The Gluten Free Blog

A while back we wrote a blog post about the gluten free products you could enjoy at McDonald’s. One of the items we mentioned were the fries, which according to the McDonald’s website and forums were definitely gluten free.

However, a couple of our readers left messages in the comments section that they had become ill after eating McDonald’s fries and they had been led to believe that the fries were often cooked with gluten products.

I called McDonald’s UK to ask them if the fries were gluten free; are they ever cooked in the same vat as gluten products; and could there be any risk of cross contamination?

This is their reply:

Our French Fries and Hash Browns are gluten free, as are Fruit Bags, Carrot Sticks and the Garden Side Salad, our core McFlurry ice creams (i.e. not promotional) and our Chocolate and Strawberry Milkshakes, but not Vanilla.

I was sorry to read that one of your blog community members had concerns about cross-contamination of our French Fries. This should certainly not be the case as we make absolutely every possible effort to apply the highest quality measures throughout all procedures. We cook our French Fries in a dedicated vat and prepare them in a dedicated area. Whenever we cook a promotional side order containing gluten, such as Onion Rings, they are cooked in a separate vat some distance away from the Fry station. Gluten free promotional items are cooked in the same way as our French Fries and to the same standards.

Our menu is constantly being reviewed to create the most varied choices available for all customers. We also work closely with the Coeliac Society to provide them with updated information for their members’ booklet, but if your blog community have concerns about the available information please let me know and we can look at how we can better outreach on this issue.

Steve Heywood, Press Officer, McDonald’s UK

So it does seem McDonald’s are on the case when it comes to gluten free products and the care that needs to be taken when preparing them.

The concern, I guess, is that the odd individual restaurant is not adhering to these standards. Have you experienced this at all? Let us know in the comments. 

For more information on allergens and the nutritional value of McDonald’s products visit the McDonald’s menu site.

If you’re a regular reader of this of this blog you’ll know we’re big fans of Genius gluten free bread.

Cheese and coleslaw gluten free sandwich from Starbucks

Starbucks have been using Genius bread for a while since they started selling the classic tuna mayo earlier this year. This week they launched a new sandwich: cheese and coleslaw made with mature cheddar and red Leicester cheese with crunchy cabbage, carrot and red onion coleslaw topped with mixed leaf salad. Perfect for summer.

“We take the health and wellbeing of our customers seriously and we’re committed to offering choice, including a great quality gluten free sandwich. We’ve received really positive feedback from our customers and this product has enabled us to provide more options for our coeliac customers but also for other customers too,” said Sarah Dunne, corporate communications manager at Starbucks UK and Ireland.

Free from artificial flavours and colours, Starbucks cheese and coleslaw sandwich using Genius brown bread is available from all UK Starbucks costs £2.95 for take away or £3.45 eat in.

Have you tried Starbucks’ cheese and coleslaw sandwich yet? What do you think?

Last weekend we visited the Real Food Market at London’s Southbank Centre.

The market consists of about 40 stalls selling quality, fresh produce and ingredients including cheeses; fresh pastas and sauces; chutneys and pickles; middle eastern delicacies; and artisan breads, cakes and pastries.

We enjoyed a glass of freshly pressed apple juice and a sip (or two) of organic brandy before I went on the hunt for gluten free goodies. And I came across the Arancici Brothers, who make delicious vegetarian and gluten free Arancini risotto balls, which look a bit like falafel, and are packed full of fresh herbs, cheeses, onion, garlic and a hint of citrus.

Arancini Brothers gluten free balls

The guys were serving them hot with a salad, in a chilli or garlic wrap, or just on their own with a little pickle on the side. And let me tell you, they were absolutely delicious. Very tasty. And very filling. Try and get your hands on some of these. They’re perfect for packed lunches and picnics.

You can find the Arancini Brothers at these markets.

We also chatted with the lovely Caroline of Sugargrain who makes gluten free cakes as well as award-winning confectionary such as elderflower marshmallows. Some of her cakes are dairy free, fat free and made without sugar; so there really is something for everyone.

Caroline of Sugargrain gluten free cakes

Of course, I had to try a chocolate nut brownie – for research purposes, you understand – and it was definitely one of my favourite chocolate brownies ever (and I’ve eaten lots). It was so moist it was almost creamy, and very chocolatey without being too sweet or sickly. Scrummy.

You can find Sugargrain at these markets and you can also follow Caroline on Twitter @sugargrain.

The Real Food Market at the Southbank takes place on the first weekend of every month. Dates are August 6th – 8th, September 3rd – 5th, November 5th – 7th and December 3rd – 5th. If you’re in the London, and you love food, it’s worth a visit.