Paula, thanks for contacting McDonald’s though. I’m sure so many people think that a McDonlald’s is a McDonald’s no matter where you are in the world. This is not the case. And it’s worth checking what’s safe to eat and where before you travel.

Hello Paula:

Thank you for taking the time to contact McDonald’s. We always enjoy hearing from our customers and welcome this opportunity to share some information with you about our menu items.

You have asked whether our French fries or hash browns contain gluten. As you will see on our website, hydrolyzed wheat bran is a starting ingredient used in making the natural flavor for our French fries. Consistent with what we know about the process for making our flavor, testing and analysis by leading experts have not detected wheat proteins or peptides. However, to comply voluntarily with federal labeling laws, our website lists these products as containing wheat, because of the starting ingredient used to make the flavor.

For reference, please visit McDonald’s website at http://www.mcdonalds.com.

Once again, thank you for contacting McDonald’s.

Lisa
McDonald’s Customer Response Center

Also, if you haven’t already when you’re in South London, be sure to try Cotto!

Great fresh gluten free pastas, bread and pizzas! There were gluten free options for everything on the menu. Some of my friends that went that ate the normal wheaty items also liked too, so if you’re friends that can eat wheat aren’t feeling too adventurous they can be equally wowed by the usual fare.

http://www.italiancotto.co.uk/

So if you’re in the US and you’re a coeliac or a vegetarian – avoid those fries! But feel free to enjoy them when you come and visit us!

French Fries:
Potatoes, vegetable oil (canola 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 ((may contain one of the following: 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).

French Fries:
Potatoes, vegetable oil (canola 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).

I was recently diagnosed with Celiac but I have taken this to mean that McDonalds fries in the US are not gluten-free and I have avoided them.