Monday, May 7, 2012

The First Domino

Big news in the gluten-free world today with the announcement that Domino's Pizza now has a gluten-free crust. However, the company is being upfront about the fact that the pizza with this crust is not recommended for those with celiac disease. Given what I know about this product, I will not be serving this to my celiac son. However, since there are different constituencies of the gluten-free community that read this blog, I am posting the information here.

Here's the full press release:
Domino's Pizza is responding to the needs of choice consumers, today launching a Gluten Free Crust available in all of its nearly 5,000 U.S. stores and becoming the first national pizza delivery chain to offer such a product.

Domino's Pizza consulted with the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA) to ensure its products and team member training meet the standards of the foundation's GREAT Kitchens Amber Designation. NFCA's GREAT Kitchens is an official credentialing program that has expanded to include restaurants offering gluten free products with varying kitchen practices, therefore suitable for those with gluten sensitivity under the Amber Designation.

Domino's new Gluten Free Crust provides a great-tasting option for consumers who previously could not enjoy pizza from the recognized world leader in pizza delivery because of sensitivity to gluten - a protein found in wheat, rye and barley.

"Many of our customers have asked for a gluten free crust, and Domino's is excited to offer a product to customers with mild gluten sensitivity - as well as partner with the NFCA, which has been instrumental to our learning more about how to take this step," said J. Patrick Doyle, Domino's Pizza president and CEO. "The prevalence of gluten sensitivity has become a real issue with significant impact on consumer choice, and we want to be a part of the solution. Now, the whole group can enjoy Domino's with the addition of our new Gluten Free Crust."

While Domino's new Gluten Free Crust is appropriate for those with mild gluten sensitivity, Domino's and the NFCA do not recommend it for those with celiac disease. Domino's and the NFCA found that while the crust is certified as gluten free, current store operations at Domino's cannot guarantee that each handcrafted pizza will be completely free from gluten.

"The NFCA is thrilled that Domino's Pizza has developed a product that will improve the quality of life for many of the estimated 18 million Americans who are gluten sensitive," said Alice Bast, NFCA founder and president. "Not only is Domino's Gluten Free Crust a huge win for much of the gluten free community who can now get pizza delivered to their door, it's also delicious. Customers aren't going to believe they're eating a pizza made on a gluten free crust when they try it. And the variety of fresh toppings that are available is a giant leap ahead."

In an effort to remain open and informative about Domino's Gluten Free Crust, Domino's has created a video on YouTube that allows customers to decide whether this product is suitable for their diet, found here: www.youtube.com/user/dominosvids.

"Offering Domino's Gluten Free Crust is a big step for us, and we wanted to make sure we were doing it right," said Doyle. "Domino's is doing that by partnering with experts at the NFCA and by empowering the gluten sensitive community with the information they need."

Domino's new Gluten Free Crust is available in stores across the U.S. in a small, 10-inch size only, and prices vary by store.

Domino's pizza made with a Gluten Free Crust is prepared in a common kitchen with the risk of gluten exposure. The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness supports the availability of Domino's Gluten Free Crust, but cannot recommend the pizza for customers with celiac disease. Customers with gluten sensitivities should exercise judgment in consuming this pizza.
Domino's also has a frequently-asked questions page at its website about the pizza. Here's the video:


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6 comments:

  1. What's the point of this? People with CD aren't going to eat something that's "kind of gluten free." if you're going to offer a gf option you should do it right I think...

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  2. Anybody else see the parallel to California Pizza Kitchen and Olive Garden here? Big food service companies jumping into the GF market without a truly GF product?

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    1. This product is not designed for Celiac patients. It's is however intended for the 18 million people in the U.S that have minor gluten sensitivity. Great job Domino's

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    2. "Minor gluten sensitivity?" When did that get invented? It wasn't mentioned in the recent concensus paper on gluten sensitivity by an international panel of experts.

      That pizza is just for those who follow fads, not anyone with a real reaction to gluten, celiac or not.

      Things like that pizza and the NFCA endorsement of it make it much harder for those of us with celiac to convince restaurants to take us seriously. "Hey, the Domino's pizza is called gluten-free and they didn't change their kitchen, so I can call anything I want gluten-free and sell it!"

      Not looking good for getting the word out that cross contamination is a real problem for those with a REAL gluten sensitivity.

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  3. I don't understand why they can call gluten free if it isn't completely gluten free. And seriously, what is the point of gluten free if people with celiac's can't eat it? What a tease. A half assed attempt. Boo :(

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  4. I am extremely disappointed with both the NFCA and Dominos for launching a "gluten free" crust that is not suitable for those of us with Celiac Disease or a true gluten intolerance. This is doing a tremendous disservice to celiacs and actually causing more inconvenience when well meaning friends spend the extra money for a gluten free pizza, when in fact I (and my daughter) won't be able to eat it. My family will not be purchasing any Dominos pizza for our four non celiac family members until they remove this "gluten free" crust from their menu.

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