How come nothing is ever easy in the celiac world??
Domino’s makes an announcement that they are now offering a gluten-free crust and the whole world goes to hell.
I thought my Tweet Deck was going to explode yesterday, with opinions coming fast and furious. And boy, did people have strong opinions. There was quite a nice battle going on last night with a few specific parties, who shall remain nameless. I love the passion, but I kept myself out of the loop to give myself some time to mull it over and not react without at least too much emotion.
Here is a quick recap of the situation: Domino’s announced yesterday, with a full disclaimer, it will be the first national pizza delivery chain to offer gluten-free crust to its consumers. Domino’s partnered with the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness to make sure its gluten-free pizza met the criteria for the foundation’s “GREAT Kitchens Amber Designation.” This means the ingredients have been verified and managers and staff have been trained on the basics, but kitchen practices may vary with this designation, so “those with celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity should ask questions and exercise judgment when dining at an establishment with an Amber Designation.”
In other words, celiacs shouldn’t eat it. Flour flying. Cross-contamination. Toppings with gluten. It’s a celiac’s nightmare.
So the question becomes “Why did Domino’s make a gluten-free crust and promote the hell out of it when it can sicken the people who truly need it?”
Look…I’ve always said that celiacs don’t own “gluten free” and companies can do whatever they wish. They are in business to make money. Period. I don’t know of one single company that puts their customers over their bottom line. It’s always about the profits. Which may explain why the gluten-free option is an extra $3.
So do I think Domino’s offered a gluten-free option to truly help those with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity? Of course not. That would make them…human.
(What’s that? Corporations are people?? Now I’m really confused.)
And if Domino’s gave one hoot about celiacs, they would have made it safe for us.
But I’ve got news for you folks. They don’t have to. They make the pizza. We make the choice to eat it or not.
And if one celiac eats it, they are crazy!
But there are things that trouble me.
For example, why did the NFCA get involved in this if the pizza wasn’t going to be safe for celiacs? They actually emailed me directly yesterday and said (in bold no less) that “Domino’s and the NFCA do not recommend it for those with celiac disease”.
Ok…that’s cool. They are there to protect us.
But then they finished the email with this: We know you are an important blogger and advocate in the celiac community, so we hope you can help us spread the word about Domino’s Gluten Free Crust and the steps they’re taking to be more transparent.
What are they asking me to promote? That Domino’s is not really gluten free??
Again, I just don’t quite understand.
And then there is this little nugget: On Twitter yesterday, Domino’s directly marketed to many celebrities over and over. Here’s a sample Tweet:
@GwynethPaltrow Domino’s introduced a Gluten Free Crust today. Check here & see if it’s right for you.
Puke.
So at the end of the day, Domino’s is simply jumping on the gluten-free bandwagon.
Do I hate it? Yes.
Do I think it hurts our cause? Yes.
Have I said this 100 times before? Unfortunately, yes.
Can I blame them? Not really.
But I do have one direct message to Domino’s: Be careful what you wish for.
You may have added a full disclaimer, which must have made your legal team do cartwheels in the hallways. But it doesn’t mean your message won’t get lost in translation. And this could lead to many, many people getting sick.
Note the following tweet from Liz Szabo:
“Domino’s to offer gluten-free crust, jumping into $6.2 BILLION marketplace for celiac disease patients.”
Note that she said the pizza is for celiac disease patients.
No. No. No, no, no, no no.
The pizza is not meant for celiacs. At least not for celiacs who want to survive.
Now, who is Liz Szabo you say? Is she just a misinformed tweeter? A lonely person with an opinion? A mere speck in the Twitter-verse?
Nope. She reports on medical news for USA Today and she has over 15,000 followers.
Yep…you read that right. She reports on MEDICAL NEWS for a newspaper that has the widest circulation of any paper in the United States.
And now 15,000 people, 150 of whom have celiac disease, will think Dominos is safe to eat.
And therein lies the problem.
Like I said…it’s never easy.
yes, it was a big mess…poorly timed – Celiac Awareness Month. I also noticed all of Dominos @ to celebrities like Miley Cyrus and NFCA frantically trying to say that they did not certify the crust. What made me sad is to see so many people happy about a gluten free pizza and then to watch them realize it isn’t safe for celiacs and only good for those with “mild gluten sensitivity”…and who exactly is that?
Good question Leah. I suppose people who self-diagnose or who just want to go gluten free for whatever reason. And the battle continues.
Well said. I think the key in the article was the mention of how big the gluten-free food industry really is, and Domino’s, like so many other irresponsible food purveyors, just wants to jump on the gluten-free bandwagon without any regard to who might get sick. I’m also confused with the push for support from NFCA. Possible donation from Domino’s to the foundation? This is a bait and switch for Celiacs, and a blatant. greed motivated, poorly timed and professionally irresponsible campaign. Maybe we should start lobbying for two types of gluten labeling: gluten-free and low gluten. Then those who follow GF for the trendy diet can have their food and Celiacs can have safe food.
I agree Shelby. You’d think it would be simple. Gluten free means gluten free. But alas, too may lobbyists with too much $$$ at stake.
Thank you Gluten Dude for writing about this. I agree with you. I had much more time to think about all of this. I suppose some of us were up in arms yesterday due to frustration. Life is not fair and it makes me want to tantrum like a 4 year old but I get what companies like Dominos are doing. I get it. Its just frustrating. I also believe in personal responsiblity so if anyone with Celiac Disease or gluten intolerance tries this pizza or any food like this they do so at their own risk. Hopefully, people get informed about their condition and about the foods they consume.
On another note: The NFCA actually contacted you? First off, that’s pretty damn neat. Second, what do they want you to do? To state that the pizza is gluten free but it is not safe because of cross contamination? I am unclear about the whole thing. Finally, see you are important and you sir are a great voice!
Anyway, we’ll see what all of this will bring for everyone involved. Hopefully it will make us more informed.
Thanks!
The whole thing is sort of bizarre, yet it makes sense at the same time (if your Domino’s)
Agreed.
I always eat the gluten free pizza it does not bother my stomache? How come it would bother you?
There can be no doubt that Domino’s is playing to the fad element with this product and jumping on the bandwagon, as you aptly note.
That said, Domino’s was coming out with this product regardless of the NFCA’s involvement. The company approached the NFCA to see if making it safe for celiacs was feasible; after the NFCA looked into it, the parties determined that it was not. The NFCA opted to partner with Domino’s to ensure that celiacs were/are provided information about the product and told that it was neither safe nor recommended. The NFCA contacted bloggers such as you and me to spread this information to the proper constituency.
Not sure I understand your point, or your blog post (on your blog). I won’t promote Dominos, even with a warning. It just doesn’t make sense. Any celiac should stay far away from it. So what is there to promote?
There is no product to promote (your word, not the NFCA’s). We’ve been asked to let celiacs know that it is not safe.
Ok. Not how I read it. Appreciate your input.
Good and fair post Dude.
The one thing I hope this does is open everyone’s eyes to cross contamination. Any restaurant willing to have one or two special gluten free menu items should probably also have a disclaimer on their menu – few that I’ve seen do. It’s the wild west out there for restaurants and gluten needs. For those coming down extremely hard on Domino’s specifically – think back to the last Gluten Free meal you had out on the town – was that kitchen safe? Are you sure? I suppose you can’t really be sure unless you watched the prep yourself, and even then you’d have to know that all the utensils and cookware was new and fresh. For Domino’s to have done this right they would have nearly had to create a whole new restaurant in most cases – so in the end they made a “pizza good for those with mild gluten sensitivity”but your right its unfortunate that it confuses things.
Now to me it seems a lot of heat should be put on those in charge of regulating these things to keep the population safe. Some heat perhaps should be put on the NFCA for putting their name on it at all.
A lot of people deserve heat on this one. And it seems they are getting it. Thanks for helping to get the message out.
ABC World News last night blamed the whole band wagon on celebrities. They covered Dominos new gluten free pizza, interviewed people eating it ( random people – were they celiac??) who said it was great. Never once did they mention cross contamination. That is what it is all about. Making gfree actually really gfree. Who are you marketing too Dominos??? The people who really don’t need to be safe. And who is to say those having some mild discomfort from gluten should not be gfree 100%. Oh, thank goodness for Beano, which does have wheat in it right?
I posted about this too, out of frustration. I get that they are trying to make money by hopping on the trendy, GF bandwagon, but I am not sure that this will be all that profitable for them. Anyone who has to eat GF probably shouldn’t eat this, and what glutenivore is going to want to eat a GF crust if they don’t have to? Some may try it for novelty’s sake, but I don’t see this lasting long unless they somehow can market to those with serious gluten issues.
It’s nice, though, that Kim Kardashian can finally eat pizza again 😉
Just read your post. Spot on. Ironic it’s the second time their hitting you with something.
Kardashian…hee, hee.
I, too, posted a warning to the locals about Domino’s Pizza. Shame on them for marketing it as if people with celiac disease could tolerate it. And shame on Liz Szabo, she should check her facts better. I worked for a newspaper, and I would be mortified to write something that irresponsible! Thanks for keeping on top of things, and sounding the alarm when necessary, Gluten Dude. Mission accomplished.
Friggin’ celebrities will be the death of us yet. The arrogance of ignorance…
“Friggin’ celebrities will be the death of us yet.” Awesome.
Reminds me of Moe’s…geeeeze louise….thanks for the article. I’m not eating it. Thanks for the info. (heavy sigh)
Lots of heavy sighs today from the celiac world.
Well said and I agree with all of it. It’s total bull crap to me because it’s a stunt to make money. I could care less if they put the disclaimer saying it wasn’t ok for celiac’s but gluten-sensative people could be ok. Here’s why, seventeen years ago I tested positive for celiac. Last November I tested negative so now I’m only gluten-sensative and according to what they say I should be OK??? Yeah right I will get so sick it’s unreal. Did you see what Chuck E Cheese did? Much much better and safer. Thanks Dude!!
It’s possible to lose your celiac disease? I did not know that.
My kids are past the Chuck E Cheese stage in life. Alas…no pizza for me.
I don’t think you lose celiac disease , I heard the tests will come back negative if you have been GF for a certain amount of time .
This is what I understood as well That is exactly the reason why they ask people not to go on a gluten free diet prior to being properly diagnosed…the tests come back negative.
But you still HAVE celiac disease, don’t you?
Yeh you still have CD , I don’t really know much about how the testing works . My doctor said they do a blood tests to check the patient hasn’t been eating gluten on purpose or by accident and if you haven’t had gluten it comes back negative . Also doing a biopsy should come back negative because the GF diet should fix the villi damage .
Wow this really is getting ridiculous . I hate the gluten free fad and I wish the people who eat gluten free for fad reasons could be in the shoes of a celiac just for a week than maybe they will see how there stupidity is hurting people who live with a serious auto immune disease .
I’m too scared to eat many things that are GF these days because I don’t believe it really is GF when most probably it is , it sucks . Many shops / restaurants go the extra mile to make our lifes easier , than you get idiotic companies advertising foods as gluten free but not for celiac’s , wtf is the point of it than . It frustrates me how stupid people go gluten free for fad reasons get options of GF pizza etc and celiac’s never get anything apart from our disease being taken as a joke 🙁
You say we don’t own gluten free , but we own it a lot more than the pathetic fad diet people . They say celiac disease can damage the brain and maybe the fad diet people really do have CD that has caused damage because you gotta be very crazy to eat a very restrictive diet for no reason !
I’ve spent most of the day horizontal…I just couldn’t get any energy today. That is celiac disease. That is part of what we go thru. I hate the fad diet. Hate it.
Hate the low energy probably more than I hate the fad !
I don’t like gluten-free as a fad either but I think it’s important to remember there are those of us out there who might be labeled as avoiding gluten as a fad when we really aren’t. My son doesn’t have physical reactions to gluten. He has behavioral symptoms. It means the difference between a pleasant child sitting on the couch reading versus a child running through the house screaming and banging toys against the walls. We avoid gluten because it makes our lives a nightmare. No, he’s not celiac. No, he doesn’t have a life-threatening allergy. No, I don’t know the pain and suffering people with those issues must go through. But we sure as heck aren’t avoiding gluten for a fad. It’s hard work and it hurts to hear your kid wish he was like “normal people.” This is not something I would have ever chosen but it’s worth it to me to see my son behave age appropriately and be able to interact with others and have a happier childhood.
And as far as Domino’s offering a “gluten-free” pizza that’s not really gluten-free, it is completely irresponsible and I hope it comes back to bite them. We tried the pizza because we are supposedly the ones for whom it is meant. The third time we tried it my son had a horrific reaction, the same as if he’d had a full serving of something made exclusively with wheat. This pizza isn’t suitable for anyone except for people who can eat their standard pizzas. It’s all about getting more money out of people before they can discover it’s a scam. 🙁
Then it’s certainly not a fad for you either Jenny. This blog is about all of those with gluten health issues, not just celiacs.
I hope your son finds healing.
Thank you. I appreciate it. <3
Celiac disease is a recent arrival to the politics of health. There is yet to be an association or group who is truly interested in us, the Celiacs. I have sat back and watched most of the associations hand out awards to companies, who produce Gluten Free foods that are produced in cross contaminating facilities. What the …. ? It has always been that way as no Celiac group seems to care a “tinker’s damn” about us, Celiacs. Fund raising dollars comes from companies.
It’s Celiac Awareness month, but how many states have accepted that fact ? Has the federal government accepted Celiac Awareness month ? How long will it take to get a simple definition of Gluten Free from any governing body ? How about No wheat in medicines ? C’mon folks this is simple stuff to do, if you can afford a Celiac lobbyist. Try writing your representatives, at the state or national level, I have yet to generate any response. All I got from months of efforts with local grocery stores is pretty green & blue shelf tags, but still no Udi’s pizza shells.
So until Warren Buffet or Bill Gates or Justin Beiber is diagnosed with Celiac disease we will be the forgotten and sick 1%.
Thanks for being so passionate Rick.
We are the 1%:
http://glutendude.com/gluten/we-are-the-1-percent/
This is crazy. Sorry to hear you’re all going through this at the moment. Here in Australia, Domino’s Pizza offered a gluten free base some years back but added a disclaimer saying that traces of gluten may be present. The Coeliac Society of Australia (now known as Coeliac Australia) said that “every time you drive a car, you risk dying. When we eat out with coeliac disease, we need to make informed decisions about what we eat, reduce the risk and most importantly enjoy the gluten free diet”.
There seemed to be a good affiliation between them and Domino’s at the time in 2009.
I am taking a wide variety of businesses in Australia to task who falsely and ILLEGALLY advertise gluten free food for the population! I posted on the issue of Domino’s in Australia for anyone who’s interested: http://infonolan.hubpages.com/hub/glutenfreepizza-not
Great stuff Kelly. On behalf of all celiacs, thank you.
Amen to this blog post and to Rick’s comments above. How do we go about getting a proper advocacy group (e.g., American Lung Association), lobbyist support and expert PR–unlike the amateur, sponsored BS communications we’re seeing from these supposed foundations? How do we make this happen? Because I have had ENOUGH. It is UNACCEPTABLE that this pizza was launched in May during our awareness month when one of the main advocacy groups for our cause was closely involved in its development, or at least should have been according to their GREAT standards. Consequently, those standards are now suspect, at best, following any kind of support for a pizza crust that is unsafe for the people they were supposed to protect: Celiacs.
Because right now “gluten free” is a profitable buzz word. Celiacs be damned.
I wonder how the availability of “gluten free” pizza from Dominos will affect “gluten free” celebrities’ weight loss efforts? 🙂
Paging Kim Kardashian…
Gluten Dude, your blog posts have really helped me get through several weeks of bad poisoning, brain fog, exhaustion, and neurological symptoms due to cross contamination which likely happened over four weeks ago. Domino’s clearly is greedily jumping jumping on the “gluten free” trend bandwagon and like many others abusing it. California Pizza Kitchen abandoned their “gluten free” pizza options within the past year likely because they had no idea what they were getting into. As we know too well, for a celiac there is no such thing as gluten free when eating anything other than your own home prepared meals but there is a LOT of gluten ignorance out there.
Some people think it’s a step in the right direction. Some people think it helps celiac awareness. I don’t agree with these people.
Sorry you’re feeling crappy…it really just sux.
Sigh. Domino’s is the latest to get into this bs trend diet. What can I say? It’s very annoying. But I certainly won’t be eating their “gluten-free” pizza. At least they are somewhat honest about it not being safe for celiacs. Many restaurants have GF options but they aren’t safe because of CC, but they conveniently won’t state that.
Just don’t call it gluten free. It’s that simple.
Why the heck didn’t they just call it “low carb” or better yet “haha you can’t eat this”
Hope your starting to feel better Dude!
That’s funny…thanks Sandra.
Until the Act Up movement, AIDS was epidemic with little hope for a victim’s future. Today AIDS is controllable through medication. The sidewalks of my community all have curb cuts as a result of several activist Wheelchair groups.
We are lucky to have several excellent Celiac blogs (take a well deserved bow GD), but we need to work harder. Send an email to NBC News (or any other network) for their almost constant marginalization of Celiacs. Today we are trendy and curable. If the disease wouldn’t make you sick, the coverage will. I envision another social event on Mother’s Day when I must spend my day defending myslf and explaining the misinformation being spread.
Contact these Celiac organizations and tell then you wouldn’t be joining and why. And then email them again when they are part of the Gluten conspiracy.
On the Today Show this morning, they called celiac the “trendy disease” and said it was easy to cure. All you need to go is eat gluten free.
It is totally out of control!
WHAT. I am so glad I don’t watch the Today Show right now. GRR. WTF.
Seriously????
Trendy disease it just gets more ridiculous every day . It’s easy for dingbat tv presenters to say GF diet is easy an easy cure . But it’s not a cure it might cure symptoms but we still have the disease .
Annoys me when people who haven’t been GF say it’s easy . I prefer when people say it must be difficult because they have actually thought about what it might be like .
My biggest problem is on the news and magazines and other media they often put a gluten free lifestyle through choice and CD together . It’s like GF has over taken CD . When do they ever do stories on celiac’s who still struggle with CD complications such as vitamin deficiencies and other related illnesses ? Never , it’s clear the GF diet is about profit profit profit . Even Celiac companies are interested in getting the GF diet known as much as possible why ? So they make more money . We don’t have GF disease we have celiac disease . Raise awareness for celiac disease not the stupid diet . Stupid world we live in .
I feel your pain and couldn’t agree more. I always say we must get the focus off “gluten free” and onto “celiac disease”.
I also hate all the Gluten Free – it’s not just for celiacs anymore. Articles it’s BS . They come across pathetic like how they try and tell you people without healh problems eating gluten are getting the same amount of inflammation and damage as a celiac . Wtf it’s one thing to steal the GF diet and exploit it for weight loss and turn it into a fad . But when I here people say the inflammation to the villi and inflammation celiac’s get happens to everyone it’s a real joke .
Need to destroy this fad !
Gluten Dude – Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We asked you to spread the word about the Gluten Free Crust because we want to keep the celiac community safe. That means making sure that the disclaimer is shared and understood. We do not wish for you to promote the Gluten Free Crust as an option to the community, but rather encourage people to read all the facts about this new product so they know who it is or is not recommended for. In other words, we WANT you to know that it is not for those with celiac.
As for promoting Domino’s transparency, we feel the company made a big step in being upfront about the risks associated with the Gluten Free Crust. There are countless restaurants that offer “gluten-free” options but are completely unaware of the risks they are posing to the health of celiac consumers. Domino’s came to us and learned the risks. And now, they have a strong and widely distributed disclaimer and video to warn you of the risks. Few restaurants are willing to take that step.
So let me get this straight – before Dominoes tries to “jump on the bandwagon” I, as a Celiac, was legitimately entitled to believe that something labeled “gluten-free” was safe for me to eat. Now, in the Dominoes “GF” crust world, I have to bring an even bigger magnifying glass with me everywhere so I can read not only the ingredient list on everything but also any micro-print disclaimers that might be hiding under the lid of anything I might buy. Thanks a bunch Dominoes for making my life just a little bit easier.
@calgarywalker – that statement seems a little silly. You are blaming Domino’s for you taking care and making sure that what you are eating is safe? One thing I think is important to point out and I agree with the NFCA on is that how many small restaurants out there are looking out for you?
Any restaurant you go to that lacks a exclusively gluten free kitchen is putting you at a very very high risk for contamination. Every untensil, glove, hand, ingredient, must be without contamination. If they cook your steak on the grill.. did they clean it really well from the breaded item they cooked just prior?
How many of those small restaurants are looking out for you? Do they all have disclaimers?
Hi @calgarywalker-you hit the nail on the head! Those of us who were diagnosed with CD 10 or more years ago were diagnosed at a time when the dietician you saw for your visit after your diagnosis still instructed you to read every single label, and learn the 50+ alternate words for gluten containing ingredients on labels. I have never trusted, and will never trust (even if the FDA labeling every gets passed), the term “gluten free”. The only place that is actually gluten free is my kitchen at home. Period.
We have to deal not just with the physical problems (GI problems of course, but also neurological problems, arthritis, etc, etc), but more and more with social discrimination and ignorance all around us. Total ignorance and marginalization from the media, ignorance from family, friends and coworkers, the list goes on. This is how I explain CD to the many I encounter who don’t have a clue, but think they do: “Celiac disease is an auto-immune illness which is just as serious, complicated, and genetically based as diabetes, but unlike diabetes there is NO medication (other than home preparing every single meal from scratch since every restaurant is a cross contamination landmine) and (at least for now) NO cure.”
Love this! 🙂 Social discrimination is exactly how I feel, but couldn’t articulate. Thank you!
Just because you consulted with Dominos on how to be transparent, does not mean that you should have incorporated them into your restaurant program when they could not live up to appropriate standards for producing safe gluten-free products. This comes off as highly unethical for an organization that is supposed to be promoting awareness of celiac disease. You had the choice to back away from the promotion of their products while still warning consumers that they were not safe for celiacs to consume – you did not.
It is dumbfounding that an organization as large and as prominent as NFCA would not think of all of the negative ramifications on quality of life of patients with celiac disease that will occur due to their endorsement of Dominos through your GREAT Kitchens program. Obviously, you did not think about all of the people who will now have to justify to irate family or friends why “I can’t eat off of this gluten-free menu because it is not safe.” This can be incredibly stressful for patients and they can and will be tempted to eat foods that they knowingly should not consume due to peer pressure, especially if this has NFCA’s name attached to it. Just because there are warnings, does not mean that the general public will understand the potential risks. I have also been quite upset over the information that NFCA gave to Dominos on “Gluten Sensitive” consumers. Currently there have been no scientific studies showing the reaction threshold level, in gluten intolerant or sensitive patients. It is highly irresponsible to just assume that because an individual is “gluten sensitive” that they have a higher reaction threshold than an individual with celiac disease.
I am deeply disappointed with the actions of NFCA. This entire scandal could have been prevented if you had just been honest with Dominos and told them they could not take part in your restaurant program. All of the public releases and comments by NFCA that I have read, have left a very bad taste in my mouth due to the lack of understanding about why the gluten-free community is upset with you. It is not that we are unhappy with NFCA for trying to spread the word that Dominos is not safe for celiacs, we are unhappy because you are knowingly endorsing Dominos through your GREAT Kitchens program (which Dominos pays you to be a part of) when it is not safe for the people that your organization is supposed to be serving.
Brilliantly stated! I couldn’t have said this better myself!
Love this! 🙂
I would add to ‘Concerned Observer’
To be clear here, NFCA developed a program with colored gradation of colors corresponding to the level of safety. In other words they intentionally created a program that puts celiacs at risk.
Safety for me is not based on percentages or colors. Something is either safe or not. Sugar coating the colors doesn’t change that. NFCA knows that and chose to ignore it for their own gain.
The only color here was green and it had nothing to do with certifying anything. $$$
Totally agree. Why the heck have an “amber” color? There is no amber for celiacs.
I don’t understand why it’s so hard for Dominoes to have a separate space to make gluten free pizza meant for celiacs. They shouldn’t call it gluten free when it’s not 100% gluten free. I actually got excited at first when I heard about it, and after reading blogs I was pretty annoyed. Definitely won’t be trying the pizza
this whole situation annoyed me, i wouldn’t go to dominos anyway, THEIR PIZZA SUCKS
This so frustrating in so many ways. I have recently wrote articles promoting the NFCA. What in the world are they thinking? Don’t they of all people know that a gluten-free diet means no gluten whether you are sensitive, Celiac or intolerant. The treatment is still gluten-free.
Agree with 99% of comments above, especially the fact that it is disappointing that celiacs still can’t pick up a phone an order a safe Gfree pizza delivery from a chain. The time will come – yet I will still wonder while eating my slice whether some gluten crumb didn’t happen to inadvertently land on top of it – this is a reality whether dining in a restaurant with a GF “certified” menu or not. Our safety is always put on the line, unless we have total control over the prep. Yes, it is obvious Domino CEOs wanted to appeal ($$$) to the Gfree (non-celiac) eating population who believe eliminating gluten is healthy & will keep them slim (?) (and yes, how inappropriate – I’m being nice – to release GF crust during CAM) but I have no problem with allowing non-celiac consumers the choice of eating gluten-free. We of course do not have a choice. I think Dominos made a decent effort of telling people it was unsafe for celiacs, that there was potential for cross-contamination. The NFCA is looking out for our best interest. I do have to admit I misinterpreted a PR statement from Dominos about their level of certification from NFCA (green, amber??) it was confusing, and I inaccurately tweeted that NFCA “certified”, instead of “consulted” with Dominos (a big oops), but quickly deleted tweet and sent out follow-up tweets SHOUTING that the pizza was UNSAFE for celiacs .. certainly within the hour every celiac knew it was unsafe from numerous sources. For those questioning NFCA’s credentialing program, there is a podcast coming up with Jules, may want to listen in…
Hi Paula @CeliacCorner , your comment – I have no problem with allowing non-celiac consumers the choice of eating gluten-free. We of course do not have a choice. – It seems very wrong the fad people say they are gluten free and than when a pizza comes along advertised as gluten free but is not safe for celiac so it’s not really gluten free . Which mean the fad dieters are not really gluten free I can’t stand how people who don’t need a GF diet act like they are GF and than something like this comes along and they will eat it even though it’s not GF . They have to be consistent they either eat gluten free or don’t can’t just pick and choose when it suits them .
What about celiac’s who don’t use the internet would they still find out the pizza is not safe ? My biggest problem is gluten free food being advertised as gluten free when it’s not . If someone doesn’t live in america and knows nothing about this and than goes to america and sees GF pizza advertised they would think it’s ok to eat ?
This whole thing just gets more confusing! Where do I listen to the podcast???
You can listen to podcast here: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/gluten-free/2012/05/10/alice-bast-from-nfca-on-dominos-gf-pizza-gluten-free-voice
Dude hope you don’t mind me replying to your visitors 🙂
My blog is your blog…
a “trendy disease?” Wow, I’m speechless. They really have gone down to a new low, haven’t they? I’m sure if they called AIDS or Diabetes a “trendy disease” they would not get away with it. WTF!
I just want to thank EVERYONE for your involvement and passion. It’s a battle that needs to be fought and we will indeed continue the fight to be taken seriously and to stay healthy on behalf of all celiacs.
Just say NO to DomiNOs.
No way that “GF” pizza is going to be safe in that gluten-filled landmine of a restaurant.
Thought you guys might be interested in what Dr. Fasano had to say about Domino’s….
http://somvweb.som.umaryland.edu/absolutenm/templates/?a=1873&z=5
IH
and your math problems are killing me, Dude. Thank you for not making them word problems like those that started “a train leaves Chicago traveling 128 miles per hour…. ” otherwise, I’d never get on here to post. :>)
THOUGHT YOU ALL MIGHT LIKE TO SEE WHAT GIG HAD TO SAY–
WE ARE BEING HEARD!
> From Gluten Intolerance Group FB :
Open Letter to Alice Bast, Exec Director, NFCA
May 12, 2012
Alice,
NFCA needs to remove the Amber designation from the Dominos “gluten-free” pizza. It is not safe for anyone requiring a gluten-free diet for medical reasons. NFCA’s reputation as a respected organization is suffering by giving a useless Amber designation to Domino’s gluten-free pizza. I implore you to consider the community we all support and want to help. Make the GREAT Kitchen’s Amber designation disappear for good.
There is inherent liability in the GREAT Kitchens Amber designation that will have serious ramifications to the food industry and those of us who are working to make a difference for all persons living gluten free.
1. Dividing the gluten free community is wrong. All persons living a gluten-free life style should have the same safe options in foods. Nearly the entire world accepts a definition for what gluten-free means. Stricter is better, but less than the standard is unacceptable. It goes against everything science tells us.
2. The GREAT Kitchens Amber sign is a useless designation for restaurants that causes confusion and consequently mistrust of the restaurant industry and the organizations who are working so hard to help them. The Amber designation sets us back years on all the strides we have made to get the food industry to embrace safe gluten-free foods.
Thursday night I listened to the Jules’ Gluten-Free Radio talk show with you as her guest. I have tried to make sense of your position for the GREAT Kitchens program Amber designation. I cannot understand why you are so passionate about a decal that sends mixed messages. The decal clearly states “GLUTEN-FREE” and ‘Kitchen practices may vary”. In a press release, you state NFCA’s GREAT Kitchens Amber designation is for “restaurants offering gluten free products with varying kitchen practices, therefore suitable for those with gluten sensitivity.” Yet the description of the program on your website states, “Amber Designation – …requires ingredient verification and basic training of wait staff and managers.” Kitchen practices may vary … meaning those with celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity should ask questions and exercise judgment when dining at an establishment with an Amber Designation.” These are two very different messages about the Amber designation.
Your biography states you are someone who is widely regarded as a celiac expert. I know you also attend many scientific meetings on gluten-related disorders. As such, your position that the Amber designation is helpful is even more alarming.
The GREAT Kitchen’s Amber designation sends a confusing and dangerous message to gluten-free consumers, yet you stand boldly and confidently behind it. I would be concerned about a malpractice suit.
As a national leader and dietitian, representing consumers with gluten-related disorders, I feel the GREAT Amber designation is not only dangerous, but also irresponsible. Eventually this program will hurt our constituents.
I feel NFCA’s messages related to what the Amber designation means for Domino’s gluten-free pizza crust, compared to statements on your website and by Domino’s are confusing. What does this really mean to consumers? Is it gluten-free or not? The sign says it is; the message says it is not. The sign does not say “not safe for celiacs, but may be ok for gluten sensitive persons”. The sign does not say, “Buyer Beware.” The sign does not say what you said on Jules’ radio show about its meaning, or what Dominos disclaimer says. So if the disclaimer is not with the sign or gluten-free pizza crust, what do you think an unaware consumer is going to think?
I believe it would have been better for NFCA to tell Dominos that the cross contamination of the gluten free crust is too great and that NFCA cannot endorse such a product as gluten free. Why would NFCA work to raise awareness of cross contamination by endorsing a cross-contaminated product?
Every time I read someone’s post that they have no symptoms when eating Domino’s gluten-free pizza, I cringe and get angry. We have all heard the medical experts say many times that ‘a lack of symptoms is NOT indicative of a lack of damage being done internally’. This is a major lawsuit waiting to happen. Stop using the GREAT Kitchen Amber designation now.
The celiac centers are also telling you this is a bad idea. Please listen to us all.
I hope that unnecessary harm will be adverted by NFCA taking immediate corrective action.
Cynthia Kupper, RD, GIG Executive
I am old enough to remember when Polio was called Infantile Paralysis. Maybe it’s time for a label name change.
Forget Gluten Free we NEED Celiac Safe (no manufacturing issues allowed) as a designation.
When friends started telling me about Dominoes going gluten free, I thought it was very odd my niece hadn’t notified me since she is an assistant manager at Dominoes in my town. I saw her the other night and asked her about it. She knows how sensitive I am to gluten. She would never recommend it to anyone. When customers order online she calls them to let them know. Employees need to be aware and trained on gluten sensitivity. If I ate it I would be out of work for several day!
That’s very interesting Barbara. Thank you.
Domino’s in Australia also has a GF crust, and their online ordering site indicates which toppings are GF. But they have the same disclaimer about it not being made in a dedicated GF environment so they can’t guarantee cross-contamination. I tried it anyway, and yup – I suffered. Now I order from a smaller, family-owned pizza joint which offers a GF crust…and maybe they’re taking a bit more care, because I haven’t gotten sick. I know – I could still be ingesting gluten. But when I am SO careful about everything else, I take a bit of a walk on the wild side by ordering it every Friday night 😀 So far, so good! I’m so sorry for all the folks in the US who got excited about Domino’s, only to then have their hopes dashed. And I really, really hope no celiac ever eats their pizza!!
None of my business Karen, but if you have celiac disease, you simply cannot take any walks on the wild side. Please take care of yourself.
Guys, hate to butt in here, but some of you seem genuinely confused about testing for gluten antibodies in celiac disease.
You WANT your test results to be NEG after going GF. This is the whole point of being on a GLUTEN FREE diet. To knock the antibodies down and stop the autoimmune attack on your intestines and your body. High antibodies mean active Celiac Disease. You may wish to read about how the disease process works and why follow up care is essential.
Low or negligible antibodies mean the disease is in remission. It does not mean you are cured. There is no cure, only treatment.
If you are NEG before going GF, then a follow up blood lab is useless, obviously. If you had a POS biopsy, then they may do another a year later to see if the villi are regrowing. But it does not mean you are cured.
It does not mean you are “just gluten sensitive” now! I do not know who told that big fat lie, but he was wrong.
Celiac—-is for life.
It is the only AI disease that we know what CAUSES it–Gluten.
And strict avoidance of it is what puts it into inactive status.
You cannot eat gluten again.
Not gluten light,
Not “maybe” gluten free.
Not Gluten free on Sundays and holidays or “just this once because Gramma made me cupcakes and she will be upset.”.
And certainly NOT pizzas made in a gluten-filled kitchen with shared equipment.
Sorry, but that’s the reality of being Gluten FREE and healing the damage done in a celiac gut.
If Dominos knew about their disingenous gluten-free advertising game just to jump on the bandwagon they have made a terrible mistake. It will take them a long time to regain any trust people had in them. If it was an honest mistake then they need to make some personnel changes in their operations. I am thinking that it was a decision by some neophyte ambitious marketing rep who sold the boss on an expensive and stupid idea. But, NFCA should know better. To even think of using amber codes to designate “maybe” gluten-free puts their organization in the same category as the Federal government that can’t decide how to come up with a definite precise definition of GF. They have set the NFCA stamp of approval back years. It will take them a long long time to re-establish it. Ask anyone who has ever been misled into consuming gluten (knowingly or unknowingly) and I am certain they will agree that this action by NFCA is disastrous to that organization. NFCA develop a new informed marketing plan; think before you make these kinds of moves, re-establish public trust in your endorsements. And if I may add one more suggestion: to really get out of this mess you have created, change your name!! It may be the one way to get back into the fold of trustworthy professional organizations.
I, and most celiacs, agree with you Donn 100%. They’ve been made a big mistake.
Great column, Gluten Free Dude, and I’m impressed at the caliber of comments here – its good to see that celiacs and people with allergies are banding together to help fight this!
This is ridiculous. I feel terrible that my favorite local pizza places, who have put way more work than Dominos has into this by having separate kitchens and real GF protocols are going to have their business hurt by the profiteering chain.
I’m disappointed in the NFCA for further muddying the waters with the amber/green designations. I only want to know about the greens – safe zones!
It’s a great community here Connie…thanks.
And yes indeed…GREEN ONLY
http://glutendude.com/celiac/nfca-amber-confusion/
it sounds like last night, they decided to put the Amber on suspension:
http://www.celiaccentral.org/nfca-statement-7937/
what are your feelings on this?
The Gluten free community’s voices were heard.
Power to the People!
I totally agree that Dominos is jumping on a bandwagon, and that the gluten free diet is obviously “trendy.” However, I wanted to assert that I am one of many gluten sensitive people who do not test positive for (or have) Celiac’s Disease. Gluten sensitivity is recognized by many in the medical community as a real and different problem from Celiac’s. I am no expert, but it is my understanding that many gluten sensitive people can eat products with trace-small amounts of gluten (for example, something ‘cross-contaminated’) and not suffer the same consequences as a person with Celiac’s.
And, no, I did not ‘self-diagnose’. I monitored my symptoms for months, spoke with my doctor about my concerns, got tested for Celiac’s, and had IgG testing (I know this is not completely reliable). But not everyone who tests negative for Celiac’s and still eats a gluten-free diet (or “low” gluten diet if you prefer) is a trend jumper who doesn’t really need to avoid gluten.
In fact, I tried the gluten free crust from Dominos about a week ago and had no adverse reaction. Had I eaten their regular wheat crust, I would have had a variety of symptoms: fatique, bloating, stuffy nose, possibly a sore throat or headache, and stomach cramps, chapped lips, and/or tonsil stones the next day.
I’m not promoting Dominos, and I don’t know what this comment contributes really, but I just wanted to offer a different perspective.
Hi Amber. You’re not Amber from the NFCA’s Amber Designation, are you? Ok…bad joke.
I appreciate your perspective and I’m not questioning what Domino’s means for people like you. If you can tolerate it, wonderful.
But the issue is the way they marketed it as gluten-free and used the NFCA as a partner, to make it seem like it was safe to all those who had issues with gluten (unless of course you read the small print).
It was just a crappy process all the way thru.
NOT defending Domino’s, but you asked why they bothered… probably because there are many local pizza places, some of which deliver and some that don’t, that offer gluten-free pizza crusts, so they are just trying to compete.
I don’t know why anyone would want to take a chance there when you can just make your own gluten free pizza at home… it’s so easy.
I think you answered your own question…why would anyone take a chance? So then…why did they bother?
Weeks later I still don’t understand that whole Domino’s thing either. I don’t get who they are even catering to. The whole thing just makes no sense. If you are going to offer a gluten free crust, then shouldn’t there be some sort of precautions taken. It just seems like they are saying, ‘oh, here you go. it’s here if you want it.’ The dumbest part is that anyone with half a brain that has to eat gluten free would NEVER even consider this as an option….but they have.
I am part of a gluten free support group where I live and we just talked about the support group in a neighboring town that decided to try it out for a meeting last month. There are several things wrong with this and I can’t believe that celiacs would be so careless. First of all, Domino’s is making a HUGE profit off of this. The lady that ordered the pizzas called and asked for a discount if they ordered several pizzas. They didn’t tell her upfront what the cost would be, so she just ordered them and went to pick them up. Upon arrival they told her the charge was $4/pizza. WTH??? So you mean to tell me you can make a profit charging that little and still raise the price to $12 otherwise? Can we say SCAM!?!?! The other thing is that why would you ever take a chance on ordering this pizza when you clearly knew it wasn’t meant for us celiacs??? Her claim was that she told them ahead that they needed to be EXTRA careful so they supposedly made the pizza ‘in the back’ and away from everything else. Ummm….no thanks!! How irresponsible, IMHO. I was told multiple times by different people from this group that they didn’t get sick. Really?? Are you sure? Nope. You can’t be. Just because you weren’t throwing up or had you-know-what, to me, doesn’t mean it didn’t do you harm.
Nonetheless the whole thing is ridiculous! I too hate that stuff like this gets out there because people don’t do their own research and just assume that these large companies/corporations even care. HA!!
Well…I agree that it’s kind of half-assed, but it has been beneficial to me personally. I have celiac and anytime that the family would want Domino’s, I’d end up prepping my own pizza at home so that we could all have the same thing for dinner.
When Domino’s introduced wings, I went to my local location and talked to the manager. While there was obviously airborne flour and there wasn’t a huge separation in the prep areas, there was at least an attempt. So, as I always do with something new, I took samples of the food and did strip tests on everything before eating it. I assumed the worst for the first three times that I ordered and now I don’t worry about it. It’s an expensive option, but I’d rather be safe than sorry. Since then, I’ve had something that I can eat when my family gets pizza.
I’ve had the gluten free crust pizza twice now and I went through the same process with them. it’s checked out both times. They prep it on it’s own little tray and off to the side. While the proximity to the regular crust makes me a bit nervous, it seems to be working *in this location* (keep in mind that every location is going to be different)
I agree that they could do more and that it’s a risky proposition. But I do think that it’s a step in the right direction. By at least having the gluten-free crust available, the location owners can put the processes and disciplines in place if they choose to. It doesn’t, by any means, gaurantee that they will. But without the option, they definitely won’t.
FYI: The test strips that I use are the EZGluten from Elisa. Unfortunately, they run about $10/strip and take 5 minutes to do a test. So, it’s not practical to use for every meal. But if you’re in doubt or vetting a place that you’re going to keep coming back to, they’re very useful.
It’s a risk that I don’t think any celiac should take. Is it really worth it?
And personally, I think it’s a step in the wrong direction because everything about it is wrong.
If you’ve got a business that’s working with you like that, I think its worth it. He’s tested and found it works for him. But that’s the approach we have to take to ALL restaurants, right?
It still begs the problem of questionable marketing and partnership with an organization that said they can’t meet the guidelines, yet went ahead with it anyway.
And I firmly believe after talking to several local restaurants who are doing protocol-like behavior (building major separations, measuring airborne flour, keeping supplies seperate, going through gluten education, etc) but don’t want to go for certification (kind of like organic farmers who can’t afford organic certification) are being damaged by this sort of behavior by the NFCA and Dominos because their former customers are using Dominos instead. Its a real shame.
Well…I certainly understand your view. But I firmly beleive that it’s a step in the right direction. (and there are a lot more steps to get them to a viable end-state)
Pros:
-Dominos recognizes that there’s a market for Gluten-free
-The crust actually *is* gluten free and actually pretty tasty
-It provides an *option* and incentive for location owners to step up and make it safe for customers.
-It lets people like me be part of the group when everyone wants Dominos. While I can make better pizza myself, anything that lets me be “normal” with friends and family is a big plus in my book.
Cons:
-It’s *not* gluten-free by default. It’s not being backed up with the appropriate training and procedures by corporate
-While Dominos is being very upfront about it not being a *safe* option, a lot of people are going to ignore the warnings and blindly trust that “gluten free crust” means “gluten free pizza”. (especially with the NFCA seal)
I’m sincerely hoping that this is just the first step for Dominos and that once the demand is proven out they’ll work with NFCA to retool the kitchens and processes. If they’re being smart, they’ll be able to see where the demand is and do some focused pilots with a new layout, tools and procedures.
Converting an operation like Dominos to handle gluten free has got to be a huge endeavour and I think that supporting the effort and providing constructive feedback has more value than just dismissing it. I’m not sure that they really could have done it any other way. Had they said “low gluten” pizza or “rice crust”, it wouldn’t do much to raise awareness. Instead, they’ve said “gluten free crust” and created a deluge of warnings for anyone who tries to order one.
It’s all a learning process and at least Dominos has cracked open the text book and started studying. It’ll be awhile before they graduate, but the process has started.
I completely agree with you, Gluten Dude! The reward is definitely not worth the risk in this situation. There are too many other possible sources a person can be ‘glutened’ by, and when you are making a poor choice, in my opinion, to eat at a place like Domino’s you are simply putting yourself more at risk…plain and simple!
And the reward is just…Domino’s. Nothing personal against them, but if I’m taking a risk, I’m going all out and not settling for a slice of take-out pizza.
Actually, the reward is about being able to eat with my family. I could care less if I ever ate another Domino’s pizza. But being able to be a part of “pizza night” with friends and family is priceless.
Your points are good and I too hope it’s a step…I just don’t have faith in the big companies to put us first and that’s what it comes down to.
But yes…enjoying family dinners out is quite special.
Just seeing this and thought I would weigh in. Not sure I understand why everyone is so bent out of shape. Dominos issued that warning more out of covering their ass from being sued because they did not have separate kitchens to assemble the pizza and could not 100% guarantee 0 cross contamination. I recently moved to Australia where Dominos also has gluten free pizza option – here they do not provide any such warning. After the whole uproar in the US came out I called them up and asked about their process (this after eating the pizza many times with no side effects). They do NOT make the GF crusts in any of the stores – it would take too much time and would require the stores to significantly expand. They are made off site at the special GF facility that is certified, individually plastic wrapped and then shipped to the stores. In the store they are handled with different gloves, baked on different trays etc.
However here is where the cross contamination comes in – if there is flour in the air from the normal pizza being made, maybe it gets on the crust or the bell peppers, cheese, tomato sauce etc as they do not use separate toppings. Its up to you to be informed and ask and find out that the bbq sauce has wheat in it while the tomato does not.
In a sue happy world I would add every disclaimer too and given how bent people have become over the issue can you really blame them?
We are in Idaho, and my husband & both kids are confirmed Celiacs.
Dominoes is, of course, located all over the state.
But in the Boise area, there is one particular Dominoes that goes to great lengths to prevent cross-contamination. One of their own employees has Celiac..
We have ordered pizza there half a dozen times since their inception of Gluten Free crust, and never once has my family gotten sick or had ill effects from the pizza. If anything, this once struggling locale is busier than ever now.
Pizza has wiggled itself into nearly every corner of social events, from birthday parties to office lunches, and no one gets left out anymore.
Thank you Dominoes!!!!
Hey Paula. Nice to hear it and I’m happy it works for you. It seems that location has their stuff together. But based on their practices, it would be hit or miss for each location. And therein lies the danger.
I was recently diagnosed, and I was invited over to a friend’s house to have dinner. Being a college student, a home cooked meal sound wonderful. When I asked what was going to be served, my friend told me that we were going to be having chinese food. Immediately, I knew I was going to have to bring my own meal to dinner because chinese food was bound to have soy sauce (and that has gluten). Then I got a call from my friend who said that they were going to order a dominos gluten free pizza for me. I was so excited! pizza! gluten free pizza! Those three words excite a celiac so much!
Needless to say, about fifteen minutes after eating a few pieces of the pizza, I started burping uncontrollably and my esophagus started ‘inflating’. My legs started hurting and becoming weak, and I felt horrible. GLUTEN. It was definitely cross contaminated.
I was not a happy camper. I have huge trust issues with restaurants now and how they advertise being ‘gluten free.’ Just because the actual food does not contain gluten, it does not mean that it was prepared in a celiac friendly environment.
BEWARE. DOMINOS GF PIZZA IS A LIE.
After 44 years of chronic conditions like sore feet, chronic fatique, sore joints and as years went on, Hashimoto Thyroiditis, etc, I was FINALLY three months ago diagnosed by a nutritionist as gluten intolerant. After three weeks on Gluten Free it felt like someone gave me, for the first time in my life, a fully functional body.
I ate Dominos Gluten free a couple times without issue. However, the last two times my symptoms came back. The issue seemed to be that the last two times it was later in the evening after the oven and prep area had time to be come very contaminated.
So I sent a very nice letter to Dominos telling them love their pizza and love their effort, especially I love the local folks that own our Dominos. I said “you know, one piece of foil fixes this.” That’s all. No, you don’t have to jump through hoops. Just a piece of foil or a disposable aluminum pan LIKE OTHER PLACES USE TO COOL GF pizza would fix this.
Dominos responded with their disclaimer. That was it. Just the discliamer. I sent a reply and said basically you know, if you can’t even throw in a piece of flippin foil to offer even a minimal level of assurance, then I have no choice but to think this is nothing but a gimmic.
But it’s worse than that. I think that there needs to be a law that if a company can’t assure a given level of “gluten free’ then they can’t use the term. But the federal govt looks at preperation process, not the result.
The opposite of this is “Omission Beer.” Because they use barley, the process uses gluten so they can’t say it’s gluten free. It sucks for them because, due to their brewing process, their beer meets the standard for “gluten free” AND they test every batch. I have had quite a few Omissions; they taste great and there is no after effect from the Gluten.
So bottom line; one gluten free product can’t promote themselves as such while Dominos is authorized to put “Gluten Free” on all of there promotional material for their dangerous pizza. Somewhere therein is a problem.
This is a fantastic comment Troy and one that does indeed need to be explored. I won’t drink Omission Beer and it sucks that they are being punished while other company’s produce more crap and get away scot free.
It sounds like the USA is generally still in thse dark ages with regard to GF food. Here in the UK we have a good range of GF foods which really ARE GF and many more labelled as suitable for celiacs. Dominos are launching their gf pizza on 19 Nov and Celiac UK have assured us that dominos have trained their staff how to make sure the pizzas are free of contamination. I will be trying one soon, so watch this space!!! If it has the smallest bit of contamination I will no about it for sure and will complain loudly to Dominos!!! I think you dueds should get together and form a goup or organization to look out for the welfare of celics in the USA. Good luck.xxx
I am a General Manager at a Dominos Pizza. I want people to know that, as with any profession, some people love to go above and beyond.
I made it clear to my crew the extra care required to sell a product such as a gluten free crust. When we receive an order wechange our aprons(however is a store is.following standard there would be no.flour only.cornmeal), we wash our hands, we open fresh bags of.cheese, use a clean laddle.for.the sauce, use toppings from fresh prepped units(never on.the line with the gluten toppings) we only use clean pizza cutters to.cut and keep it.away from other.boxes on.the heat.rack.
I can’t vouche for.my.fellow managers that they all do.this all across America, I just didn’t like the negativity toward Dominos. I try hard to serve the best pizza money can.buy to everyone who is willing let.us serve them.
Thank You, If only I had a way to know there was more managers like you.
There is no “flour flying”. They toss and stretch pizzas using cornmeal.. not flour.
I’m glad they offer it. I eat gluten free, but I’m not celiac. I have Crohn’s and eating gluten aggravates it. If I don’t eat gluten, I have no Crohn’s symptoms. Items that are gluten free but are made in facilities that manufacture gluten containing products have never bothered me. I believe I can ingest very small amounts of gluten with no problems.
I think you are being a little harsh. They’ve done all they can without totally restructuring their business. Their gluten free crust allows me to have pizza with my family. It definitely helps some.
Nope…not being too harsh at all. Dominos even has a disclaimer that it may not be safe for those who need to be gluten-free.
There is no gray area here.
There is gray area. Some people have a mild gluten intolerance. Celiacs aren’t the only people who eat gluten free.
Dominos is right. If you need to be 100% gluten FREE, there is a risk with eating their product. If you are like the majority of people who don’t eat gluten for other reasons it’s perfectly fine.
This is a celiac website…about celiac…for celiacs and others with severe gluten intolerance.
There is no gray area.
I appreciate the conversation 🙂
Jo, Domino’s does not train their employees well enough even for people who need to avoid gluten but who are able to handle trace amounts. As far as my friend and I can figure out, on two separate occasions our families were served the non-gluten-free pizza by accident. Her daughter does not react to trace amounts of gluten but she had a multiple day reaction after being served a “gluten-free” Domino’s pizza which tasted just like the conventional Domino’s pizzas and not like the “gluten-free” ones she had eaten previously. The same thing happened to my family.
I would be interested to see actual numbers on how many people who need to avoid gluten can handle trace amounts. I’m not sure it is the majority, as you claim. Of the people I know who avoid gluten, over half of them cannot handle trace amounts. I realize this is just my personal experience but I think you are basing a lot of what you are saying about Domino’s on your personal experience as well. I’m happy for you that you can go out to eat with your family. My son cannot and there are many others like him. Just recently Chuck E. Cheese found a way to serve actual gluten-free pizza without overhauling their facilities. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. If Domino’s wants to offer a pizza for people who want to avoid gluten but won’t become ill if they eat it, that’s fine. Then they need to label it “contains no wheat ingredients.” They can’t be bothered to make sure it is gluten-free and they shouldn’t be allowed to label it as such. Pleas try to see this from the point of view of the thousands of people who will end up sick or with sick children because they are fooled by Domino’s claims.
Great insight Jenny and it raises another point…
Do you really want to put your health in the hands of a Domino’s employee? This is not a knock on Domino’s, but I think any fast food joint or chain restaurant is dangerous because most likely you’ve got a server who either has been improperly trained or who just doesn’t give a shit.
I think the book “Wheat Belly” has a lot to do with people going gluten free. I don’t think it’s just a fad. It certainly isn’t for me.
BTW, if this website is about celiac, for people with celiac… you may want to put that in your header or something. To me it looks like any other fad gluten free website.
I find the blog and comments on this interesting. I would like to say that I am of mild sensitivity and that is from a doctor. I grew up in Europe and as most of my friends who moved to the US after high school are finding is that we’re suddenly gluten-sensitive. I believe this has to do with wheat being processed differently. I was originally diagnosed IBS and it took 8 years for them to figure it out.
When i was diagnosed “mild-sensitivity” that came with letting me know that I could try different things once I was clean to find out what set me off. None of which has been successful. If I’m not sick then I am breaking out and bloated and suddenly my pants are back to no longer fitting. Granted acne and bloating are not as bad as sick days, but they’re still not worth it to me.
I’ve actually had the “GF” Dominos not knowing that there was a chance of it being non GF. I guess my excitement and naivety got the best of me as this is still a new world. I’ve ordered it two or three times from the same restaurant in VA Beach an area where GF is quickly growing. I had zero problems and was quite impressed. And I know I tested for mild sensitivity but trace amounts has set me off before multiple times. Maybe it would be different if I tried it here in the middle of Southern illinois where people look at me like a have six eyeballs when I say Gluten free. I’m aware as to why celiacs wouldn’t want to try it, your side effects are abounding compared to ours. But if you’re mild, you could be in an area where its okay and where if you ask the right questions, you could be safe. I just wanted to give another view point from experience!
Not intending to be insensitive to the folks with celiac disease, it seems that Dominos and the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness have fully and clearly disclaimed that this crust is not for those that suffer from celiac disease.
There are two other issues at play here. First, some folks are trying to do a better job eating gluten free. I agree it isn’t easy and it takes time but things like this are a step in the right direction. Unfortunately, like so many other great causes, the extremes get on the boards and post about how horrible and ashamed these companies should be, as well as anyone who supports the product.
Never mind that they are tearing down members of their own species just to raise holy heck. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the over-reactions on this and other boards wouldn’t just have folks say “ah, the heck with it, not worth wading through all the crap” instead of trying their best to improve their health and lifestyle.
Second, and most important perhaps, is that this is supposed to help raise awareness of celiac disease, and ya know what? It worked. I didn’t know what this disease was, how it effected people or what was involved in helping folks. Now I know.
So I view this as being a positive instead of a negative and feel that perhaps those that are raising the biggest stink focus their efforts on making sure those that are writing about celiac and gluten-free do so more responsibly.
Or just keep on pitching a fit and scaring folks away.
After a really fun party last Sunday, watching football with friends and being over served all day, I thought I was just suffering from wine flu on Monday morning. By Tuesday I knew I’d been glutened, just wasn’t sure which party food did the nasty deed. I always come prepared with my safe munchies and my host did a fabulous job of making sure their food was GF…. Guess what we ordered for dinner when the daytime party turned into a Golden Globes Party? DOMINOES!!! I hoovered down 3 pieces like it was my job. Yummy! I would have had a fourth, but I felt obligated to share. Stumbled onto your AMAZING BLOG while googling & trying to figure out what I ate that was trying to kill me. Bingo! Very disappointed in Dominoes & honestly myself…teenagers slapping together pizzas in very tight quarters are probably not the most reliable GF chefs. Glad to know & really appreciate your blog & all the comment advice.
So, it’s been three years since this post began and in this world that’s an eternity. GlutenDude, any new information to share on this topic? My recently diagnosed 13 year old daughter loves the Domino’s GF but since hearing some of this negative publicity, we won’t allow her to have it any more. She never had a negative reaction (she’s fairly asymptomatic on the surface, which in some ways makes it tougher; especially to convince her!) but we’re trying to play it safe.
Hey Rob. I would not remotely risk it. Simply not worth it.