Suit: McDonald's lied about ingredients in french fries that are harmful to autistic

Not sure where to post this......

LOS ANGELES — McDonald's french fries caused an autistic child to suffer from tantrums and digestive problems, according to a lawsuit filed by the boy's guardian in Los Angeles Friday.

After eating french fries at a McDonald's in Valencia, Calif., according to the suit, Roman Brown experienced increased aggression and tantrums, while his ability to communicate and take care of himself diminished.

The culprits, according to the suit, were gluten and casein — ingredients found in milk and wheat products — and which some parents of autistic children believe can exacerbate the condition.

Earlier this year, McDonald's acknowledged that its hash browns and french fries, which the restaurant chain historically had reported as allergen-free, in fact may contain wheat and milk ingredients from the oil they are cooked in.

The complaint alleges fraud, false advertising and negligent misrepresentation by McDonald's Corp. and McDonald's Restaurants of California and seeks $15,000 for Roman Brown's medical expenses, along with a share of profits made by the company for the alleged misrepresentation and unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.
http://www.courttv.com/news/2006/1011/mcdonalds_ctv.html
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Poor McDonalds just can't get a break can they?

Oh this is BS..

If you have an autistic child and you put them on the VooVoo juice diet YOU do not feed them McD"S!
The reason for the wheat free diet is some stupid alleged cure.

More likely the child had a tantrum because he was out in public and to many autistic children this equates to nails on a chalk board.
His parents are not acknowledging that the disability in and of itself causes these outbursts.
They want to blame someone in light of no cure.
What they should do is learn about their childs disorder and do all they can to help him. NOT blame others.

Welll if it is not the "myth" of the French fries, then it is the "myth" of vaccines.

Like someone said before, myths usually do not have any evidence or proof. It is just a belief.....that obviously some people do believe.

But in court, well beliefs do not trump evidence.

The vaccine issue is not a "myth"
England actually paid the parents and acknowledged the vaccines caused issues.

My daughter has Celiac Disease, and has to live on a gluten-free diet. Since her diagnosis in 6/05, McD's was one of the VERY FEW places she could get french fries from a restaurant, because they were supposed to be gluten-free.

When the news originally broke earlier this year (after new labeling laws) and McD's came out and all of a sudden said the oil they par-boil (par-fry) the fries in before they freeze them MAY contain wheat in the oil, there was an absolutely huge uproar on the Celiac websites. It appeared that McD's was trying to state this just in case. Other companies did it as well, to cover their asses. After the new labeling law went into effect, more items in the grocery stores say, "MAY contain milk and wheat," etc. That actually made it more difficult. MAY? Please just tell those of us who need to know, yes or no. It does or it does not.

But I can vouch for really reading all the responses from McD's...and I am comfortable enough from their responses that the minute molecules of wheat that may or may not be in the oil, that they are then "cooked out" when actually deep-fried at the end store (restaurant). Many celiacs decided to quit eating the fries; but many continue to do so and will do so until they cause symptoms. It really is one of the few items my daughter can eat from a restaurant, and she has done so since last winter, with no symptoms.

To each his own, as they say. I, myself, am of the opinion that the lawsuit is frivilous. I hate to say that when someone really may have a health reaction. But for how LITTLE the amount of residual wheat, I have a hard time believing it would cause such drastic reactions. Just my $0.02 and non-professional opinion, hehe.

californiacarrie said:

Poor McDonalds just can't get a break can they?

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Poor MacDonalds?

MacDonalds is crap food and MacDonalds knows it, that's why they brought in the Deli choices, to make out they are getting with the program and serving healthy food.
The french fries are the worse.
Try it, the next time you have fries keep one aside.
Look at it in 6 months time, it won't have changed one little bit!
Their fries do not breakdown!

The parents have obviously not done their homework and like Amraan said are looking for someone to blame besides themselves.

My daughter also has celiac and we have stopped allowing her McDonald's fries (yes, I know it is CRAP food, but if you are a teenager on an EXTREMELY restrictive diet then you deserve an occasional junk food treat). She never had a reaction to McDonald's fries but since celiacs can have small bowel damage after exposure to minute amounts of gluten I'm not willing to take the chance.

We have a dedicated gluten-free deep fryer at home and make our own fries now.

Shannon

Just for the record, I have seen several children SIGNIFIGANTLY improve after going on the gluten-casin-free diet. However a small ammount of either substance isn't likely to cause such dramatic tantrum behavior. Most kids are able to sneak in a bite of something not gluten-casin free when their parents aren't looking. Unless maybe all the child ever ate was french fries.. :waitasec:

californiacarrie said:

Just for the record, I have seen several children SIGNIFIGANTLY improve after going on the gluten-casin-free diet. However a small ammount of either substance isn't likely to cause such dramatic tantrum behavior. Most kids are able to sneak in a bite of something not gluten-casin free when their parents aren't looking. Unless maybe all the child ever ate was french fries.. :waitasec:

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I will venture to guess that those children were of a certain age.
And that age was the same as every other autisitc child when they typically make HUGE strides.

You could have a point there.

And if they saw a problem and continued to let him have them, that's micky d's fault too? Please!

I dont let my kids eat at fast food places because they suck period! That's like blaming the maker of slippers for causing you to fall when you are a known clutz and trip over air!

Amraann said:

Oh this is BS..

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BhamMama said:

And if they saw a problem and continued to let him have them, that's micky d's fault too? Please!

I dont let my kids eat at fast food places because they suck period! That's like blaming the maker of slippers for causing you to fall when you are a known clutz and trip over air!

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Exactly!!
Gee If I knew it was this easy I would have sued mcD's looong ago!!!!
Funny thing.... Richie has tantrums often ..... It never occured to me to blame McD's!!
Actually.... if I promise a trip to McD's he will find depths of self control we never knew he had.

I am curious as to how one will prove this theory??

If this forces McD's to change their fry recipe, I'll be PISSED!

McDonalds is on every corner to make a profit, not to babysit your food choices. Maybe I should sue the grocery store for selling all the ice cream I eat?

I'm wondering how gluten and casein get in oil in the first place. Anyone know? Two of my daughters have severe food allergies and cannot have casein but have always been able to eat McDonald's fries. This is news to me and I doubt very seriously if there is actually any casein in their fries or they would have severe reactions to the point of near death. I can't speak to the gluten because that is one of the few things they do not have a problem with.

I agree with the poster who said that companies saying "may contain" has just made it harder for those who have a need to know exactly what is in foods.

I also agree with Glitchwizard. Hey----can we get a class action suit going on the grocery store/ice cream thing? It's all their fault that I just have to buy ice cream. LOL.

It's the little woman with the tiny scooper that gives it for free... just a little taste... kind of like a heroin dealer gives the first hit free.

I want ice cream NOW.

SewingDeb said:

I'm wondering how gluten and casein get in oil in the first place. Anyone know? Two of my daughters have severe food allergies and cannot have casein but have always been able to eat McDonald's fries. This is news to me and I doubt very seriously if there is actually any casein in their fries or they would have severe reactions to the point of near death. I can't speak to the gluten because that is one of the few things they do not have a problem with.

I agree with the poster who said that companies saying "may contain" has just made it harder for those who have a need to know exactly what is in foods.

I also agree with Glitchwizard. Hey----can we get a class action suit going on the grocery store/ice cream thing? It's all their fault that I just have to buy ice cream. LOL.

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GlitchWizard said:

McDonalds is on every corner to make a profit, not to babysit your food choices. Maybe I should sue the grocery store for selling all the ice cream I eat?

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I agree with you, but when people are told that McDonald's foods do not contain a certain product that is harmful to people with certain allergies, that is a problem. McDonald's does need to be held accountable to some degree, although I think this lawsuit is frivolous.

Masterj said:

I agree with you, but when people are told that McDonald's foods do not contain a certain product that is harmful to people with certain allergies, that is a problem. McDonald's does need to be held accountable to some degree, although I think this lawsuit is frivolous.

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True. When my daughter had to be careful what she ate, we just bought things that were as close to nature as possible and ate at home. It actually saved us money and calories - which was good. Thankfully, she wasn't the type of kid that would want fast food to seem "normal" like many people. She was thrilled to be different. It was short lived, though. She might have been different if it were longer than a year.

GlitchWizard said:

It's the little woman with the tiny scooper that gives it for free... just a little taste... kind of like a heroin dealer gives the first hit free.

I want ice cream NOW.

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LOL So should we sue her or the grocery store chain? Do you know if she has any money of her own? ROFL.