Mc's and truth in labeling

[Guest guest]

This may seem off-topic for an SCD list which does not allow potatoes

anyway, but I am posting it for those who may still be following GFCF

and to point out that although companies may say one thing over and

over again like " our fries are GFCF " , if you read closely, the

representative says " We knew there were always wheat and dairy

derivatives in there " ... yet they have said they were GFCF.

It's hard to trust companies to be truthful anymore. That's why

making it yourself is always the safest.

And as always POTATOES are not allowed on SCD.

Jody

mom to -7 and -9

SCD 1/03

Mc's: Fries have potential allergens

2/14/2006, 9:34 a.m. ET

By DAVE CARPENTER

The Associated Press

CHICAGO (AP) — Not long after disclosing that its french fries

contain more trans fat than thought, Mc'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.

Mc'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 Mc's does not have to comply

but is doing so voluntarily.

Mc'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 Mc'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

Mc'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 , 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 Mc'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, Mc'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. "

Mc's shares rose 3 cents to close at $36.36 on the New York

Stock Exchange — up 8 percent in 2006.