Thursday, February 5, 2009

McDonald's

Type of Experience: Wrong But Resolved
McDonald's
1401 Highway 100(W*M)
Port Isabel, TX 78578
http://nutrition.mcdonalds.com/nutritionexchange/nutrition_ingredients.html#6

We were in Walmart and stopped in the on site McDonald's on the way out. Now, I know that McDonald's is not exactly the best place for a Gluten Free person to hang out, but Honey wanted a Hot Fudge Sundae and it did look good. And they are only A BUCK!
I asked what the ingredients are in the ice cream, and the Asst. Manager looked at me like I'm some kind of idiot and responded with: "Ice Cream Mix." I asked what are the ingredients in the Ice Cream Mix and got the same response..."It's just Ice Cream Mix."
I then explained that wheat is a hidden ingredient in a lot of foods these days. He held up an ice cream cone and said, "This has wheat." Then held up a dish of ice cream and said, "This has Ice Cream Mix!" I gave up and passed on the Hot Fudge Sundae.
Today, I visited McDonald's Nutrition Info page and learned that the Hot Fudge Sundae has the following ingredients and is safe for me to eat:
Hot Fudge Sundae:
Vanilla Reduced Fat Ice Cream: Milk, sugar, cream, nonfat milk solids, corn syrup solids, mono- and diglycerides, guar gum, dextrose, sodium citrate, artificial vanilla flavor, sodium phosphate, carrageenan, disodium phosphate, cellulose gum, vitamin A palmitate.
CONTAINS: MILK.
Hot Fudge Topping: Sugar, water, sweetened condensed skim milk (milk, sugar, corn syrup), partially hydrogenated palm kernel oil, nonfat dry milk, cocoa (processed with alkali), corn syrup, salt, disodium phosphate, potassium sorbate (preservative), artificial flavor (vanillin), soy lecithin, polyglycerol esters of fatty acids.
CONTAINS: MILK AND SOY LECITHIN.
Peanuts (for Sundaes):
Peanuts, dry roasted. MAY CONTAIN TREE NUTS.
On their nutritional page, McDonald's lists all the ingredients of their products. They do note that you should check back regularly, as ingredients can change.
So, I will order the Hot Fudge Sundae in the future, probably without the nuts...or I will go to an ice cream parlor and get a real sundae with natural ingredients! Or make my own! At any rate, the McD's Hot Fudge Sundae is something us Gluten Free folks can enjoy. Perhaps McDonald's will counsel the Asst. Manager about ingredients and responding to customer inquiries in a responsible manner, so the next person who asks this question will smile with every bite of their $1 Sundae.

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