Americans love
pizza. Actually, American’s love a lot of foods they would be better off
without, but that’s a subject for a different blog. The point is, that for
those of us who refrain from eating gluten, having a national food chain
publicize that they are offering a gluten-free alternative of their food is a
validation. We feel that we’ve been heard and that enough of us are out there
that we are making a difference in the food that is being offered to us.
That’s the good
news. The bad news is that sometimes there is a ‘disconnect’ between the idea
of offering a truly gluten-free product and the practicality of that product
remaining gluten-free when the consumer ingests it.
What do I mean? I’m
talking about cross-contamination.
Dominos has made a
gluten-free crust – fact. However, Dominos did not delve into the problem of
cross-contamination. As soon as that gluten-free crust is unwrapped, it is at
the mercy of any wheat flour that may be floating around in the environment.
And if you think about pizza crust being thrown up in the air, you quickly
realize that unless every Dominos has a delegated room for their gluten-free
pizza, we are in trouble.
And just a short
time after their launch on May 7th, Dominos stated that store
operations are such that they cannot guarantee that the crust is free from
cross contamination when it reaches the customer.
This is a huge
problem! What it means is that this ‘gluten-free’ pizza is not safe to consume
for anyone with celiac disease, gluten sensitivity or a wheat allergy.
I am not alone in my
opinion, but the Celiac Research Center out of the University of Maryland and
the Gluten Intolerance Group concur. They too have stated that this product is
not safe to consume.
On a
more positive pizza note, the Chuck E. Cheese food chain has found a way to
eliminate cross contamination in their gluten-free pizza. While currently only
available in the state of Minnesota, Chuck E Cheese is offering a personal size
pizza that is made in a dedicated gluten-free facility where it is wrapped and
then delivered to the restaurant frozen. There it is cooked in the packaging
and when it is delivered to the customer, it comes with its own pizza cutter.
See?
That doesn’t sound too hard. Let’s tell Domino’s.
I recently had a
similar experience when a local bakery contacted me asking for my endorsement
of their gluten-free products while urging me to recommend them to my patients.
A short discussion revealed that they were taking no precautions to prevent
cross contamination and we making gluten-containing products in the same area
and at the same time as those that had gluten-free ingredients.
When I pointed out
this issue as a serious one, the owner stated that perhaps his food wasn’t for
the ‘hypersensitive people’. Well, you can imagine my response, even AFTER
taking a deep breath to contain my upset!
I asked him to
really get educated on the subject and made recommendations on how he could do
that. I never heard back from him.
Here’s the
cautionary take-home. Personally I was not that surprised that a little ‘mom
and pop’ bakery was not up to speed on cross contamination issues. However, I
was extremely surprised that a huge food chain such as Dominos was ignorant.
Being gluten intolerant requires a vigilance that is demanding. Therefore if
you find yourself in a restaurant or bakery, I strongly urge you to ask
questions before consuming their gluten-free products.
Questions you should
ask:
1.
What are the ingredients?
2.
Where is the product prepared?
3.
Is the company manufacturing the product a
designated gluten-free facility?
4.
What precautions does the restaurant or bakery
utilize to prevent cross contamination?
I hope this was
helpful. I’d like to hear back from you regarding any experiences you’ve had in
this area.
Would you help me
out and let others know these warnings? We work hard enough to maintain our
gluten-free status, we certainly don’t need to be given a false sense of
security from supposedly gluten free food options that are in fact
contaminated.
Do you need help
improving your health? Do you know someone who does? We are here to help! Our
destination clinic sees patients from across the country and internationally,
so even if you don’t live locally you can receive assistance.
Visit us at www.RootCauseMedicalClinic.com. If you have questions or need any help, I’m here for you! Call 408-733-0400.
I look forward to hearing from you.
To your good health,
Dr Vikki Petersen, DC, CCN, CFMP
IFM Certified Practitioner
Founder of Root Cause Medical Clinic
Co-author of “The Gluten Effect”
Author of the eBook: “Gluten Intolerance – What You Don’t Know May Be Killing You!”
Founder of Root Cause Medical Clinic
Co-author of “The Gluten Effect”
Author of the eBook: “Gluten Intolerance – What You Don’t Know May Be Killing You!”
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