

I'm guessing that whatever they're doing to the fries in the US is illegal in every other country. U-S-A!

 

[Starwind]

That completely confuses me. I checked at mcdonalds using the binder with the manger. It did not say the fries had milk. My son has a severe dairy, egg and peanut allergy. He is almost 2. If he touches something with dairy he gets hives, swells and stops breathing. Seen it happen more than once. He has had mcdonalds fries a handful of times- with no reaction. I wonder if that's because it's broken down or different in Canada???

Those were the US McDonalds fries ingredients.

McDonalds fries in Canada do NOT have milk.

(note a number of other items are different between Canada and USA McDonalds, e.g.hashbrowns -- in the US they have milk in them, in Canada they do not last I checked; whenever I am going to the US I always doublecheck the US McD ingredients for things I may want to have; ditto other restaurants that exist in both countries, because quite a few have differences in ingredients for what is otherwise the "same" item)

Canadian McDonalds fries:
French Fries
Salt

Ingredients in French Fries - Medium
French Fries
potatoes
canola oil
hydrogenated soybean oil
safflower oil
natural flavour (vegetable source)
dextrose
sodium acid pyrophosphate
citric acid
dimethylpolysiloxane
cooked in vegetable oil (Ingredients: canola oil, corn oil, soybean oil, hydrogenated soybean oil (TBHQ), citric acid, dimethylpolysiloxane)

Salt
salt
silicoaluminate
dextrose
potassium iodide


(OR:
French Fries: Potatoes, canola oil, hydrogenated soybean oil, safflower oil, natural flavour (vegetable source),
dextrose, sodium acid pyrophosphate (maintain colour), citric acid (preservative), dimethylpolysiloxane (antifoaming
agent), cooked in vegetable oil (canola oil, corn oil, soybean oil, hydrogenated soybean oil (TBHQ), citric
acid, dimethylpolysiloxane). )


See also McDonalds CANADA full ingredient list, including "contains" warnings:
http://www1.mcdonalds.ca/NutritionCalculator/IngredientFactsEN.pdf



Mcdonalds USA hash browns:

Ingredients: Potatoes, Vegetable Oil (Canola Oil, Soybean Oil, Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Natural Beef Flavor [Wheat and Milk Derivatives]*, Citric Acid [Preservative]), Salt, Corn Flour, Dehydrated Potato, Dextrose, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate (Maintain Color), Extractives of Black Pepper. Prepared in vegetable oil: Canola oil, corn oil, soybean oil, hydrogenated soybean oil with TBHQ and citric acid added to preserve freshness. Dimethylpolysiloxane added as an antifoaming agent.

CONTAINS: WHEAT AND MILK
*Natural beef flavor contains hydrolyzed wheat and hydrolyzed milk as starting ingredients.

Mcdonalds CANADA hash browns:

Hashbrowns: Potatoes, canola oil, hydrogenated soybean oil, safflower oil, natural flavour (vegetable source), salt,
dehydrated potato, vegetable monoglycerides, corn flour, dextrose, sodium acid pyrophosphate, extractives of
black pepper, citric acid, dimethylpolysiloxane, cooked in vegetable oil [canola oil, corn oil, soybean oil,
hydrogenated soybean oil (THBQ), citric acid, dimethylpolysiloxane].

 

[Starwind]

(many (not all) chicken products at US restaurants have a milk wash; e.g. Chick-Fil-A :-( I have learned to always check and/or ask and to inform the order-taker of the allergy when I order)

(IME Canadian fast food restaurants for the most part do not seem to have this milk wash; I do not know why it is so common in the US but not Canada, but it happens enough it seems to be "how things are done" for many places... one even sees it with, e.g. certain prepared chicken products one buys in grocery stores, too)

 

[tartemis]

Ok- mini freak out! Checked the canadian site and no milk. Thank God you posted that! We would of easily given him a fry or two at Orlando airport or something. So grateful we know!

FWIW, my daughter who also has a severe milk allergy (she also breaks out in hives if she even touches something with dairy in it) is fine with the McDonald's French fries in the U.S. I wonder if the milk derivative used is so broken down that the protein is no longer recognizable.

 

[HyperPippi]

My kids' milk allergy isn't very serious (either RAST level 2 and 3 between the three kids), but the McDonalds free have always caused a problem. We stick with Burger King. Their friees have always been milk free. McD's buns used to have milk in them too.