Are McDonald's Fries Gluten-Free?

The main ingredients for a crispy basket of french fries are gluten-free, but every restaurant puts its own flair on these fried spuds — popular fast food joints like McDonald's included. But are McDonald's fries gluten-free? At its U.S. locations, unfortunately not.

The main ingredients for these "World Famous Fries" include the usual suspects of potatoes and vegetable oil, but there are more ingredients in McDonald's french fries than you might expect. In addition to the main players, they also contain a natural beef flavoring made from hydrolyzed wheat and milk. While this ingredient enhances the recognizable flavor of this iconic side, it also means McDonald's fries are potentially unsafe for gluten-free consumers, as are McDonald's hash browns.

If a craving for McDonald's arises while in the United Kingdom, the fries there are made without the wheat-based beef flavoring and are cooked in dedicated fryers. While cross-contamination is still possible, the fries sold in the U.K. should be safe for gluten-free customers.

McDonald's fries might not be gluten-free, but what about its other menu items? Sadly, our gluten-free friends are out of luck at this chain as McDonald's is not currently able to say that any of its U.S. menu items are completely gluten-free. Some menu items appear to be gluten-free after looking at their ingredients, including the chain's fruit bags, permanent menu drinks, and McFlurry desserts. (If only the McFlurry machine weren't eternally broken.) Still, McDonald's can't ensure its food does not come into contact with other menu items containing gluten during the cooking process. 

Gluten-free consumers have options at McDonald's, but the possibility of cross-contamination still exists. Eat here with caution, or give one of the other fast food chains with excellent gluten-free options a try like Five Guys or In-N-Out.