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Domino Pizza Offering a Gluten-Free Pizza? Or is it?

May 12, 2012

In a move that is a first in its industry, Domino Pizza launched what they call a gluten-free pizza. Although the crust itself has been tested for less that 20 parts per million, they seem to have forgotten a very important consideration: cross contamination. I have sneaked a peak at my neighborhood’s Domino Pizza store and I can promise you they do not have a separate production room with separate equipment and ovens to handle these highly sensitive products. So, for people highly reactive to gluten like Celiac disease sufferers, it’s an absolute no go.

This leads me to an important question regarding the certification offered by the NFCA (National Foundation for Celiac Awareness). Is it me or it seems that they speak from both sides of their mouth. Is it certified to be gluten-free or is it not? It feels to me that they are happy to collect their certification fee from a huge corporation, but in Domino Pizza’s own disclaimer (see below), they cover their “derriere” by saying that although they are “thrilled” that Domino Pizza have developed a gluten-free pizza but they CANNOT recommend it for customers with Celiac disease. How is that for double-speak? Find the press release here: http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=135383&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1692234&highlight

Ingredients

Although there is no ingredient listing on the gluten-free pizza box, I found this information on their web site:

Gluten Free Crust: Water, Rice Flour, Rice Starch, Potato Starch, Olive Oil, Evaporated Cane Juice, Tapioca Flour, Potato Flour, Fresh Yeast (is this yeast certified gluten-free as well?), Avicel (a microcrystalline cellulose – a fiber additive to prevent flour stickiness), Salt, Calcium Propionate (a preservative used as a mold inhibitor). Please note, the comments are mine.

Although I cannot blame Domino Pizza for trying to get their share of the very fast growing gluten-free market, I do have a problem with NFCA adding their stamp of approval on something they have to know is impossible to keep 100% gluten-free in the best of circumstances. It is a step in the right direction for Domino but a step backward for NFCA. Too bad! Their reputation will suffer from it as Celiac patients will be very cautious about the products they endorse from now on.

My Taste Test

I had the opportunity to taste their pizza a couple of days ago. Although the crust has a nice crunch to it, I found it to be oily to the palate. The rest of the toppings are the same found on any other regular pizza. For my dairy-free friends, this pizza is not dairy-free.

My Conclusion

If you must have a pizza and are slightly sensitive but not Celiac, you may want to give a try to this new product but as a nutritionist, I cannot recommend it as a healthy food. It is still junk food no matter whether you are sensitive or not to gluten.

A Votre Sante

Chef Alain Braux

Domino Pizza’s Disclaimer

 

“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”.

Chef Alain Braux

Author of Living Gluten and Dairy-Free on Amazon.com

 

3 comments

  • Amy says:
    May 30, 2012 at 8:59 am

    I am a gluten free manufacturer in Ontario Canada and I sell to a couple of pizza chains in Canada, so Domino’s isn’t the first in the industry just the first large pizza chain in the U.S. to take this on. From what I’ve learnt about the U.S. is that anyone can sue for anything there, it is very difficult to do that in Canada over something like hot coffee for example. They HAVE to cover their “derriere’s”. The franchises are too small for a seperate room, but how we sell our product leads to very small chance of cross contamination, they place the crust on a new piece of parchment paper every time and then they dress the pizza’s with seperate utensils and containers for the gluten free requests. I’m very surprised that Domino’s isn’t doing this. This can be done, but there always needs to be a disclaimer and the training should never stop. Thank you for bringing this to the consumer’s attention. FYI – my daughter is Celiac and has never had a reaction from the pizza chains in Canada, so they must be doing something right.

    Reply
  • clevine says:
    May 24, 2012 at 1:46 pm

    I heard that the NFCA recently decided to remove their Amber rating (which is the approval level given to Domino’s), so one good thing has come from all of this.

    Reply
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    comments :

    May 24, 2012 by clevine

    I heard that the NFCA recently decided to remove their Amber rating (which is the approval level given to Domino’s), so one good thing has come from all of this.

    May 30, 2012 by Amy

    I am a gluten free manufacturer in Ontario Canada and I sell to a couple of pizza chains in Canada, so Domino’s isn’t the first in the industry just the first large pizza chain in the U.S. to take this on. From what I’ve learnt about the U.S. is that anyone can sue for anything there, it is very difficult to do that in Canada over something like hot coffee for example. They HAVE to cover their “derriere’s”. The franchises are too small for a seperate room, but how we sell our product leads to very small chance of cross contamination, they place the crust on a new piece of parchment paper every time and then they dress the pizza’s with seperate utensils and containers for the gluten free requests. I’m very surprised that Domino’s isn’t doing this. This can be done, but there always needs to be a disclaimer and the training should never stop. Thank you for bringing this to the consumer’s attention. FYI – my daughter is Celiac and has never had a reaction from the pizza chains in Canada, so they must be doing something right.

    May 30, 2012 by chef alain braux

    Hello Amy and thank you for your insightful comments. I have been trained by the local GIG of America chapter and even then, they said that flour floating in the air throuh ventilation could contaminate he product enough to make Celiac people sick. At PeoplesRx, we are fully trained and yet I see mistakes happening once in a while. We even had to let go of one employee because he did not care enough to follow procedure. At least they should have an asterix next to their gluten-free claim like (*this product is not appropriate for Celiac patients). A bientot. Alain

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