CALL TO ACTION: tell NFCA to ditch the Amber Designation
CALL TO ACTION: This concerns you whether you are gluten free for serious health issues or not!
In case you missed the controversy that began last week the introduction of Domino’s new gluten free pizza crust, that is not gluten free enough for celiacs, here’s a quick synopsis.
Domino’s partnered with the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness, a celiac advocacy group, to “craft their disclaimer,” and provide “front of house” training, and check to see if ingredients are gluten free before they are opened and handled in the restaurant. Turns out this training is to teach those who don’t make the pizza, the phone staff and cashiers, basically, to tell you that your gluten free pizza is not safe for you if you may get ill when you consume gluten.
When many first saw that the NFCA had put their name on this product, they assumed that some sort of real cross contamination training was happening, and that some sort of process was put into place to protect those who MUST eat gluten free for health reasons. Yes, there are many who choose to eat gluten free for a variety of reasons, but a pizza that’s safe for the most highly sensitive gluten free eaters, would certainly be good for them as well – not so much the other way around.
Domino’s has no designated gluten free prep area, no designated cooking area, no designated gluten free tools or toppings, yet the NFCA has given Domino’s a seal, perceived as approval, called their Amber Designation, which is for restaurants who AREN’T doing gluten free right. Huh? Rumor has it that the NFCA gets quite a bit of money for handing out this designation, while doing nothing to require the restaurants to improve their processes or even try to provide a good product for the gluten free consumer. (Note: Some are noting in the comments on this post that their Domino’s location handled the pizza well. That’s happy news, but not the point of this petition. If you cannot recommend your products for celiacs, then should a celiac advocacy group have their name associated with it? This is not an anti-Domino’s petition – they are not mentioned in it. NFCA is.)
Expect more restaurants turning out “sort of gluten free” meals to gain this Amber designation unless you help to tell the NFCA that you want restaurants to actually learn what it means to provide a good and safe product for all gluten free consumers. Why not partner with them to teach them how to do it instead of putting their stamp of approval on those who seem as if they are just attempting to profit from the growing gluten free market?
1 in 133, a celiac advocacy group started last year by Jules Shepard and John Forberger, has posted a petition to ask the NFCA to stop handing out the Amber designation to those willing to pay for it, but not willing to provide safe, gluten free food. This benefits all gluten free consumers, whether you are gluten free for serious health issues or not. Let’s ask the NFCA to use their position to educate restaurants that want to jump into the gluten free market.
SIGN THE PETITION
READ MORE and SIGN THE PETITION here.
LISTEN to Jules’ Radio Show from last Thursday with Alice Bast, director of NFCA.
Just educate your employees on cross contamination. I understand how tough it is to guarentee, but anyone with celiacs knows and accepts that risk. Step up and be a leader Dominos!
All for the money. Do they realize how sick people can get!
I have found that many establishments advertise gluten free foods that really only have one part of the dish truly gluten free. Some restaurants think that offering a gluten free pasta makes the entire dish ok for those with health concerns. If I had not called and asked very specific questions about other contents in the dish, I would have ordered the food and thought I was safe. I am signing this petition and hope everyone else does too.
They Need to be more strict withe the “Gluten Free” cooking and to actually not only look at the one ingredient they changed but what about the rest??? The Sauce was not made gluten free.. it has carmel coloring which is a gluten product!!! Its False Advertising!
I am not Celiac but and intolerant. I would NOT buy this pizza for TWO reasons: #1. I don’t like getting sick when someone is careless, and #2. I HATE paying the EXPENSIVE PRICE everyone seems to think they can charge for a gluten free pizza! I’ll make my own, thank you!!
I hate typos! Should read but AM intolerant…
I am SICK after reading this article. Just sick. I have Celiac Disease and eating gluten is like eating RAT POISON. It can kill those of us with Celiac Disease! YUP! Kill us! If you are going to market something as Gluten Free…THEN MAKE IT GLUTEN FREE AND TRAIN YOUR EMPLOYEES ABOUT CELIAC DISEASE AND CROSS CONTAMINATION! I do believe that I have said enough and have gotten my point across. Oh…Mr. CEO of Dominoes…would YOU like to partake of some rat poison and see how that makes your stomach (and the rest of your body) feel?
Gluten free is not just a tag to be slapped on food that doesn’t contain wheat. If I see gluten free on something, I believe that it is safe to eat. Gluten free also needs to be PREPARED safely. That means dedicated surfaces, tools, and ingredients that haven’t been contaminated by wheat ingredients. Gluten free isnt just a trend. It I’d a serious health concern and allergen. Please take it seriously for those who get seriously ill for even the smallest contaminant.
My daughter and I are both Celiacs. Try telling us that we “might” get sick eating a pizza at Dominos because someone was not trained properly or because they don’t have a proper prep area. Guess what? My own kitchen is clean and I know how to cook properly! Hospital bills are $$$$$
It isn’t gluten free if it’s in the same kitchen with the same utensils. I have celiac and it’s hard enough to keep yourself healthy without idiots like these advertising false promotions! Eating gluten free has become a fad diet and for those without celiac that is a risk they can take, but for those of us who are intolerant or severly allergic, companies really need to understand something completely before offering these alternatives!
Interesting that mom & pop pizza places are able to designate a true prep area for gluten free and juggernauts like Domino’s can’t. Having a gluten free crust prepped in an area where gluten based crust is also prepped is a fail.
Think of it this way, would you eat a pizza that was prepped in an area where they also crushed glass? If you cannot truly prep an area for gluten free food then it shouldn’t be noted on the menu that it is gluten free. Because there is only red and green, there is no amber regardless of what marketing folks have to say about it.
Not all caramel coloring is made from gluten products. Cross contamination is always a risk in a facility that uses any gluten products and tries to serve gluten free food. Most of all though, I ordered a pizza from Domino’s the other night and the person taking the order specifically told me I didn’t want the pepperoni because I was getting a gluten free crust. I realize they still need to grow into the separate prep area and untensils, but they should get some credit for what they are trying to do. I’ve been to restaurants where the workers had no idea what gluten even was even though they had a gluten free menu. At least they are teaching their people to read labels and pass information along to the customers.
Anyone that is Gluten Intolerant or Celiac, and is serious about their health would never even contemplate eating that… Shame on Domino’s Pizza and The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness, the celiac advocacy group… What is happening to humanity? How did it become legal to poison people and get paid for it?!?!?! You are predators… Using peoples weaknesses and desire to have normal food, just to put money in your own pockets…
Both of my girls are extremely gluten sensitive. When I spoke with our local Dominos, I was told that the crusts come premade, are immediately placed on a clean pan and then the box and never directly touch a surface. After the manager confirmed my girls are not in fact celiac, he sold me 2 cheese pizzas. My children CRIED it was so delicious. And, the best part? No hives, no breathing problems, NO SYMPTOMS! I know this isn’t a perfect solution, but for some, it’s pretty incredible…and only $8.99 each!
Totally disgusted by their false advertisement!!
It is totally irresponsible for a celiac awareness group, which is supposed to help people with celiac disease, to put their “seal of approval” (green, amber, purple, it doesn’t matter!) on a product not safe for the group of people it is supposed to represent. Period.
One would think that a seal would mean something….. Those with Celiac should be able to trust something like that but again…disappointed. It’s probably expensive and disgusting anyway…
I have several life-threatening food allergies and it comes down to this: You simply cannot trust other people preparing your food 100 percent of the time. It’s always going to be “caveat emptor” when it comes to eating out. No matter how careful a restaurant is, there is always the threat of cross-contamination. That doesn’t mean you can’t have great experiences dining out, but there is always an assumed risk involved.
And those of you who have ever worked in a fast-food kitchen know that there’s simply no way for a major chain to take on the risk of *guaranteeing* anything is gluten-free, vegan, dairy-free, nut-free, etc. Look at the major coffee chain Dunkin’ Donuts: When pressed to declare whether their foods are nut safe, they opted for a disclaimer saying any of their products can have allergens at any time.
If you have food allergies, you either accept the risks of eating “out in the world” – asking a million questions and satisfying your own due diligence and hoping for the best – or play it safe and make your own at home.
This saddens me. I was given a “gfree” pizza yesterday as a Mother’s day gift from my husband (haven’t had take-out pizza in over 4 years!). Later, I wasn’t feeling very well and still feeling the effects today. The pizza was delicious but not worth me buying another one because I’m so sensitive to any amount of gluten. I knew there would be a risk but not willing to take another one…at least until they have stricter guidelines in place. Come on, Domino’s, step up please!!
Just signed. I call for a new designation instead of amber: Gluten-ish
Shame on you NCFA for endorsing a product YOU know someone with Celiac can not consume due to crosscontamination. As a consumer I do everything to keep my child safe.I can no longer trust the information your organisation puts out there!!!! Do the right thing and help Dominos Pizza make this right! A life is way more important than makng a quick buck.SHAME ON YOU NCFA SHAME ON YOU!!!
When I first saw that Dominos had gluten-free pizza, I thought of how great it would be to actually be able to eat pizza on a whim. Well, I read their little disclaimer about cross contamination and immediately couldn’t deem it safe. I have Celiac disease. Three years of intense medical problems with too many hospital visits and surgery… I really don’t want to go through that again just because these restaurants and the NFCA want to make money! It’s already bad enough that gluten-free food is so expensive… We don’t need one more thing to worry about! If a restaurant wants to offer gluten-free food, then they need proper training, working knowledge of cross contamination, and a firm understanding that what they offer MUST truly be gluten-free… or they can’t call it gluten-free! This really surprises me that the NFCA would endorse something Celiacs can’t eat. Now all of us are going to have to reconsider eating out anywhere!
Thanks for ‘trying’ Dominos! Don’t say it’s gluten free and turn around to say it’s not safe for celiacs!
I need to avoid gluten of all kinds and so does my 7 year old grandson, this is misadvertisement. I won’t eat this or tell anyone to try this GF pizza ?!?! anyone could become very sick due to any sensitivity or celiac perosn. VOTED OUT !!!!
I am so thrilled about Dominos new gluten-free crust! It was amazing! Thank you, Dominos for offering an alternative. It is wonderful to share the pizza experience with my family. It taste awesome too!
I love the debate! I’m so glad to see more efforts from all parties. NFCA must do the right thing and stop Amber Designation for sale. Celiacs are responsible for understanding & accepting all risks of eating out. Domino’s gets Kudos for trying in my book. I ALWAYS read the fine print & I like the disclaimer. I’m glad to be part of such blogs that help change the future for other Celiacs!
For those of us with gluten intolerance, allergies, or Celiac Disease, having to go online to research what is ‘safe’ to eat while going out is not only challenging and time consuming, it is necessary for our continued good health. What good does this do us if restaurants don’t follow up by ensuring cross contamination doesn’t occur? If they can’t do this, then they should not get a GF designation.
For those of us with gluten intolerance, allergies, or Celiac Disease, having to go online to research what is ‘safe’ to eat while going out is not only challenging and time consuming, it is necessary for our continued good health. What good does this do us if restaurants don’t follow up by ensuring cross contamination doesn’t occur? If they can’t do this, then they should not get a GF designation.
If you can prevent salmonella in the kitchen, you can prevent cross-contamination. Commit to it.
I see I am not the only one that calls Gluten rat poison.
Not many listen about it and I am getting tired of explaining it to everyone. Most don’t believe you anyhow.
went on a roadtrip yesterday and dominos was the only place coming up as having gluten free where we were so hubby went to get me one as blood sugars were dropping rapidly and guy behind the counter says we only do buy 1 get 1 free to which my hubby says no gluten free and the guy was adament that they could only sell me a normal pizza on a bogof so wouldnt touch dominos with a barge pole now as they obviously have no training at all!!
Wow, Stef. I can’t decide if that’s funny or sad, but it’s definitely scary. Thanks for sharing.