Soft serve Ice cream

If you're asking about the soft serve in the machine, I'd say the answer varies greatly depending on if the business does or does not switch flavors in their machines, and if they do, whether or not they clean thoroughly between flavors. I always ask to see the gallon container of their 'soft serve mix' (or whatever they call it, it is a liquid, and read the ingredient list. I found that Freshen's Yogurt (U.S.) locally is safe for soft serve chocolate and vanilla out of the machines. But I won't give my business to the one at our mall any more. For when I asked if I could read their ingredients, she literally slammed the gallon container down on the counter and was completely incredulous that I ask such things of her....in fact it's raising my blood pressure just thinking about it!!!

Good luck to you!

Personally, I eat soft serve all the time, and I rarely check the ingredients.

BUT I am an adult, and I have never had a reaction to any ice cream, nor to trace amounts. I also eat hard manufactured ice cream, which if you look at the "what are you sad your kid can't eat" thread, is a big no-no for a lot of PA people. I even used to work at a McDonalds and would make reeses pieces mcflurries for people (insert big *gasp* right here). Again, never reacted, so please, take what I'm saying with a grain of salt and make your own decision based on your known sensitivity and your own comfort zone.

I do think a lot of people here with a much stricter comfort zone than mine let their kids have McDonald's soft serve. But they also tend to have peanut mcflurry stuff, so you just have to make sure to go in and look around to make sure the mcflurry stuff isn't all over the place and have the server wash their hands [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]

Also, apparently the new thing here in the US is Peanut Butter Ice Cream. So even if the ingredients of the soft serve is safe, be sure you check what other kinds of ice cream they have pumping through that machine.

I let my pa dd have DQ ice cream. I know the door basically says the pa should turn around, but DQ was the family business about 50 years before pa entered our life.

DQ machines only run vanilla or chocolate and the mix is safe.

Patty

DS eats McDonald's soft-serve ice cream cone about once every two weeks or so (the vanilla--I don't know if there's a chocolate).

He eats a soft-serve ice cream at Jason's Deli (which we don't go to very often because they make PBJ sandwiches, and we mostly need to go on Sundays when it's too crowded for me to feel comfortable there).

He eats soft-serve at a Houston-area restaurant called Tortuga.

We haven't had a problem with soft serve--as our experience. It's not something I worry about much.

My PA and TNA son eats soft serve vanilla ice cream only, as long as all they serve is chocalote and vanilla. We mainly get it at Friendly's and the only thing that comes out of the spout is Vanilla and Choclate and they come out of their own spout.
We were just down the Shore and Kosher Shack, had soft serve Peanut Butter. We agreed that it would not be safe to get it.
My PA and TNA son eats soft serve vanilla ice cream only, as long as all they serve is chocolate and vanilla and they come out of their own spout. We get it at a few local locations but mainly we get it at Friendly's
We were just down the Shore and Kosher Shack, had soft serve Peanut Butter. We agreed that it would not be safe to get it.
Hope this Helps.

Maria

Just FYI on this . . . I was told at a local soft serve place that the only soft serve in their machines was vanilla and chocolate and based on that info it seemed it would be safe. I did, however, ask for the phone number of the company that makes the mix (I'm sorry I can't find my notes on the name), and when I called I was told that peanut and nut varieties were made on the same lines. So, I guess the message is that even if the soft serve machines are safe, the product itself may have a risk for cross-contamination. Have those of you who eat some soft serve brands found any companies that do not make any nut flavors on same lines? Thanks.

Jason eats the soft serve from Costco's snack bar, McDonalds and DQ.

------------------
Cheryl, mom to Jason (8 MFA including peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish and egg)
Joey (6 NKA)
Allison (3 MFA including milk, butternut squash, several fruits and suspected shellfish allergies, avoiding tree nuts, RAST - for peanut)
Ryan (born 12/27/05) nka *knock on wood*

Surprised noone mentioend this one- Rita's!!

They serve italian ice and softserve ice cream and have nothing with peanuts or cross contamination!

Some stores do serve pistachio italian ice, but apparently they will be replacing that with nut-free artificially flavored pistachio.

Their softserve is the best, IMO, too.

Tara P

We have been to Rita's 4 times over the past week. I am going to weigh a ton by the end of the summer.

They have the pistachio flavor--they no longer add the actual nuts. I looked at the container that the pistachio flavor comes in--no nuts listed--the owner said it is all artificial flavoring.

I 3rd the Rita's...it's the only place we get ice cream. I contacted the company. There's a fairly recent thread...their custard is made at a dairy place and there's no nuts or peanuts at the place. It's heavenly =P Especially the mango/vanilla gelati! Very allergy aware...check out their website. luvmyboys

Is Rita's a national chain?

Rita's is not national but it is in quite a number of states, mostly in the east I think? Definitely PA, NJ, NY, RI..It's on their website...it's a franchise. luvmyboys

About the question of different varieties of soft serve....

DQ only makes vanilla. When it gets to the store, they can stir in chocolate to make chocolate ice cream. My family owns DQs and I think it is virtually impossible for vanilla DQ soft-serve to come into contact with pn. DD eats it daily. The chocolate is safe, too, but they do stir it in the store.

I think we'll go have some chocolate sundaes right now!

Patty