McDonald's
McDonald's is the largest US fast-food chain, serving burgers, chicken, fries and breakfast items. Its online Nutrition Calculator provides ingredient and allergen information item by item for the nine most common allergens: eggs, dairy, wheat, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish and sesame. It suits diners who want to check a specific item's declared allergens before ordering, with the chain's warning that shared cooking and preparation areas are used.
The chain's own allergen material
- Evidence tier
- Allergen menu documented
- Format
- interactive-tool · document date not stated
- Website
- www.mcdonalds.com
Source: McDonald's Nutrition Calculator · Last checked: 2026-10-28
The allergen matrix, as published
McDonald's addresses 9 of the 10 allergens we track in its published allergen material. "Not addressed" means the chain's document does not cover that allergen — it does not mean the allergen is absent from the food.
| Allergen | Addressed in the chain's published material |
|---|---|
| Gluten | Not addressed McDonald's Nutrition Calculator · 2026-10-28 |
| Milk | Yes — covered in the published material McDonald's Nutrition Calculator · 2026-10-28 |
| Egg | Yes — covered in the published material McDonald's Nutrition Calculator · 2026-10-28 |
| Peanut | Yes — covered in the published material McDonald's Nutrition Calculator · 2026-10-28 |
| Tree nut | Yes — covered in the published material McDonald's Nutrition Calculator · 2026-10-28 |
| Fish | Yes — covered in the published material McDonald's Nutrition Calculator · 2026-10-28 |
| Shellfish | Yes — covered in the published material McDonald's Nutrition Calculator · 2026-10-28 |
| Soy | Yes — covered in the published material McDonald's Nutrition Calculator · 2026-10-28 |
| Wheat | Yes — covered in the published material McDonald's Nutrition Calculator · 2026-10-28 |
| Sesame | Yes — covered in the published material McDonald's Nutrition Calculator · 2026-10-28 |
The chain's own cross-contact statement
Chain states normal kitchen operations may involve shared cooking and preparation areas, equipment and utensils, so food items may come in contact with other food products, including allergens.
Quoted/summarised from McDonald's Nutrition Calculator, checked 2026-10-28.
The protocol, in full: Chain protocol
| Cross-contact warning | Source states normal kitchen operations may involve some shared cooking and preparation areas, equipment and utensils, and that food items may come in contact with other food products, including allergens. McDonald's Nutrition Calculator · 2026-10-28 |
|---|---|
| Dedicated fryer | Not documented — not published in source (not documented) McDonald's Nutrition Calculator · 2026-10-28 |
| Dedicated prep area | Not documented — not published in source (not documented) McDonald's Nutrition Calculator · 2026-10-28 |
| Staff training | Not documented — not published in source (not documented) McDonald's Nutrition Calculator · 2026-10-28 |
| Order flagging | Not documented — not published in source (not documented) McDonald's Nutrition Calculator · 2026-10-28 |
Good to know before you book
- Chain states normal kitchen operations may involve shared cooking and preparation areas, equipment and utensils, so food items may come in contact with other food products, including allergens. — McDonald's Nutrition Calculator, 2026-10-28
- No separate gluten category in this source, and the page notes McDonald's USA does not promote items as gluten-free. Page carries a note that the information is correct as of January 2022 unless stated otherwise. No contact phone published on the fetched page. — McDonald's Nutrition Calculator, 2026-10-28
Questions diners ask about McDonald's
Does McDonald's publish an allergen menu or matrix?
Yes — McDonald's publishes allergen material in interactive-tool form, linked from this page and last checked on 2026-10-28. It addresses 9 of the 10 allergens we track.
Which allergens does McDonald's's published material not cover?
It does not address: Gluten. Not addressed means the chain's document is silent on that allergen — not that the allergen is absent from the food.
If McDonald's publishes a protocol, does every location follow it the same way?
A chain document is a ceiling, not a location guarantee. Locations vary in staff, equipment and practice, so a location listing on this site carries its own tier and its own last-checked date, and the questions on the visit-prep card are the ones to ask at the location you are visiting.
What does McDonald's itself say about cross-contact?
Chain states normal kitchen operations may involve shared cooking and preparation areas, equipment and utensils, so food items may come in contact with other food products, including allergens.
Source & freshness
Source: McDonald's Nutrition Calculator · Last checked: 2026-10-28
Report a change or an error — reports are checked and logged on this page.
Change log
- 2026-10-28 — Chain protocol profile published from the chain's own published allergen material (datasets v1 + expansion pass 2, merged Oct 28, 2026).
Other chains
- Chipotle — Allergen menu documented, last checked 2026-10-28
- Olive Garden — Allergen menu documented, last checked 2026-10-28
- P.F. Chang's — Allergen menu documented, last checked 2026-10-28
- Shake Shack — Allergen menu documented, last checked 2026-10-28
- Chick-fil-A — Allergen menu documented, last checked 2026-10-28
- Wendy's — Allergen menu documented, last checked 2026-10-28
McDonald's — visit-prep card (chain level)
Allergen menu documented · Last checked 2026-10-28 · Source: McDonald's Nutrition Calculator
Chain-level record — practices vary by location. Confirm at your location before ordering.
- Allergen menu
- https://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en-us/about-our-food/nutrition-calculator.html
Allergens the chain's material addresses
Milk, Egg, Peanut, Tree nut, Fish, Shellfish, Soy, Wheat, Sesame
The chain's cross-contact statement
Chain states normal kitchen operations may involve shared cooking and preparation areas, equipment and utensils, so food items may come in contact with other food products, including allergens.
Questions to ask at your location
- Is the fryer shared with breaded or battered items, and what else is cooked in that oil?
- Is there a separate prep area, boards and utensils for allergy orders?
- How are staff trained on food allergies, and how often is that training refreshed?
- How is an allergy order flagged and communicated to the kitchen, so it cannot be mixed up?
- What do you do to prevent cross-contact during prep, cooking and plating?
ConfidentDiner collects allergen and preparation information from restaurants’ published materials, from restaurants themselves, and from diners. Information is dated and sourced, but menus, ingredients, suppliers, staff, and kitchen practices change without notice, and cross-contact can occur in any non-dedicated kitchen. Nothing on this site is medical advice or a guarantee that any restaurant or dish is safe for any individual. Always tell the restaurant about your allergy, confirm current practices directly before ordering, and make your own decision with your medical professional’s guidance.