McDonald's menu item in Italy leaves Aussie couple 'in disbelief'
The couple discovered a menu option not available in Australia, prompting people to ask why.
A couple holidaying in Italy came across a sight for sore eyes in a local McDonald's, prompting Aussies to question why the menu item doesn't exist here.
Nick and his girlfriend Tori were in Milan Airport when they discovered a gluten free burger option on the fast-food chain's touch-screen menu. Given that Tori is gluten intolerant and hadn't tried "a cheeseburger in so long", they were keen to give it a go.
"WTF Italy is so lit," she said in the now viral TikTok video, which has more than 1.2 million views. The clip shows Tori grasp her face in shock before pointing to the burger, which cost 6 euros ($8.40) and came in a plastic bag — likely to avoid gluten contamination from other products in the kitchen.
"Why they always gotta make it so weird," she joked while ripping open the packaging. As for the taste, Tori had no complaints. "I cant remember what other cheeseburgers taste like, so it's great!" the traveller added.
'We need this in Australia'
In the video caption, Nick questioned why there aren't "any gluten free Maccas options back home", something many Aussies agreed with in the comments.
"Crying from Australia. God we are so far behind!!" one viewer said. Others pointed out countries where they had experienced McDonald's gluten free options including Sweden, Finland, Spain and Canada.
"Portugal McDonald's is the best I've found so far," one person said. "They had about 5 GF burger options."
McDonald's Australia: 'Always a risk'
McDonald's Australia last year addressed a question on it website help page about gluten and nut-free options.
"Unfortunately, McDonald's can't guarantee any food items are free from nuts or gluten," it said. "There is always a risk that allergens may be transferred to our ingredients during transportation, storage or preparation in our kitchens," they say.
Yahoo News Australia has reached out to McDonald's Australia for further information.
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One in four Australians avoid eating gluten, whether they have a non-coeliac gluten sensitivity or have coeliac disease, according to a study published in the Medical Journal of Australia in 2020.
If a person with a gluten intolerance consumes it, they will have short term issues such as bloating and stomach pain, however for coeliacs, gluten can damage the bowel, according to Better Health Victoria. Approximately 1 in 70 Australians live with the autoimmune disease, however around 80 per cent of them remain undiagnosed, Coeliac Australia reports.
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