Gluten Free Cary: Qdoba

Saturday, January 31, 2009

Restaurant Review: Qdoba

Qdoba Mexican Grill is a fast food restaurant located at 2222 Walnut Street in Cary and in Beaver Creek Commons in Apex. In addition to a very complete listing of common allergen information (including Wheat and Other Glutens) http://www.qdoba.com/Allergens.aspx, they provide a comprehensive list of ingredients (even indicating that maltodextrin is from corn) http://www.qdoba.com/Documents/allergen.pdf .

From their website:

At Qdoba, we care about giving you the information you need to make informed decisions about eating. Food intolerances make these decisions even more important. Ingredients like wheat, soy, milk, eggs, nuts and fish are found in certain food items served at Qdoba.

We have found that the employees (and especially the manager) at the Apex Qdoba truly live up to their statement on their website. When we order, we inform them that our daughter cannot have gluten. The employees will change gloves and accommodate our special needs. We typically get a cheese quesadilla made with a Soft White Corn Tortilla and Black Beans. They have a wide selection of salads, meats, and salsas.

Celiac Disease by the Numbers

1 out of every 133 Americans (about 3 million people) has CD.
97% of Americans estimated to have CD are not diagnosed.
CD has over 300 known symptoms although some people experience none.
Age of diagnosis is key: If you are diagnosed between age 2-4, your chance of getting an additional autoimmune disorder is 10.5%. Over the age of 20, that rockets up to 34%.
30% of the US population is estimated to have the genes necessary for CD.
2.5 babies are born every minute in the USA with the genetic makeup to have CD.
There are 15 states in the US with populations less than the total number of Celiacs in the US.
CD affects more people in the US than Crohn’s Disease, Cystic Fibrosis, Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease combined.
People with CD dine out 80% less than they used to before diagnosis and believe less than 10% of eating establishments have a 'very good' or 'good' understanding of GF diets.
It takes an average of 11 years for patients to be properly diagnosed with CD even though a simple blood test exists.
The US Department of Agriculture projects that the GF industries revenues will reach $1.7 Billion by 2010.
GF foods are, on average, 242% more expensive then their non-GF counterparts.
The Food Allergen Labeling & Consumer Protection Act became law in 2006 allowing for easier reading of food labels for those with CD. What took so long?
12% of people in the US who have Down Syndrome also have CD.
6% of people in the US who have Type 1 Diabetes also have CD.
Among people who have a first-degree relative diagnosed with celiac, as many as 1 in 22 people may have the disease.
There are currently 0 drugs available to treat CD.