Domino's New Gluten-Free Pizza

By now I am sure you have all read the headlines Domino's Pizza launched it's gluten-free pizza crust last week. But don't get too excited the news came with a disclaimer, while the pizza crust is certified gluten-free, the pizza itself is still prepared and cooked in oven with gluten filled pizzas. I thought I would write a quick post to give you some of the facts on the new pizza from Domino's.

Yes, Domino's, the world's largest delivery pizza chain jumped on the $6.2 billion dollar gluten-free bandwagon along with the likes of Frito-Lay, Subway, Anheuser-Bush, and P.F. Chang's (*more about them below), boldly stating that "they are the first national pizza delivery chain to offer a gluten-free option". 6% to 8% of the US population are on some kind of gluten-free diet, according to Alice Blast the president of the National Foundation of Celiac Awareness.

Domino's press release states,

“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 National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA) states,

“Please be advised all of Domino’s menu items, including pizza made with Gluten Free Crust, are prepared in a common kitchen. While the Gluten Free Crust contains no gluten ingredients, there is a risk of gluten exposure. NFCA supports the availability of Gluten Free Crust at Domino’s, but CANNOT recommend the pizza for customers with celiac disease. Customers with gluten-related disorders other than celiac disease should exercise their own judgment in consuming pizza made with Gluten Free Crust."

Jump on over to the NFCA's FAQ page regarding Domino's new gluten-free pizza to find out more information. Here are a few interesting bits but I highly recommend you check out the entire FAQ if you are sensitive to gluten and are thinking of ordering up Domino's new crust.

The Gluten Free Crust is stored in a separate area of the walk-in cooler until it is ordered.
The Gluten Free Crust pizza is made on the same pizza screen and uses the same makeline, ingredients, and utensils as all other pizzas.
Employees use the same pizza peel and pizza cutter on the Gluten Free Crust pizza as all other pizzas.
There is no airborne flour in the store. Domino’s® ingredients that contain gluten and should not be added to a Gluten Free Crust are, Philly meat, Alfredo sauce, and Cheddar sauce.

So what are the facts that we know at this time? The crust is indeed certified gluten-free, however each pizza will be prepared and cooked along side non-gluten-free pizzas, and the pizza is not intended for folks who are extra sensitive or have celiac disease. Oh and by the way, just like every other gluten-free product, it will be $3 dollars extra.

According to Domino’s, the pizza is safe for people with a mild gluten sensitivity. Personally, I feel like it is geared towards people who have gone gluten-free as a part of a fad diet.

It's not surprising that Domino’s would jump on the fad bandwagon, like I stated above it's a $6.2 billion dollar industry, but I will say I'm a little disappointed that they don’t have more regard for those who need to eat gluten free for medical and health reasons and are not willing to go the extra step to insure their pizza's are safe for the entire gluten-free community.

To read more facts and questions about Domino's new gluten-free pizza crust head over to Domino's gluten-free FAQ page.

What is your opinion on Domino's new gluten-free pizza crust? Will you be trying it?

*P.F. Chang's currently has 25 gluten-free dishes and just added seven more to its menu, including Gluten-Free Caramel Mango Chicken and Gluten-Free Asian Tomato Cucumber Salad. P.F. Chang's also uses gluten-free soy sauce.

Frito-Lay, has begun to label more than a dozen of their packages with a special "GF" icon or a statement on the back of the bag on their gluten-free products.

Subway has been testing gluten-free products, bread and brownies, in four key markets since early 2011. Oregon being one of them look for my review coming soon!

Anheusher-Busch launched Redbridge in 2006 which was the first nationally available gluten-free beer and will also begin to roll out Michelob Ultra Light Cider in the coming months.