Jump to content
This site uses cookies. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. More Info... ×
  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.




  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):



    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):


  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Wendy's


skinnyminny

Recommended Posts

skinnyminny Enthusiast

I was planning on being out alot this weekend and just wanted to check on the wendys web site to make sure my old faithful Chili was good to go.. when I did look at there gluten free options they have added their BLT Salad.. their Mandrian Orange Salad and the grilled chicken without the bun. Are these things safe? Has anyone tried them. i thought their chicken use to have glutenous soy sauce? Also can we have frostys?


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



CarlaB Enthusiast

I know Frosties, chili and the baked potato are fine.

I'd be leary of the grilled chicken only because they normally put it on a bun and it would be near the buns, thus have a risk of contamination. But I am very sensitive ... others may think it's not a problem.

Michi8 Contributor
I know Frosties, chili and the baked potato are fine.

I'd be leary of the grilled chicken only because they normally put it on a bun and it would be near the buns, thus have a risk of contamination. But I am very sensitive ... others may think it's not a problem.

It's nice to hear the Frostys are safe! I had assumed they had malt in them.

Michelle :)

jayhawkmom Enthusiast

I avoid the chili too. Their chili is made from leftover hamburger meat, and sometimes... when they "mess up" an order, they'll remove the meat from the bun, and toss the meat into the bin to make chili the next day. (I used to work there right after high school) So, it's way possible that pieces of bun stuck to the meat can be a lovely little additive. No thanks.

num1habsfan Rising Star

I can eat a lot of stuff at Wendy's and I am very sensative too but have never had an issue..but I think theres a difference between Wendy's in the US and Wendy's in Canada!

~ lisa ~

CarlaB Enthusiast
I avoid the chili too. Their chili is made from leftover hamburger meat, and sometimes... when they "mess up" an order, they'll remove the meat from the bun, and toss the meat into the bin to make chili the next day. (I used to work there right after high school) So, it's way possible that pieces of bun stuck to the meat can be a lovely little additive. No thanks.

I don't doubt this happened as you did say you worked there, but they're not SUPPOSED to do that! How widespread do you think this practice is?

jayhawkmom Enthusiast

Carla - I'm 36 now... and I worked there when I was 18-20, so it was 16 years ago - and it happened daily. That certainly doesn't mean that it still does, as laws have changed, safe food handling practices have changed. I'm just very gun-shy when it comes to my kiddo. I'd rather err on the side of caution. I have too many memories of the "flying burger" after someone changed an order, or a sandwich maker made a boo-boo.


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



TinkerbellSwt Collaborator

I have never had any problems at Wendys. I eat their chili and their taco salad, minus the tortilla strips and salad dressing. I would love to be able to try their other salads. I always wondered why they werent gluten free. Seems like salads should just be gluten free because!! Thanks for the info

Guest ~jules~

Its good to hear about those salads....I eat there all the time, and I'm getting tired of potatoes and chilli! I really have to be in the mood for chilli to eat it. Now, the frosty info is the best, I love those things....

CarlaB Enthusiast
Carla - I'm 36 now... and I worked there when I was 18-20, so it was 16 years ago - and it happened daily. That certainly doesn't mean that it still does, as laws have changed, safe food handling practices have changed. I'm just very gun-shy when it comes to my kiddo. I'd rather err on the side of caution. I have too many memories of the "flying burger" after someone changed an order, or a sandwich maker made a boo-boo.

I actually don't eat fast food ... I was just curious. My understanding is that it's against the health code in most places now, so I wondered if it really happened. With wheat allergies and celiac disease becoming more mainstream, I would think that Wendy's would no longer allow it ... but you never know.

TinkerbellSwt Collaborator

I agree with Carla, I very very rarely eat at any fast food joint. Even before gluten free.. its just too much processed food. I eat there once every six months on my way back from the Childrens Hospital in Philly. I wouldnt eat there on a regular basis, usually its just when I am so hungry I am light headed, after a day in that place it could make anyones head spin!

skinnyminny Enthusiast

I have heard of this left over hamburger deal that always scares me but Id say I eat chili once every 2 or 3 weeks and I knock on wood dont seem to have any trouble but I appreciate all your answers if anyone hears anything about the salads let me know.. I also do the whole order the burger without the bun if I go inside and make them change their gloves and the burger goes straight from the flipper to the box.. but that is just another suggestion.. I am highly sensitive too, my dad calls me a gluten detector.. within minutes of encountering somethin I am sick as a dog!

arc Newbie
I don't doubt this happened as you did say you worked there, but they're not SUPPOSED to do that! How widespread do you think this practice is?

We did that too, when I worked at Wendy's. That was a long time ago, though - about 23 years ago, so it wouldn't surprise me if it was different now.

lovegrov Collaborator

Wendy's corporate office says the chili is NOT made with leftover hamburgers. Leftover hamburgers go in the trash.

richard

Perhaps the Wendy's chicken once had soy sauce, but this is what it has now:

Ultimate Grill Fillet

Boneless, Skinless, Chicken Breast Fillets With Rib Meat Containing up to 24% of a Solution Of Water, Seasoning (salt, flavor, dextrose, autolyzed yeast extract, maltodextrin, contains 2% or less of caramel color, chicken broth, chicken meat, citric acid, corn syrup solids, dextrin, disodium guanylate, disodium inosinate, extractives of paprika, mixed triglycerides, modified corn starch, paprika, sugar, and thiamine hydrochloride), Soybean Oil, Modified Corn Starch, Sodium Phosphate.

Also note that the salads they added have things you have to ask them to leave off, like croutons and crispy noodles.

richard

mamaw Community Regular

I do Wendy's for lunch when I'm out . I have never had a problem. I get the grilled chicken breast on a plate. At ours we can actually see them putting things together & I have never seen them put my chicken in a bun go oops & take it out & try to give it to me. I truly don't think there is anywhere in the fast food service that is totally safe. as they say Sh_t happens!!!!

Wendy's is my fav. fast food place.... I'm glad to hear they don't recycle burgers!!!!!!!

mamaw

jayhawkmom Enthusiast
Wendy's corporate office says the chili is NOT made with leftover hamburgers.

That's good to know!!!

elonwy Enthusiast

My friend who had the same story also worked there right after high school, so about ten years ago. His story was about the meat drawer where they'd throw the screwed up burgers. Its very possible that they've changed things. The things that go on in fast food restaurants though.... yeah its illegal, yeah its disgusting, but you have no idea what you're eating. I saw a documentary on fast food that had hidden cameras.....lets just go with eeeewwwwww.

Elonwy

  • 4 weeks later...
Tiki Newbie

does anyone know about their fries? sometimes i get those with my taco salad and i never really thought about them having gluten until recently. i was also disappointed when they changed the taco salad cause i liked the corn chips and salsa. i have to give them credit for being so gluten sensative though. its the only fast-food i eat on a regular basis.

Guest nini

Wendy's is THE only fast food I will eat anymore. I used to eat McDonald's a lot, but I kept getting sick, so I've given up.

FeedIndy Contributor

According to Wendy's website the fries do not actually contain gluten, but are fried in the same oil as chicken nuggets at some locations. I checked with mine and they have a dedicated fryer for french fries. We tried them out-DD's first ever french fry-and she did not get sick! This is the kid who was very sick for 2 days after eating a baby goldfish cracker off the floor., (Yes, I'm thinking the entire house needs to go gluten free, but it's been hard.) She also got sick after eating McD's fries last week. I gave her a few of them to see what would happen and apparently she's quite sensitive.

KaitiUSA Enthusiast

Ever since the Frosty issue occured with Wendy's I will not eat them anymore. I don't trust alot of fast food but I will eat some...just not Wendy'd

Nic Collaborator
According to Wendy's website the fries do not actually contain gluten, but are fried in the same oil as chicken nuggets at some locations. I checked with mine and they have a dedicated fryer for french fries. We tried them out-DD's first ever french fry-and she did not get sick! This is the kid who was very sick for 2 days after eating a baby goldfish cracker off the floor., (Yes, I'm thinking the entire house needs to go gluten free, but it's been hard.) She also got sick after eating McD's fries last week. I gave her a few of them to see what would happen and apparently she's quite sensitive.

I actually called the nutrition hotline to ask about this and they said that the fries are gluten free but you have to check with each individual restaraunt to make sure if they are using a seperate frier or not. All of the ones I have checked into in my area of Jersey use seperate friers.

Nicole

Ever since the Frosty issue occured with Wendy's I will not eat them anymore. I don't trust alot of fast food but I will eat some...just not Wendy'd

[/quote

What frosty issue?

babygirl1234 Rookie

i never had a problem with wendy's frostys

Guest nini

a while back Wendy's changed the ingredients of the Frosty without informing the public, to include malted barley... after a little while they changed it back, probably because of customer complaints. I know I had called because we had gotten sick from the Frosty, we hadn't bought anything there except the Frosty so that's all it could have been, and that's how I found out the ingredients had been changed. But shortly after that they did change it back and the Frosty's are now supposed to be gluten-free.

kevsmom Contributor

I've never had a problem with Wendy's baked potates, but I ask them not to cut them open for me. Who knows what else that knife has touched.

I thought the problem with their salads were the dressing. Does anyone know if the dressings are gluten-free?

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      126,084
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    Dezzy
    Newest Member
    Dezzy
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      120.9k
    • Total Posts
      69.2k

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):





  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Scott Adams
    • Scott Adams
      This is an interesting theory, but it’s important to note that Ozempic, while it does slow digestion, doesn’t change the body’s immune response to gluten in individuals with celiac disease. Even if symptoms seem reduced, the immune system is still triggered, which can cause the same long-term damage to the intestines, regardless of symptom severity. Regarding sourdough bread, while it may have lower levels of gluten depending on how it’s made, it’s still not safe for people with celiac disease unless it’s explicitly gluten-free. The immune response to gluten in celiac disease is triggered by even tiny amounts of gluten, so adhering strictly to a gluten-free diet is essential for health and healing. If you suspect Ozempic or other factors are influencing your symptoms, it might be worth discussing with your healthcare provider or a specialist to ensure you’re fully addressing your health needs.
    • Scott Adams
      This article might be helpful. It breaks down each type of test, and what a positive results means in terms of the probability that you might have celiac disease. Re: tTG-IgA:    
    • RMJ
      Most antibody tests for celiac don’t report a zero because of the way the tests work.  The lowest reportable value is usually <# (# being the lowest quantifiable value for that particular lab’s test).  Values can and should eventually decrease into the normal range.  So for the lab used for your son, a 9 would be considered normal. A grain of wheat will not trigger the same response as a full bowl of spaghetti. Most biological reactions follow a dose response curve - the larger the dose, the larger the response - in that particular person. The intestines can be attacked and antibody levels can increase without symptoms.  Also, acute symptoms from a one time “glutening” can happen without antibody levels increasing. The severe acute reactions that some people have within minutes to hours after ingesting gluten appear to be due to cytokines. I call myself a supersensitive but silent celiac.  I never had obvious symptoms but was tested because I get migraines and my doctor thought there might be a connection.  I do have less fatigue now that I am gluten free.  Still get the occasional migraine unfortunately. I started my gluten free diet by avoiding things with obvious gluten ingredients,  Antibody levels went down but one was still above normal.  Then I only ate processed foods labeled gluten free. That antibody level decreased more but was still above normal.  Now I eat processed foods that are certified gluten free or small amounts of a few items labeled gluten free from very reputable companies and all my antibody levels are in the normal ranges. The stubborn antibody level rose above normal once, I stopped using gluten free flour from a reputable company and it went back down to normal. It would almost be easier if I DID react obviously to gluten.  Then I’d know what foods to avoid, instead of relying on once a year blood tests.      
    • cristiana
      As a parent myself, I find we feel these things very keenly, it is completely understandable that you feel the way you do. It won't always be easy for your son, of course, but honestly most of the coeliacs I know are very healthy individuals who enjoy life to the full and have adapted very well.  Family support is a massive factor in this, and your son has a wonderfully supportive family which will give him the best start possible.  He is very fortunate to have such an understanding mum.   On the response to gluten question you posed earlier - yes, many people when they come off gluten completely, after a while when they are exposed to gluten by accident or intentionally they react much more strongly than before, compared to when gluten was regularly being ingested.  I read once that once stop eating gluten completely, it is a bit like your system is fully rested, like a resting army, so when gluten does appear your body it goes all out to deal with the "enemy", throwing everything it can at it.   I am sure someone more scientific can better explain this to you.  But that said, I do have a friend who was diagnosed with coeliac disease just a few weeks before me, is strict with her diet, and she NEVER reacts physically to gluten, bizarrely.  It does happen! As regards blood tests which your son will no doubt be offered, these are to check for compliance to the gluten free diet as well as to check no other health issues are arising.  But on that first point, the blood test is unlikely to pick up one or two glutening experiences that happen in a year,  it tends to be more helpful to show if there is regular cross-contamination or ingestion of gluten.   When I was unintentionally taking an iron supplement that had gluten in it, it was a blood test that drew my attention to the fact that something was going wrong with my diet.
×
×
  • Create New...