When you have food allergies, they can tie you down in so many ways, even preventing you from dining outside of your home. This is especially true when it comes to fast foods because they tend to contain major allergen ingredients. However, there are outlets like McDonald’s that you can learn to navigate when dining outside.
McDonald’s provides information about possible allergens in their menu in nutritional pamphlets and online. The establishments also frequently change recipes, so the information provided may only be sometimes accurate. Therefore, you can always attendants the items you’re ordering and whether it has an allergen.
Even though you can always ask about the food’s ingredients, it’s also necessary to understand that sometimes attendants may not be aware of allergens present in specific foods. The menu items in McDonald’s contain the top most common food allergens.
It’s easy to know if you’re suffering from a food allergy because the symptoms often happen within minutes to two hours of consuming the trigger food. To be sure which food on your plate is causing allergy symptoms, an Allergy Test will help you. It’s necessary to note that food allergies can sometimes, even though rarely, cause a severe reaction known as anaphylaxis, which can result in loss of life if not treated promptly.
So if you or another person starts swelling up, having trouble breathing or losing consciousness, you need to call emergency health services. Those who suffer from anaphylaxis also must carry an EpiPen at all times for emergencies and create a plan for when they accidentally suffer an allergic reaction.
Allergens are present on the McDonald’s menu.
The McDonald’s menu contains many food allergens, which include dairy, eggs, gluten, soy, shellfish, fish, tree nuts, and peanuts. The presence of these allergens varies according to the item on the menu. On the McDonald’s website, you can find an allergen information guide that is a good resource for those with food allergies.
Even though a specific item may not contain the allergen you’re avoiding, you must be careful about cross-contamination. Despite the precautions the establishment tasks, Mcdonald’s has normal kitchen operations that may involve shared preparation areas, equipment, and utensils. This increases the chances of your food coming in contact with other allergens, which may cause you to suffer an allergic reaction.
Eating out in a fast food outlet would probably not be a good decision if you have a severe allergy because of the increased chances of cross-contamination or cross-contact. Additionally, if you don’t suffer from the allergies listed by McDonald’s, you’re in a better position to eat at their outlets as you risk no chance of cross-contamination.
Gluten allergy
If you have a gluten allergy, sensitivity or celiac disease, you must avoid anything served on a bun in McDonald’s. However, gluten is common in less obvious items like cookies, french fries, pies, sauces, and most chicken dishes.
McDonald’s doesn’t offer a gluten-free menu to serve alternatives to their famous favourite dishes. However, if you’re looking for a meal that would probably not contain gluten, you can have a side salad without croutons, fruit and yoghurt parfait minus the granola apple slices.
You might find a gluten-free bun in some locations. However, most McDonalds locations need this option.
Milk allergy
Dining at McDonald’s may be tricky if you have a milk allergy or lactose intolerance. It’s common to find trace amounts of milk in unexpected dishes like sauces, nuts, fish fillets, scrambled eggs, and many of their coffee beverages.
However, there are options you can enjoy that don’t contain milk. These include a hamburger or cheeseburger (without the cheese), chicken minus the mayonnaise or cheese, a side salad minus the dairy dressing, french fries, and apple slices.
Egg allergy
When avoiding eggs at a McDonald’s, you must avoid the obvious baked goods and egg McMuffin. However, you can still find some traces of eggs in salad dressings, some sauces, milkshakes, and hotcakes.
You can also enjoy the hamburger, cheeseburger, quarter pounder, french fries, chicken, side salad without dressing, and apple slices. You can always ask if these items contain eggs if the recipes change.
Soy allergy
There are a few options that are soy-free at McDonald’s. These include apple slices, hamburger with soy-free bun, beverages, and a side salad that contains a soy-free dressing. It’s necessary to note that french fries can contain soy because they’re deep-fried in a blend of vegetable oils that can contain soybean oil; hence not suitable for those with soy allergies.
Nut allergies
The main concern for those with peanut allergies is frying oil. Mcdonalds, however, insists that it uses a canola oil blend for deep frying. However, some branches’ menu items, like Skor and Mcflurry, contain nuts that aren’t sealed in individual packages. So, all items can come in contact with or contain tree nuts, peanuts, and other allergens.
Tips for navigating the McDonald’s allergen menu when ordering
When choosing to dine out, it’s necessary to understand that cross-contamination can occur during food preparation, especially in fast food joints like McDonald’s. If you suffer from severe food allergy reactions like anaphylaxis, you might want to avoid getting any chance of cross-contamination. Here are some tips to help with the McDonald’s menu:
- Check out their allergen guide online before ordering food.
- Please speak to staff about your allergies and request them for information about their ingredients.
- You can ask for customised meals like bun-free burgers if you have or salads without dressing to accommodate your allergy preference.
- Beware of the risk of cross-contamination and make your decision accordingly.
Final thoughts
If you’re suffering from food allergies, especially one or more of the top food allergies, it can be hard to dine out, especially in a fast food joint. When dining at McDonald’s, you can choose the safest options that don’t contain many ingredients and have less chance of cross-contamination. These may include apple slices, yoghurt parfait without granola and side salad without dressing. These are the safest options. If you aren’t aware of your allergies and intolerances, you can take an Allergy and Intolerance Test.
