So, Domino’s Pizza Australia is doing a range of gluten free pizzas now.
Which is great, it truly is. I was over the moon when I heard, knowing that some days, I would just really like to be able to buy a pizza, without all the hassle of making my own bases.
I did a quick search, to see if it really was true, or if it was a rumour and no, definitely truth.
Inevitably I wondered at the price of gluten free bases and so clicked over to the Domino’s website to check out the pricing on gluten free bases.
Only to find this when I moused over the gluten free base selection.
Gluten Free Base* Although all due care is taken with your order, your meal may contain traces of gluten. Please note your pizza topping selection may not be gluten free.
I was struck dumb, before starting to swear and curse just a little.
What use is a gluten free pizza, if it isn’t actually gluten free? I am not taking objection to the possibility of some of the topping choices not being gluten free. I know to avoid those. However, there are 13 toppings advertised as being GF choices.
And if it were just the toppings that were not gluten free, wouldn’t it only mention toppings? Not this line about ‘Although all due care is taken…’
So, Dear Domino’s,
Did you know in Australia, to declare something GLUTEN FREE, it needs to actually be, GLUTEN FREE?
It is illegal in Australia, to call something gluten free, if there is a chance it may contain traces of gluten. ILLEGAL.
False advertising all around and I am fuming.
Now, if I hadn’t researched, if I’d just gone down to the local pizza shop and bought a pizza that is declared GLUTEN FREE and endorsed by the Coeliac Society of Australia, then there is a good possibility that your pizza would have made my little girl very ill.
When she has gluten, it damages her intestines. She gets stomach pain and diarrhoea. Her behaviour deteriorates and she can’t control her moods or her body properly. She can’t absorb any nutrients from her gluten free diet and she loses weight, all because of a little bit of gluten.
It takes her gut THREE WEEKS to heal. Three weeks of a very sick little girl, all because something that should have been gluten free was contaminated with trace amounts of gluten.
It’s not good enough Domino’s, not good enough at all.
And to the Coeliac Society of Australia, I think your research was flawed and for you to be endorsing a product that isn’t actually gluten free disappoints me.
Edited to add:
I have spoken to the Coeliacs Society of Australia and they want to make it very clear that they are only endorsing the BASES of Domino’s gluten free pizza’s. The bases are made elsewhere and are certified gluten free.
Forgive me for thinking this, but when you say gluten free pizza, I imagine a base with tomato and toppings and cheese on top. Not just a baked base. Yes, the base might be gluten free when it leaves the factory, but it doesn’t stay that way if it is then contaminated with gluten while in the Domino’s store. And Dominos even says itself that they have 13 different gluten free toppings – so why aren’t they endorsed too? Oh wait, that’s right, because they can’t guarantee the gluten free status of them.
I am so so angry.
**
Edited to add – I left this in the comments, but thought it would probably be better up here.
The Laws –
16 Claims in relation to gluten content of food
(1) Claims in relation to the gluten content of food are prohibited unless expressly
permitted by this Code.
(2) A claim to the effect that a food is gluten free must not be made in relation to a food
unless the food contains –
(a) no detectable gluten; and
(b) no –
(i) oats or their products; or
(ii) cereals containing gluten that have been malted, or their products.
From here – http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/_srcfiles/ACF2A90.pdf Page 15 of the PDF file. From Food Standards Australia and New Zealand
***
I am unsticking this post, not because Domino’s has addressed my concerns (form letter – not good enough) but because the tone of the comments is getting nasty and I’m not quite prepared to deal with much more personal nastiness. That said, comments will remain open and I will continue discussions with Domino’s, The ACCC and Food Standards Australia in regards to the illegal labelling.
Well done Dominoes. *rolls eyes*
Having worked at a Domino’s previously, I imagine that the non-gluten-free aspect of it has to do with the fact that the pizza will be made at the same work station and baked on the same trays that all the yummy, glutteny-pizzas are cooked on. They won’t do anything special in terms of using different spatulas or anything like that— they may if a manager is watching, but the second he turns his back they’ll stop.
That doesn’t mean I recommend buying it, but I just think it has more to do with the handling of it and less to do with the inherent ingredients.
And that’s really where the big problem is, in the cross contamination. By rights, you can’t call something gluten free here if it is cross contaminated.
Did you fire off this post to Dominos as well? They really need to know how serious this issue is.
I found a range of gluten free frozen pizzas in the freezer section at Coles a while back, so I bought one to try. It was absolutely the worst pizza I ever tried to eat. Obviously more companies need to work on this and find a recipe that’s palatable as well as gluten free.
River – I did indeed. I sent them a link to the page, as well as a letter of complaint.
It’s a disclaimer like the peanut thing – NUT FREE *this was processed on machinery that also process products that contain nuts. There’s no nuts IN IT, that doesn’t mean that it hasn’t been contact with nuts and won’t still kill someone with an allergy. It sucks, but I think it is actually legal in terms of wording and advertising… even though it shouldn’t be.
Kate – as far as I can tell with Australian Legislation, things actually have to be completely gluten free and free from cross contamination to be declared gluten free here. Getting things stamped Gluten Free is meant to be quite a difficult process because of our laws.
Wow, that’s pretty disgusting to call it “Gluten Free” and then have a small disclaimer. I get that there might be issues with cross-contamination, but I think if they are going to advertise it as being gluten free, it should be gluten free – no ifs or buts, especially since it’s something that is a medical thing, not a lifestyle choice!
The Laws –
16 Claims in relation to gluten content of food
(1) Claims in relation to the gluten content of food are prohibited unless expressly
permitted by this Code.
(2) A claim to the effect that a food is gluten free must not be made in relation to a food
unless the food contains –
(a) no detectable gluten; and
(b) no –
(i) oats or their products; or
(ii) cereals containing gluten that have been malted, or their products.
From here – http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/_srcfiles/ACF2A90.pdf Page 15 of the PDF file. From Food Standards Australia and New Zealand
OMG! That is really irresponsible of Domino’s. Really shameful. Will now RT Kim’s tweet.
Certainly in the UK you can only call something *** free if it is totally free of *** and has not been in contact with, contaminated by or cross-contaminated (however you want to phrase it) by ***. I can buy something if it says “nut free” safe in the knowledge that it has never been anywhere near a nut or anthing else that has been near a nut.
I would hope that would be fairly standard the world over because if I feed my son something that claims to be nut free then I would expect it not to kill him.
Fair enough.
Gluten free should mean gluten free.
I took the disclaimer to mean that whilst the base is gluten free, many of the toppings, for example salami or other processed meat, often contain some gluten. Perhaps I’ve misinterpreted but I thought they were saying, “take care when choosing topping” essentially, which is, you know, fair enough really as they are only advertising the base as gluten free.
Aww that’s shitty
I guess they have to cover their asses just in case there is an issue with some cross contamination. But yeah… then why would they even offer it though? *puzzled* I guess some people may not be very smart and go “OH WOW, GLUTEN FREE!” and then top it with things full of gluten and get themselves into very big trouble?
Ali – I thought of that too, then wondered why they would mention the same thing twice.
“Although all due care is taken with your order, your meal may contain traces of gluten. Please note your pizza topping selection may not be gluten free”
Wouldn’t you just say – ‘Some of our toppings are not gluten free, so please choose wisely.’? Why mention the ‘traces’ of gluten and then mention that the toppings aren’t gluten free.
I might be reading it wrong, but I don’t think I am.
I was told by dietitians for several years that for anything to be advertised as gluten free in Oz HAS to be 100% gluten free.
Oz is the only country (up until a few years ago that I’m aware of) to enforce this strict 100% gluten free guideline.
One of the supermarkets was taken to court a few years ago (and got their arses kicked) for selling snags labelled as gluten free that had traces of gluten in them and caused a massive reaction in someone’s little daughter who had Coeliac’s Disease.
Don’t care if any company is an overseas-owned national, if they want to trade in other countries they better learn the local laws quick smart!
Australia and New Zealand
According to The Coeliac Society of Australia, “there are two types of foods suitable for those requiring a gluten-free diet:
* Foods labeled gluten-free
* Foods made for the general market which are gluten free by ingredient
To be labeled gluten-free in Australia and New Zealand, a food must contain “No Detectable Gluten’ by the most sensitive universally accepted test method. At the time of the printing of the Ingredient List, 7th Edition, testing can achieve a detection level of 0.0005 (5 parts per million). If gluten is not detected then the food can be labeled gluten free.”
http://www.glutenfreepassport.com/refcenter/education/labeling.html
I agree with you Veronica – it either is or isn’t. To me this is just a marketing ploy – surely if they ‘actually’ cared they would provide a list with a variety of gluten free toppings!
I know exactly the craving for not cooking and just ordering in. We did it with Domino’s not requiring the gluten free option but found them both fatty & salty, so far detatched from authentic Italian roots. Have decided to revert back to Plan A – homemade! My hands are complete rubbish for baking so my lovely mum makes the bases in bulk and we freeze them to use on an ‘when needed basis’. Having chosen the homemade option my kids are now spoilt and think that all food should come with freshly picked basil, shards of expensive fresh parmesan… I am my own worst enemy I think.
Good on you to take them to task.
Bloody awful… how stupid can they be, I mean really! >_<
Hey Dominos. I’d like to order 10 gluten free pizzas. Here’s a check* for $200.
*While I will do everything possible to insure there are funds in my bank account at the time you cash my check, I may fuck up and the check could possibly bounce. Sorry Dominos.
Criminally stupid! I hope someone sues them for misleading advertising. Is there a Trading Standards Ombudsman/whatever here in Oz? If not there should be, as they would be able to deal with this sort of rubbish.
Sharon – if I haven’t had an acceptable response by early next week, I’m going to get in touch with the ACCC who will fine them for misleading advertising. You CANNOT call something gluten free in Australia if it has gluten. EVEN if that gluten was caused by cross contamination. Not allowed. ILLEGAL.
I’ve got people on twitter arguing Domino’s case and okay, I get that. But their arguement seems to be that “[...traces of gluten are within the pizza...]because there is so much flour within the store, and the setup of the make bench.’
Um yeah, means it’s not gluten free. I am so angry about this, why do people not realise that if the food has gluten, it cannot be called gluten free under our labelling laws.
I think Dominos has seen a niche market and decided to exploit it, without any real research into how to carry out preparing GF pizzas and not contaminating them.
Oh thanks for updating on the laws…. I wrongly assumed it would be the same with the nut thing… which can claim to be ‘nut free’ but still be made on machinery that processes other things with nuts as long as they write that somewhere on the packaging… which really annoys me.
I hope you get some kind of response from Dominoes… but I reckon it still worth taking further if it is actually breaking the laws… go get em!
Kate – you’re welcome. We ought to be as strict on the nut thing as we are on gluten, nut allergies kill people. If I don’t hear back from Dominos with an acceptable response, I will be calling/emailing the ACCC and complaining about it.
it is advertised as a gluten free base, which it is, not a gluten free pizza. end of story.
Jake – Okay, so the base is gluten free supposedly, but by the time you turn it into pizza it is no longer gluten free?
WELL WHY IS IT ADVERTISED AS A GLUTEN FREE PIZZA THEN?
What on earth is the point of a gluten free base, if I can’t get a pizza out of it. Geez thanks Dominos, I’ll just take a BASE and NOTHING ELSE.
I didn’t realise it was advertised as a gluten free pizza? I have only ever seen “Gluten Free Base”.
Jake – in the press releases it was called gluten free pizzas. They are also referred to as gluten free pizzas in the small print surcharge fee bit.
I maintain that there is no point having a GF base, when there is cross contamination of the base and cross contamination of the toppings.
My issue being – Someone is making a pizza. They’ve got flour on their gloves, maybe some crumbs from the oven baked sadwiches too. They reach into the cheese container for a handful of cheese, leaving behind a small amount of flour and crumbs. It doesn’t matter that the cheese is considered GF, because now it is cross contaminated with gluten.
That kind of thing, even when staff making the gluten free pizza are being very careful, is inevitable in an evironment like dominos. Not to mention any airbourne flour particles.
I just don’t see how Dominos can advertise a Gluten Free Pizza, when it isn’t Gluten Free.
Even advertising a GF base seems pointless, when the toppings aren’t going to be completely GF, even if you choose GF options.
Jake – here is a link to the press release if you’re interested? http://www.dominos.com.au/pdf/news/Domino%27s_Gluten_Free_17%20Nov%2009_FINAL.pdf
Before Dominos provided Gluten free BASES, they allowed people to bring in their own gluten base, and they would make the pizza as per usual for them. Not once did any issuse occur. People with Gluten allergies are only a minority in comparison to the rest of the population, yet Dominos has gone ahead and provided those with the allergies a subsitute. They are just trying to make things easier for you guys. Be appreciative, they didnt have to. I understand your argument. I work in a Dominos store and have personally prepared and been present to at least 50+ gluten free products. Not once has a customer had a bad experience. We are all aware as to what toppings contain gluten. Just yesterday someone placed an order over the internet for a gluten free base with bbq sauce instead of tomato. I knew straight away that BBQ sauce contains gluten and got straight onto the phone to the customer checking to see if they were aware of the fact, which they were. There response was the little traces of gluten present is not enough to harm them. They were very happy though that i had taken the time and consideration in looking out for their wellbeing. I realise your argument is that they are so called “false advertising”, but they are not. There is strict operational guidelines in place to prevent any issues arising. Todays society is a very politically correct, thus they have covered themselves with the disclaimer. Its like when you go to a themepark, it says on the ticket that by purchasing this you agree to the terms stated. One being that if any injuries or death shall occur, they can not be held accountable. Imagine that, going on a ride that crashes, your family dies as a result of a mishap and no one can be held accountable. Thats just the way life is, unfortunately it is like that because of people like you who try and pick out all the flaws. Think positive.
Blah! I’m not sure what to think, I don’t know enough about Aussie laws.
I do however know restaurants. My mother is a chef at a Jewish Uni, and she regularly works the Kosher kitchen. Also, I’ve worked in food service as well… A sandwich shop! Our biggest allergy issue was the peanut butter and jelly. You had to change your gloves before and after, it was done on it’s own board, with it’s own knife and you couldn’t touch anything else. It was ridiculous, but I’d rather go through ridiculous than have someone (especially a little kid, it was apart of the kids menu) get sick. Being a sandwich/bread shop though, we didn’t really deal with the Gluten free thing – I mean, I guess the soups might have been? The clear broth ones anyway.
Sadly, when one has food allergies or issues, eating a home becomes almost a must. I was checked once for Gluten allergy (truth is, I am sensitive to gluten, but it doesn’t make me really sick. So I can still have sandwiches, bread, pasta… ). It makes life difficult (and at least in the US, expensive). I hope you get some kind of response.
Hi Veronica
Fair enough. I have to agree to a point. I also agree with Marie. Surely somebody with a absolute gluten intolerance would know that they cannot eat from a restuarant that serves wheat based products particular ones with flour everywhere. A few of my best mates are muslem and they would never enter at a restaurant that serves pork or shellfish etc. In fact they will only eat at halal restaurants – restricting themselves to almost a lifetime of homecooked meals.
Same scenario, in my opinion unfortunately your daughter has to avoid these places. I’m sure the options at coffee club that are listed as gluten free will encounter the same problems.. have you ever investigated that? I would say there are a lot of companies falsely taking advantage of this “niche”. For the gluten sensitive people it’s a great product. There is also a lot of research suggesting that people with caliac desease can have up to 10mg of gluten per day without any adverse affects which means your daughter could probably survive a dusting of flour passing through the air. But I’m not going to pretend I know too much on the subject.
Anyway I hope you get a response. It’s always good to know when a company does the right thing.
Nathan? Or is it Jake? I’m not sure anymore.
The point is, they shouldn’t be advertising it as gluten free when it isn’t.
I’m fine with my daughter having to avoid these places. That isn’t my issue here.
I know my daughter and I know she doesn’t cope with a ‘fine dusting of flour’ on her food. She reacts and badly. And while studies have shown that *some* Coeliac patients can survive a small amount of gluten without any obvious side effects, no studies have been done into the long term effects of a small amount of gluten. People with coeliacs who are non-compliant to their GF diet, run the risk of getting stomach cancer down the track, because oh wait, it’s been proven to cause CANCER.
And honestly, let’s face it, there are such things are ‘silent coeliacs’ in which the patient has no outward symptoms, but gluten still causes parts of the intestines to atrophy. Whether the patient notices the side effects is irrelevant to the damage being cause internally.
Andrew – this comment also applies to you. Whether or not a person eating at dominos who has Coeliacs experiences discomfort or not after their meal, it doesn’t mean damage hasn’t been done by the trace amounts of gluten present by cross contamination.
V, I’ve only read about 1/2 of the comments and I’ll go back and read them, so I’m sorry if I’m repeating what everybody else is saying.
Where is the list of gluten free ingredients?
Would the same “fans” of Dominoes defend them for serving peanuts to children with peanut allergies, after declaring a “peanut free” food? No. People do NOT understand the severity of coeliacs. Would they be okay with serving diabetics something laced with sugar? NO. Ignorance doesn’t excuse anything. Just because the reaction caused with this disease doesn’t require an epi pen, or an emergency trip to hospital doesn’t make it less of a health concern.
The sad part is that somebody is feeding this to their kid and wondering why their child got sick.
I’m glad I boycotted Dominoes years ago.
I find it disturbing that people are defending Dominoes’ right to serve food that has gluten and call it gluten-free. There is something wickedly wrong with that.
Okay Andrew, your comment has been bothering me.
Coeliacs is not an allergy. It is an autoimmune response to gluten, wherein the body attacks the stomach lining and intestines. It’s like Lupus, or Crohns Disease. You wouldn’t minimise the effects of Lupus, why do it to Coeliacs?
While your one customer may have known that a little bit of gluten wouldn’t affect THEM, I would hate to think that their experience would speak for ALL people with Coeliacs or Gluten Intolerances.
With coeliacs, you can’t say how much gluten is going to cause issues, therefore NO gluten is the only safe option. The short term issues are the least of your worries. Damage to the gut caused by the reaction to gluten takes WEEKS to heal. Not to mention the long term effects, like cancer.
Okay Veronica, I cannot hold my tongue. Some of your commenters have COMPLETELY invalidated the severity of Coeliacs. “There is also a lot of research suggesting that people with caliac desease can have up to 10mg of gluten per day without any adverse affects” ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?
If one more person uses the “research suggests” or my personal favorite “studies show”… because you know what? Studies show exactly what the researchers WANT the study to show.
And to assume that you, the mother of a child with Coeliacs, do not possibly know the limitations of your child’s disease and have not researched and learned through trial and gawd awful error… just smacks of disrespect.
Bottom Line: Australia does not allow labeling Gluten Free if it is not Gluten Free. Simple as that. There is no gray area. Even if an ingredient comes in a container and sealed inside that container it is GLUTEN FREE, if by the time it is removed from that container, put into a cup or bin or sprinkled on a pizza and in ANY way BECOMES cross contaminated, it is no longer gluten free. Even if it USED TO BE GLUTEN FREE.
I find it a little irrelevant to compare somebody’s food restrictions based on religion to a life altering disease caused by food. I’m also tired of people saying you just don’t ever get to eat in restaurants, and that if you have an allergy, you just need to eat at home. When I look forward to the next 40 years of my life, eating every single meal at home, it means there are no family vacations, no outings that stretch beyond the parameters of meals, no shopping excursions… it seems a little bleak. And it seems like the economy could really use the money I’d be spending on meals out, on my family traveling, or on my family being outside the confines of my home.
I truly hope the people defending the false advertising never have a child with a food allergy and find themselves reading every single food label, then having to look up online what some ingredients even mean, so they can ensure that the one tiny ingredient that’s used for anti-caking is what will cause their child to go into a 3 week-long illness. I truly hope they never experience that.
Sorry Veronica. People just do not understand the severity of a Coeliacs, nor do they care that even though the damage is undetected TODAY, eventually it will cause serious damage.
I think a label change to say “Pizza Base Low in Gluten–A good substitute for those who are Gluten Sensitive”, would be appropriate.
Hyphen I never pretended I actually had any knowledge on the subject I even stated that. Anyway I do agree with your last point in changing the label.
Again though your ignorance is just as bad as that shown of Domino’s. As I said in an earlier post, obviously you cannot eat at a restaurant that has gluten on the premises. You are clearly just a whiny person and judging by your photo could do with a little less toppings yourself V
Joe/Nathan/Jake – Why on earth do you keep changing your name?
You can eat at a restuarant that also serves gluten containing food, provided that that restuarant understands cross contamination, which all good restuarants do, as cross contamination can kill people.
Also, personal attacks aren’t acceptable here. I would like to know which photo you are alluding to, because as far as I can tell, there are none of me shown on this site in the last 3 months.
I’m sorry…. I thought the point was that Australian Law does not allow food to be labeled Gluten Free if it isn’t? I’m failing to see what can be disputed.
Why are we now on personal attacks and telling people they should not be eating toppings for people whom we’ve never seen?
OMG Veronica… these aren’t even real humans… we’ve been commenting to drones and trolls. Crap. What a waste of time.
POP.
A friend rang and said, “You’ve got to look at this blog site”. I have looked at everything and checked out Veronica’s home page, about, comments etc. I’ve read all the comments, I’ve contacted Domino’s, gone into one of their stores and taken some of their flyers and asked a few questions. Bought a Pizza, spinach and fetta.
Veronica I think you need to obtain a little balance and common sense. As a family of Ceoliac’s we have eaten at many pizza Restuarants throughout Australia who serve Gluten Free Pizza Bases. We ask questions as to what toppings are recommended and issues of cross contamination. (washing paddles, cutters, serving trays etc) I can’t understand your over the top statements. Why would someone like yourself even think of going into a chain organization like Domino’s?? Their disclaimer is a standard protocol. We’ve been in McDonalds on occasions and seen Gluten Free Brownies in a storage space with other non Gluten Free products and made the choice to NOT BUY THEM in case they have touched other products. (Even spoken to a Manager, on the side, recommending that they use products that are sealed or seperated from the Gluten variety) Manufactures, Restaurants, Businesses, Cafes and the Domino’s of the world need constructive feedback and advice from Ceoliacs and Gluten sensitive customers. Not the kind of hysteria and trying to do damage to my child kind of blog you have. Being constructive allows for information and knowledge to become common place otherwise Ceoliac’s will have to eat at home. It wasn’t that long ago that the origional sites for Ceoliac’s around the world were been taught , How to not cross contaminate in their own home. Haven’t we come a long way!
If you do go to the ACCC, I will observe with interest and I would assume that you will be going for everyone that sells Gluten Free Food, because your comments of “Exploiting a niche market etc are so destructive for the Gluten Free Market and those who are trying to supply to a market that has been limited for so long.
In summary having read all the Domino’s flyers I believe them to state that they have a GLUTEN FREE CRUST available. They recommend a few varieties of toppings and you can ask questions about other toppings for your concerns.
I also googled Eatability.com.au and typed in all of the Capital city areas, Gluten Free Pizza Restaurants. 1000′s
Good Luck with your witch hunt.
Hi Ann – I’m glad a friend thought to let you know about this.
You ask why I would even think about going to a chain organisation like Dominos, the answer is, I wouldn’t. Not at all, because of the cross contamination issue.
I am not trying to create hysteria, nor is this the whole premise of my blog like you have wrongly assumed. I am merely stating, that in Australia, to call something GLUTEN FREE it needs to be completely GLUTEN FREE. It’s an issue of labelling and marketing laws.
I am not after everyone that sells gluten free food, as all of the gluten free food I have come across is actually gluten free. Not cross contaminated and certainly not served with a disclaimer that it might have gluten in it. It’s THAT which I am taking objection to.
If Dominos are stating that only the crust is gluten free, then why is their press release about a gluten free pizza? Forgive me for assuming that a pizza is not just a base and nothing else.
You quote me as saying “Exploiting a niche market etc are so destructive for the Gluten Free Market and those who are trying to supply to a market that has been limited for so long.”
However, I did not say anything of the sort. Those are your words, not mine.
This is not a witch hunt. I am arguing a point of law, in which Dominos is wrong.
I am watching this debate very closely.
Veronica, I completely agree with you. It is simply unacceptable to label something “Gluten free” if it is not 100% gluten free. It is a simple statement and should have a simple solution. Either make sure that your product contains no traces of gluten, or change your labeling. Dominos is wrong and they suck big time if they don’t fix this.
I don’t think this is a “witch hunt” – I think you’re just concerned with something that has you very very frustrated (and that if you had bought without realising, something that could have made your daughter very very ill). So I think you’re justified to feel the way you do.
I think you’re handling yourself very well for some completely ridiculous comments (ie: Joe).
Veronica is her daughter’s advocate, and her daughter should be very proud to have such an articulate and wary mother. What Dominos is doing is false advertising and it is breaking the law. No more, no less. It is unclear why people are getting so het up and personal about a valid point she is making.
Veronica, I am sorry that you thought my friend let me know of your blog in a positive way (not the case) We are both parents and friends of Ceoliacs. She went though all of your Best OF as did I looking for a reference to you being the mother of a child with Ceoliac Disease. We have read all about your births, your Ehles Danlos Syndrome, your partner Nathan, your need to write, spiky vibrators (re Am I a Bad mother) Mice, Porn Jelly etc.
So when I saw in your intro that you were quote “Over the moon when I heard, etc Domino’s have Gluten Free Pizza Bases. (in reply to me you stated that ‘You wouldn’t go into a Domino’s') I am totally confused.
Domino’s Press release 17 November 2009 states, “We already have a vast majority of ingredients which are Gluten Free, Now with the Gluten Free Pizza Bases we have 13 Pizza varieties which when paired with the new Gluten Free Bases are suitable for Ceoliacs. Gluten Intolerant customers also have the option of designing their own pizza”
As I said in my previous comment, we ask questions in all Restaurants, pizza outlets and cafes that serve Gluten Free food on their menu. Do you know about Cross contamination? if they don’t we don’t eat their. (It is obvious that as a VERY LARGE ORGANIZATION Domino’s states a covering disclaimer.
You also made reference to me quoting you Para 5 (your comments Feb 7 @ 4.48) saying that “Exploiting a niche market etc are so destructive for the Gluten Free Market ………
You then say However , I did not say anything of the sort. Those are my words, not yours!
Please refer to Veronica says: February 6, 2010 @ 2.03pm Last Para. Your words, I THINK DOMINO’S HAS SEEN A NICHE MARKET AND DECIDED TO EXPLOIT IT WITHOUT ANY REAL ETC ETC ETC.
I apologize if it is a quote from another Veronica.
I also tried to google eatability.com.au (nothing available for Tasmania unfortunately) so I couldn’t see if there are any pizza restaurants, or take away outlets who use Gluten Free Pizza Bases and what Disclaimers they use.
Have found a heap in Sydney. All care etc.
I still believe this is a witch hunt and just can’t reference anything you have previously done to see your point.
Hi There,
Thankyou for your feedback regarding Domino’s Gluten free bases.
Domino’s Gluten Free base and 13 gluten free pizza options have been approved by the Coeliac Society.
A considerable amount of work has been done to provide products suitable for Coeliacs, including:
1. The pizza base only being endorsed by The Coeliac Society. It is made in a gluten free endorsement and tested to contain no detectable gluten.
2. Identification of gluten free toppings.
3. Detailed in store handling procedures to eliminate contamination approved by The Coeliac society.
The Coeliac Society are confident that with these matters in place, there should be no concern regarding the safety of Domino’s pizzas marketed as gluten free.
At Domino’s, we have added a warning on our Gluten Free advertisement about the possibility of contamination, as a precautionary measure.
We have worked closely with The Coeliac Society to eliminate errors but at the same time we have been cautious in our advice.
If you have any more queries regarding our Gluten Free pizzas please feel free to call our Headoffice on 07 3633 3333.
Regards,
Domino’s Pizza Enterprises
Anne – I stand corrected, I did say that.
Dominos – I have spoken to the Coeliac society this morning and it’s great that they endorse your BASES. Forgive me for assuming that a pizza is more than a base. I also discussed my concerns that while your bases are gluten free when they are delivered, the possibility of cross contamination would render them gluten free no longer.
In Australia, you CANNOT claim something is Gluten Free and then add a disclaimer that it may contain traces of gluten.
It’s THAT which I am taking objection to. False advertising. Either the food is GF or it isn’t.
I also understand the need to be risk aware and to make the decisions that work best for an individual.
Why not then call the pizza’s Low Gluten, with the disclaimer that the bases are GF and certain toppings are GF, but with cross contamination, there could be trace amounts gluten present.
And Ann (sorry, I spelled your name incorrectly before) I assumed from the tone of your previous comment that your friend hadn’t let you know about my blog in a positive light. Thankyou for pointing that out to me though.
I state that I wouldn’t go into Dominos for Pizza, because of their disclaimer than there may be trace amounts of gluten in the pizza.
By saying that when you enter all food based establishments, that you ask about their practises, are you assuming that I do not? If I was taking risks for myself, it would be different. But I’m not, I’m taking risks that impact on the lives of other people.
I see that you’ve been all through my best of. You do understand that this blogging thing, I only talk about a very small slice of life? Not everything I do or say ends up here.
I have commented previously above and taken the trouble to read every single comment. I have also commented a little more over at Veronica’s mum’s blog.
It saddens me that those that disagree with Veronica choose to do so in a manner that is so downright personal and frankly rude. No one minds a healthy debate but I personally find it difficult to take an individual’s comment seriously when they resort to cruel personal comments. Why when there is so much disharmony in the world already do people feel the need to resort to a level of communication so base,so filled with rancour its hard to see the wood for the trees.
I admire Veronica that you take the time and trouble to say again and again the point which you make so eloquently in the first place. I agree entirely with Seraphim above.
I respect the right of anyone to have an opinion but I see no reason why these cannot be expressed with respect to the individual. I am not so naieve that I think that the world should be a happy shiny place but if bloggers at least try perhaps it could be a community where nasty, personal, snidy and unthoughtful comments were absent.
Veronica is not over reacting. She is a good mother who naturally cares for the wellbeing of her children. Over here in the UK mother’s are being prosecuted for feeding their children too often on junk food mainly and causing a variety of health problems brought about by not-caring enough. (For the record I am not interested in debating here the rights and wrongs of prosecuting mother’s of obese children). It seems these days people are so quick to be on the attack. Why verbally attack a good mother just acting in the best interests of her children. Come on people why be so harsh. Imagine if you were on the receiving end of such personal and frankly upsetting comments or someone you loved was bombarded thus. Its not kind.
Veronica makes a valid point. Domino’s is legally at fault here. All Veronica has done is expressed that and also very eloquently expressed the obstacles one comes up agaisnt when raising children.
The comment which I found personally most distressing was Ann Campbell’s. Veronica’s blog is an eclectic mix of her life. In no way does it come across as a witch hunt and am suprised that you describe it as such. It seems to me that your words are an ill thought out vitriolic attack on a mother who actually does understand the law. Perhaps you prefer to sit on the fence and thank multi-million pound companies for their ‘nod’ to those with illness. These companies have the wherewithall to really do the right thing to accept anything less than complying with the law in this instance proves that their primary interest is their profit. Your post really saddened me and I felt particularly that it showed that even those with ‘common ground’ prefer to attack, surely it would have been so much more mature to offer your opinion in a mature manner by explaining your point of view without the underlying tone of plain nastiness. Shame on you.
I know Veronica that you are perfectly capable of fighting your own corner. I just added my opinion because I like the above commenter agree that it just seems unnecessary that people feel the need to express their point of view so.
Let’s play nicely people.
Veronica, Thanks for the correction. I am also glad to see a response from Domino’s and look forward to the responses. I do get the blogging thing and made the effort to go through the Best Of to try and get a better perspective of where you were coming from. i.e Coeliac Disease and parenting. I have done much more since i was advised about this site. You opened the debate, you made claims and statements in relation to Laws and exploitation. And as a parent I to make decisions in relation to my family, I certainly didn’t assume that you don’t enquire to cross contamination. I just feel that your blog was so attacking mainly because it was BIG business and not any food outlet that has a Gluten Free menu without Disclaimers.
Ann – I don’t think my ‘best of’ has anything about my children and Coeliacs. Of course, this blog has nearly 700 posts on it, so my ‘best of’ is meant to showcase my amusing writing, or things I enjoyed writing, not the issues my children are dealing with.
I stand by my claims still. Dominos should not call it a gluten free pizza if they cannot guarantee it’s gluten free status.
If I went into the supermarket and found pasta labelled gluten free, but then found a disclaimer on the back that it may contain traces of wheat, due to cross contamination, I would have written an exact same post. The same for stock cubes, rice flour or canned fruit.
Let’s be clear here, my response has nothing to do with how big Dominos is or isn’t, it has to do with them making claims of Gluten Free, when they can’t substantiate them.
Ann Campbell, if that is who you are? I find the tone of your comments to be quite distasteful. Do you have shares in Dominos perchance?
Ann is who I am. A Mother with Coeliacs in our family. I do not have shares in Domino’s or any thing other companies.
When I started googling on Saturday night your site came up with the statement that ‘Veronica is on her soapbox talking about Domino’s and coeliacs. I can assume you are her Mum???? So maybe you have a bias. Or haven’t read all of Veronica’s comments in the context of others who challenged her view or wanted clarification.
When you google Domino’s Gluten Free Veronica’s “Over the moon comment comes up 5th Feb 2010, so maybe lots of people like me will join the debate.
Or maybe Ann, people will read my post and think twice about eating at Domino’s if they have Coeliacs in the family. Without doing my research first, I would have just trusted in Australia’s labelling laws and taken Dominos at their word that their gluten free pizza, is in fact gluten free. Which it isn’t.
Also, does anyone else find it odd that Domino’s whole defense seems to be that the Coeliac Society endorsed them, even though the Coeliac Society is very quick to point out that they are only endorsing the bases?
Personally, I don’t care how you manage your own Coeliacs with a view to protecting your family and eating out. I do mind that Domino’s is falsely claiming to have a gluten FREE pizza on their menu.
Well. What a lot of bile over one perfectly valid point.
I am a Coeliac myself and mother of a 4-year-old who will probably emerge as a Coeliac at some point (she has the gene, although not yet a +ve blood result). That’s my credentials, in case it is of concern to anyone.
What it comes down to is this – as a Coeliac, ie. the sort of person who will incur both short-term and lifetime risks of gut damage and various dreary diseases if I ingest gluten AT ALL, YES, EVEN A LITTLE TINY BIT – I think the labelling is misleading and dangerous. Dangerous, because as a newly diagnosed Coeliac (myself 4 years ago) just learning about the disease, you can easily be snowed by this kind of doubletalk into eating something you shouldn’t.
I get that the issues here are a) toppings and b) cross-contamination. I have less of an issue with the toppings, actually – I think a simple extra sentence takes care of that, and realistically not all toppings will ever be g free and nor should they have to be. The cross-contam is the bigger concern. How has Dominos demonstrated they understand this? How have they dealt with it? Until those questions are answered, they should not make claims about gluten-free pizzas, even with po-faced legal disclaimers.
Oh and also – all you people who think Veronica is wrong on this, well, that’s your opinion and you’re entitled to it. But I think you might want to check your tones. You’re coming off as nasty, personal and frankly, ignorant.
As an allergy-mom (although I know Coeliacs is a whole heap more dangerous) I wanted to say: your pain, I feel it. We’ve been dairy free for almost 6 months, because any dairy, yes, as Kathy states, AT ALL, EVEN A LITTLE TINY BIT makes us very very very ill. And I get really, really, really fucking angry when people look at my tiny baby and decide that the possibility of causing her pain is not a good enough reason to be a bit more careful about their labels, or the food they serve me when I am absolutely 100% clear about my needs.
As Kathy said, it’s this doubletalk and small print and the tiny labels that get you when you’re new to all this. I find myself going trough the ingredients of things labelled ‘dairy free’ because I am just too scared of the consequences of an accidental exposure. And don’t get me started on the ‘well you should just stay at home’ brigade. The number of people in the population with SOME sort of food issue is collectively enormous. All allergy sufferers just ‘staying at home’ would probably cripple the food service industry. Why instead cant we just have a little transparency? If your food contains gluten, say it does! If it contains dairy, say it does! Stop trying to hide it like it’s something to be ashamed of, because then we are left with no other conclusion than that they DO have something to hide and be ashamed of.
I hope you get a satisfactory answer. I get where your anger is coming from. It’s not the fluten itself, it’s the duplicity. There’s no need for it!
Veronica, I have a theory. As Ann has stated, it is YOUR responsibility to question products from restaurants that claim to serve Gluten Free food products; you need to spend some time with the restaurant managers and question their practices, question their education about cross contamination and cleaning practices, and then assume that they tell you is the absolute truth (because you, Veronica do not KNOW how restaurants work, nor would you understand the complicated nature of working in a restaurant). Your problem, Veronica, is that you are taking this Gluten Free claim too literally and the zero tolerance Australian Gluten Free laws too literally. You assume that you should NOT have to do any questioning, not have to do any outside investigating on your own to ensure that your family members do not ingest gluten accidentally, regardless of a Gluten Free label or claim. Veronica, I think you are too rigid, or too inflexible, if you will. For you to have a false sense of security about giving your child something Gluten Free, when it actually isn’t, well that’s your own problem. You silly goose…. for you to actually assume that food that claims to be Gluten Free actually WOULD be gluten free is just asinine. Clear as day. After all, this is 1874 and there is no possible way to ensure anything of the sort.
Finally the debate can come back to where it should have started. Food labelling laws in Australia are very strict in the MANUFACTURING of food. 100% Gluten free, Pizza bases, biscuits, crackers, pies, breads etc SOLD IN SUPERMARKETS, IGA’s, and other grocery stores come under strict laws.
The separate issue is the production of food in a Restaurant, pizza outlet, cafe, pub and anywhere food is made and sold as a meal.
This is the overwhelming area of cross contamination and the responsibilty of individuals to ask questions and MANUFACTURERS, and State Ceoliac Societies to recommmend standards. There are no food laws for inspectors to walk into a food outlet and remove food for testing. (there are laws to remove food from supermarkets)
If a cafe advertises that they serve Gluten Free bread (do they use a separate toaster??) If a bistro has bangers and mash GF (do they use a separate grill)
Hot chips (a separate fryer)
That is up to each business to self regulate and Ceoliac’s to be aware and avoid anywhere they don’t feel comfortable in.
As Domino’s is obviously the first National Food Chain to supply a GF option they will either set the standard for others to follow i.e. McDonalds, Hungry Jacks (as they are in other countries around the world) with a disclaimer.
All Cadbury chocolates with or with out nut have a nut disclaimer. However Thai Restaurants do not have a disclaimer that there kitchens are full of nut products.
Maybe the law will change to include the preparation of food, I can’t image that we will ever have a totally Gluten Free Restaurant in every neighbourhood in Australia.
So until Gluten Free Products bought by Food outlets from Manufactures and Supermarkets are taken into a business to be prepared into a meal, called Gluten Free. It will be up to individuals to vote with their feet.
I don’t see how splitting hairs helps with things. The food labelling laws I have read don’t mention anything about only being allowed to call something gluten free if it is manufactured in a factory environment.
The laws states that food can only be claimed gluten free when it is in fact, gluten free. Dominos is advertising it with huge banners and billboards. That’s labelling.
And uh. Ireland? I wish we had a sarcasm font. Hehe, your comment has me giggling.
“Your problem, Veronica, is that you are taking this Gluten Free claim too literally and the zero tolerance Australian Gluten Free laws too literally.”
YES! It’s funny how I expect the laws to be actual things people follow, not mere suggestions of how businesses ought to behave.
I think Ann has just made a good point. I think the laws need to be changed to be more specific and allow for labeling that might say “This product was produced Gluten Free, but due to possible cross contamination after leaving the manufacturer’s facility, would not be a good choice for those with severe Coeliacs Disease.”
Veronica, big change has never happened without a fight. You’re doing your part. You are not wrong. Think where we’d all be (okay, I’m in the US, so I can’t vouch for the Aus history of anything) if women didn’t fight for what was RIGHT and just sit back and shut up when people told them to.
I went grocery shopping today and I thought of this “labeling” issue. The store has a tiny little section of GF food and I COUNT ON THOSE LABELS to steer me in the proper direction. I COUNT ON being able to eat those 10 items I get from that aisle. I DO NOT COUNT ON having to call the manufacturers and ask them to clarify anything.
This is getting ridiculous now.
It’s pretty obvious that if a company is going to claim that something they sell is gluten free, then it has to be gluten free. If you can’t guarantee that, then call it low in gluten.
It’s not a difficult concept.
You have already stated in the beginning that Domino’s has advertised 13 different toppings that are gluten free!
If they are not just the obvious, Tomato, mushroom, cheese, (including feta, mozza, parmesan etc) spinach, capsicums, olives, onions, pesto, rocket, chicken, prawns (I’m starting to run out of GF foods) If they use Hams, bacon, salami and sauces ask them to identify the Manufactured Products and advertise the endorsements.
Sometimes it is easier to be a part of the problem and not the solution.
This may also assist all the other pizza restaurants, cafes, hotels, clubs and food outlets throughout Australia to do the same on their menus.
That would be a job well done to you.
We also use a product that you can take to a restaurant that they can use in their toaster to prevent cross contamination, there is so much out there to be learnt.
Ann – I am still not quite understanding why you’re taking objection to this. My whole argument is, and I will ask you to read this slowly:
You cannot claim something is gluten free, if there is a possibility of it being cross contaminated.
Therefore, dominos CANNOT claim that their pizza bases and 13 different toppings are gluten free, but then add a disclaimer that they might not in fact be, 100% gluten free. You’re just not allowed to make those sorts of claims. Either things ARE gluten free or they AREN’T.
Veronica you are a much more patient woman than I. I am proud of you sweetheart.
Looks like your off to the ACCC then.
Good Luck
Wow! That is pretty crazy! Sorry to hear about that. My niece has Coeliac and it would be nice if more places had gluten free options on the menu.
I agree with you on all this, Veronica. If something is advertised as gluten-free, all of the ingredients should be gluten-free. Doesn’t that just make sense?
Anyway, I’m sure you have heaps of recipes of your own, but I’ve got this really cool recipe for pizza with a crust made of rice! Not rice flour. Rice! If you want it, I can e-mail you the recipe. xo
I meant to add that I was in agreement with the part about “You cannot claim something is gluten free, if there is a possibility of it being cross contaminated”. We know all too well how dangerous cross contamination can be. Not only is our niece Coeliac, but she also has nut allergies and other food allergies. We have to be super careful and read ingredients, ask questions, etc before ordering anything for her.
Anne, What part of “It is against the law” don’t you understand?
Veronica: Here you are, my lovely! http://lifeonmanitoulin.blogspot.com/2010/02/gluten-free-pizza.html
Hope you enjoy the recipe! XO
I get the law, that’s why Veronica should take them on if she is that passionate.
Go for Domino’s, the ACCC, post the responses from the food authority in relation to which breaches they find.
Go into all the food outlets she comes across that serves Gluten Free Food, ask for their disclaimers and claims of 100% Gluten Free. Post them and maybe create a movement, form an organisation. Vote with her feet and stay away from food outlets that advertise Gluten Free Food if she isn’t satisfied.
That’s what most of us do.
I have family members who are Coeliac and have extremely severe reactions. So severe that we would be concerned for their life.
GF sausages cooked on a barbeque that has had normal sausages cooked on them before are a definate no-no, as well as a coffee sitting in the same vicinity as other cappacino’s being dusted with chocolate dust.
I agree that things are either GF or not GF.
I suppose it depends on whether a person is on the severe end of the spectrum like my family members or just ‘gluten intolerant’.
Many people are just gluten intolerant, and I chuckle when they claim they have a severe reaction to gluten (after watching them eat a ‘GF’ cupcake with normal hundred and thousands sprinkled on top!!).
I suggest, just dont bother with Dominoes – homemade pizzas are always better anyway !!!
Ann, your tone is supercilious and patronising. But you probably know that.
I think this is a general GF question, nothing to do with anything but its the easiest place I thought to put it: a lot of commercial cheeses (including those used in restaurants) use an anti-caking agent. Goes that affect whether it’s GF?
And Ann – I have no idea what your point it. I don’t think you do either.
Marie – It depends on the type of anti-caking agent. I would be asking to see packets and ingredient lists first personally.
I’m allergic to shellfish, but you’d think that ordering from the vegetarian menu at an Asian restaurant would be safe. Not true. Unfortunately, I have learned from experience that even when ordering a vegetarian dish, I have to double check with the server to make sure it’s not made with oyster sauce.
IDIOTS! It is hard enough to eat out as a Coeliac without stupid stuff like this!
As a cross reference is, frogpondsrock your Mother ??? You have something on your sleepless site that suggests that “This site is a fellow Judge” Do you need to post a disclaimer if you are related??? Work for the same company!!! She did post re the Domino’s issue that “Veronica is on her soap box again” So one can assume that there is a connection. Me thinks….
OMG!!!! The secret is out! Quick, women and children escape first!
Ann, frogpondsrock is Veronica’s mother. She says it about, oh… I dunno. 3-4 times a week. It’s plastered everywhere, on both of their sites.
On the other hand… I have the most fantastic piece of real estate for sale. The house has a west-facing porch with a spectacular ocean view, and when the sun sets it lights up the saguaros in the most beautiful way imaginable….. Interested?
Ann – why yes, she is my mother. And yes, I do need to let people know if she is helping me judge something.
@Ann Campbell and your point is?
Good on Dominos for having a go. A great first step, maybe a couple small steps to go… But if this is the type of reaction I wouldn’t be surprised if Dominos just pulls the pin – pretty obvious why they put a disclaimer on it, with the pack mob of bush lawyers ready to sue at the hint of a trace of gluten. With behaviour like this, don’t expect any other companies to have a serious attempt anytime soon.
@ stuart barnes. No where in this post was there any stated intention of suing Domino’s, that is entirrely your take on the matter.
The whole point is that, you cant say something is gluten free if it isn’t gluten free. That is an incredibly incredibly simple concept to understand.
Dominos, It’s Simple
Just don’t promote the product as being gluten free at all. Let coeliacs discover for themselves in the allergen listing statements that one of the bases is gluten free. That was how I initially found out long before it was advertised. I am coeliac.
This will prevent a whole lot of problems. Maybe give the gluten free base a different name (such as GF, or the “hard” base if you want to be groovy) and perhaps don’t even use the term ‘gluten free’ anywhere. The general public is not interested in this. You might even find non-coeliacs may buy this base making it an even better seller to the public.
I would advise that you should probably not even mention the word ‘gluten’ if there is not a 100% guarantee that the entire pizza is gluten free
Lol! The problem here is that those ‘uneducated’ coeliac suffers who blindly trust large companies would think that they are fine eating dominos GF pizzas. I personally find the Coeliac Sociaty to me a very weak organization anyway. (they are getting ready to agree to the food industry allowing “small traces” of gluten to be labelled GF).
Veronica, Us educated sufferers will be fine, but what happens to all those who aren’t?
Keep up the good fight!
I’m allergic to soy as well as coeliac can’t have the pizzas because the gluten free base has SOY FLOUR in it. Darn!!! I’m REALLY looking forward to finding a place who’s gluten free bases are also soy free. Seems like soy is added to just about every gluten free bread based product around!!! Thats my issue.
I have a significantly more restrictive gluten free diet than many others as I DO react to products even ones that contain gluten in minuscule amounts. My reaction to wheat-derived glucose syrup in products has been NOTICEABLE!!! It’s just like the LECITHIN derived from soy. Tests reveal that both these ingredients rarely detect protein content in these ingredients, however I have been told to stay away from them as people can apparently be far more sensitive than testing methods.
The Coeliac Society is probably only looking at what most coeliacs are okay with and not necessarily what works for everyone.
As such my diet has been EXTREMELY restrictive!
Please provide me with some views on this topic. I would never begin with dominoes and I entirely agree with what Kelly had to say. ENTIRELY!!!
Amy I think you should contact your local Coeliac society for this kind of information.
I have just received my latest copy of The Australian Coeliac (incase some people on this blog aren’t members)
Page 9 CONGRATULATIONS DOMINO’S
Thank goodness for privacy laws and that Irene had the ability as a Coeliac to choose a pizza that she could enjoy. I doubt that she wrote the letter before eating. Thank goodness for the Irene’s who allow us to educate mainstream environments how to cater for Coeliacs around the world.
@ Ann Campbell, I really want some of what you are on woman, because seriously you make less and less sense with every comment you leave here.
Kim,
Amy asked a question on the 26th of April 2010 (no response from you or Veronica)
As stated I have just received in the mail my subscribed copy of The Australian Coeliac and posted a comment from a member in relation to Domino’s Gluten Free Pizza (I am sorry if you have moved on from the topic) however, your daughter posted the topic. I follow a Gluten Free Diet as a Coeliac and am not on any medication that would alter my ability to function.
Ann, Amy and I continued our conversation via email for a while. Also you’ll notice comments have recently been reopened, they were closed (on all posts over 30 days old) due to spam.
Kim,
Just answer Amy’s question even if you don’t like my comments.
Ann, as it’s my blog, not Kim’s, it’s my perogative to reply to comments. And I did, via email with Amy when she posted the comment.
Wow! So it’s all good for you.
Can we all see your response PLEASE
.
Ann, I no longer have a record of my responses to Amy. And I’m not in the habit of sharing private email conversations anyway. As I recall, we discussed her difficulties in finding soy and gluten free food and I commiserated, knowing that soy is in so many things.
Glad to see this discussion was re-opened.
Why on earth does dominos mention the words “gluten free”? in fact why do they mention the word “gluten” at all? Why do they promote it in any such way if they can’t guarantee it is gluten free? It just doesn’t make sense.
It would be far more sensible for them to not even mention the term “gluten” at all. Name the gluten free base the “hard” base or “tough” base or something groovy like “hardcore” base. Coeliacs can discover for themselves and find this info in the dominos allergen listing where it could say “base – hardcore” and then without a tick in the gluten containing cereals column. There is also a disclaimer at the bottom of the allergen listing. I feel that if dominoes do it this way, the (“glutenfree” *ssssshhhhhh quiet*) “hardcore” base would probably be chosen by more non-celiac individuals.
What do you think about this idea?
Kelly – It’s not a bad idea, however it would leave dominos without an advertising campaign!
As a coeliac I had no idea that they only intended the base to be gluten free. I did know they were advertising the gluten free pizza but as someone who has been stung far too many times by people telling me my meal is gluten free when in fact it is not and I have been sick for days I tend not to trust anyone who tells me something is gluten free from a kitchen that serves gluten meals. For me, the risk is just not worth.
So yes am disappointed but not surprised.
@Amy here’s a useful site
http://soyfreeaustralia.yolasite.com/
brand new site – check it out – has tips and advice and product recommendations!!
VERONICA, REPLY to nell!!! She needs a response as much as anyone else.
i think the reason dominos advertises gluten free is simply to get coeliacs there sooner. why on earth would you pay to do yourself damage? it doesn’t make sense!!
btw, what is your opinion of the coeliac society? did i hear someone say that they are getting ready to let the food standards label foods gluten free if there are traces of gluten?????????????????
Sounds like they may be trying to side with places like dominos. . . . . .
Kelly, I responded to Nell via email, which is what I do around 90% of the time.
re: the Coeliac society, I think it’s bad for everyone dealing with coeliacs if they start labelling GF despite traces of gluten. We need to know when we’re buying GF that it is actually Gluten Free and the Coeliac Society is meant to be on *our* side with that.
kiwipride says several discussions ago that she “personally finds the Coeliac Sociaty to me a very weak organization anyway. (they are getting ready to agree to the food industry allowing “small traces” of gluten to be labelled GF)”. What is this about? If you know anything about this occurring please let me know! Anyone!
why on earth would they do this?
@Ann Campbell could you repeat what you said about the last coeliac society magazine and the lady ‘Irene’ and give me a brief overview about what she said about dominos in the article?
On a side note…Just found out that the “gluten free” Hans Baliner sold at Woolworths deli’s is cut on the same machine used to slice all the other glutened meats!!!!! Nice girl today told my wife that that was what happens everywhere , so she offered to wash down the slicer and cut fresh sliced
Jason, that’s so frustrating! Cross contamination is such a huge issue. The girl who offered to wash and fresh slice sounds lovely! I know a lot of people wouldn’t.
Yes, she was very informative. However, how can Woolies sell “gluten free” meats when they are not? Just seems so much like the Dominos issue, no real understanding of CD, and what it does to suffers.
Jason, officially, no they can’t. Maybe a letter to woolworths explaining the laws regarding GF food and cross contamination?
i shall now repost what i said!!
kiwipride says several discussions ago that she “personally finds the Coeliac Sociaty to me a very weak organization anyway. (they are getting ready to agree to the food industry allowing “small traces” of gluten to be labelled GF)”. What is this about? If you know anything about this occurring please let me know! Anyone!
why on earth would they do this?
@Ann Campbell could you repeat what you said about the last coeliac society magazine and the lady ‘Irene’ and give me a brief overview about what she said about dominos in the article?
or could someone else fill me in on it? thanks
i myself am not a supporter of the coeliac society of Australia – the reason is because of too many twists and flaws. their recommendation of wheat-derived glucose syrup, etc. (which DOES in fact have trace amounts of gluten in it) being gluten-free is totally different to what is concluded on the Codex Australia site [which states that Wheat derived glucose and caramel colouring are UNLIKELY to have an effect on the individual]. I react to wheat glucose syrup, corn syrup and glucose from other sources is fine.
On another note, the Coeliac Society clearly states on their ingredient listing booklet that they are NOT responsible for how the guide is used or misused in determining which products are gluten free.
@Kelly, the business with the coeliac society allowing traces of gluten to be labelled as GLUTEN FREE has not occurred yet. There is only talk of it. Basically the idea is to allow products which test four times greater than 5ppm (Parts Per Million) gluten to be labeled “GLUTEN FREE” (provided that it is below 20ppm – where food products today have to declare a gluten containing grain at this level and are currently classified as “NOT gluten free”). This is because aus has the strictest labelling regulations atm and it is limiting what can come in from overseas that is labelled gluten free at 20ppm as this is the standard for gluten free products in most places outside AUS and NZ. this is my third reason for not supporting the coeliac society. there is no knowledge of what side effects there could be at this level.
My fourth reason for not supporting the coeliac society is due to the fact that the damn coeliac society (esp. victoria) makes you get tested for CD before you can subscribe to them. HOW RIDICULOUS. getting tested for CD means that you have to re-introduce gluten for a month or something… This could be fatal for someone extremely sensitive!! Who does the coeliac society think they are!!!!
Finally (i guess you’re having enough of my rant now), the Coeliac Society is a financial burden in itself for individuals following a gluten free diet. IM SERIOUS!!! I would have wasted hundreds of dollars now had I subscribed after going gluten free. From what I hear their Coles discount cards are a complete Rip-OFF!
THE COELIAC SOCIETY OF AUSTRALIA, in my opinion, IS A COMPLETE JOKE *snort, snort*
tell me what you think!!
Here’s one of many sources. Parents are happy about this, as this will make their kids diets less restrictive!! *rolls eyes*
http://blog.whatcanieat.com.au/?p=43
No one has yet answered this question… it’s about the lady ‘Irene’ and what she said about dominos in the last CCoA mag?
Thanks for the response with regard to labelling traces of gluten ‘gluten free’. I think that in this case the CCoA is a complete joke as well, after having read your post, amy! You’re not alone. It is such a shame that the severity of coeliac disease is treated with such negligence. I really hope individuals raise this issue with them though, because it is really important that there is a way of knowing whether a food does or does not contain gluten. The view even sufferers of coeliac disease have is very distorted.
Would they do this with other common reactive foods (e.g. shellfish, peanut, tree nut, egg, milk, wheat, soy)? I would say “NO”. If something was labelled ‘nut free’ then it would be expected to contain 0ppm of peanut/tree nut residue. Why isn’t this the case when it comes to gluten? Goodness knows.
My advice when buying processed foods (if you’re really keen to remove any trace of gluten from your diet):
(1) Look for the “Wheat Free” statement on foods labelled gluten free (this will minimise likelihood of exposure to traces of wheat as this is more commonly an allergen, even though it will not provide a fullproof measure of whether the product is gluten free)
(2) Read the ingredients CAREFULLY! I’m sure you’d have a good idea of potentially problematic ingredients
(3) Ring or email the manufacturer. This may or may not be helpful but is worth a try.
The above points sound daunting, tedious and may be unreasonable, but I feel this is necessary if gluten is to be avoided properly, should the CCoA decide to go ahead with this plan to label items with small traces of gluten ‘gluten free’.
I suggest we all write to the Coeliac Society of Australia and the Australian Food Industry and FSANZ and firstly ask them about this idea and then ask that they don’t slack off (so to speak). The CSoA really should be assisting other C Soc’s o other countries to work on being able to guarantee that products are 100% gluten free rather than us having to adapt our GF status due to lazyness in other parts of the world.
To conclude, my only advice is this. The consumer is always right (or as they say) so we have the right to complain and persuade industries to satisfy our wishes. So get your pen in your hand, or get on your word processing software and get your concern accross. The more coeliacs who do this, the better the outcome is this. So WRITE, FIGHT, WRITE!
We will then know we did our best in trying to help improve the lifestyle of coeliacs.
We would be very unfortunate if that happened, wouldn’t we?
I don’t think its a problem though do you?
Right this is it!!! I am now really annoyed. It could well be a huge problem matt.
Take a look at the Coeliac society Feb 2010 Shopping List of endorsed products located on this page http://www.coeliac.org.au/endorse.html
on one of the latter pages it says this:
Takeaways:
Dominos
They are not just endorsing the gluten free bases, but rather their so called “gluten free” pizzas that MAY CONTAIN TRACES OF GLUTEN!
This is really frustrating! I thought the coeliac society was better than to be sucked in like that. There are certainly other businesses around that use ENDORSED gluten free bases that I would expect do a better job than Dominos at preventing cross contamination. So I cant even rely on THEM! This is REALLY frustrating! :-/
Veronica, your initial comment about how the coeliac society’s research was flawed does hold some great truth! I AM SICK OF THIS SO CALLED “SUPPORT GROUP” twisting things just to make people happy. ESPECIALLY when they say the don’t endorse restaurants on the aforementioned webpage!
How can I trust the Coeliac Society in other matters then? let me know?
I don’t know what I’ll do. some help?
Amy, we need to do something about this. Has anyone rung or emailed the CCoA? they are so keen to take our money (well, not mine anyway), yet not so keen to stand up for what is right!
Amy, I couldn’t find the link to the info regarding Dominos. Could you post it please?
You are right. The CCoA are VERY keen to take our money. They say that living on a gf diet is a financial burden, yet they are more of a GF financial burden (I feel) than most other aspects of a gf diet.
Jason, here is the link:
http://www.coeliacsociety.com.au/downloads/Endorse%20-%20Shopping%20List%20Feb%202010.pdf
It’s on page 4 of the document. It’s the only GF takeaway venue LISTED!!!
I really cannot see why on earth the Coeliac Society is trying to promote Domino’s so much, when you could be more guaranteed to be free of traces of gluten at places like McDonald’s, etc.
The Coeliac Soc say they do not endorse food service outlets, but here you go. They’re breaking their own rule now!!
CHECK IT OUT!!!
Since I last commented I have done a lot of google searching (for the benefit of my group and their interest in your opinions, the 5-6 of you) so far I have found 52 pizza outlet listings throughout Australia with a disclaimer. Some even state GLUTEN FRIENDLY.
I forgot to break down state by state but by memory there are some in Tasmania as well.
You could split them up and take on a few each.
As they may not have registered with the Coeliac society it may take a little longer to chase them all.
There are also a lot of cafe’s as well.
Dominos is the biggest problem at the moment. even the coeliac society is giving into them!! :@
The coeliac society are endorsing dominos as a gluten free takeaway outlet (on my above links) as part of a coeliac’s shopping list. The poor uneducated coeliacs are just gonna pay to wreck their lives……. hmmm…
By the way I did find a place in Canberra that is willing to accommodate my gluten free & soy free dietary requirements. Their GF bases didn’t contain soy but they weren’t *endorsed* by the CCoA, something I’m sure they’d criticise.
I honestly don’t know what the big deal is with the CCoA trying to stick up for dominos all the time and not helping out other pizza outlets who have staff really keen to genuinely take all measures to prevent cross contamination.
They were willing to use fresh meats from packaging in preparing my pizza. I tried them out last night and had a really good experience! There are a couple of other places apparently that I haven’t tried yet but will check out in the long term.
I’d also like to know the ingredients as I’m allergic to dairy and eggs as well as other foods! Ordering a cheeseless pizza is easy enough, but what is in the base? As Amy suggests, there are a lot of vegans and a lot of multi-food allergics in the celiac community! It’s great that places are starting to try as our numbers keep growing, but many places still fail to realize that many of us have more issues than just gluten when it comes to food, and cross contamination is a concern we all have to worry about! How safe is it? That is the bottom line question that must be answered in detail!
Keep working Veronica, but perhaps also mention that an ever-increasing number of celiacs are having problems with other allergens like lactose, fructose, dairy, soy, egg, yeast, etc. I feel that we should be aiming for there to be something for everyone and whilst I am aware this is technically impossible, I feel that more focus needs to be made on reaching out as far as possible into the community. Reaching out further will help enhance the lifestyle of individuals and will also likely attract more business. Continual denial and an unwillingness to accommodate individuals’ dietary requirements to the fullest standard (with every possible measure in place to eliminate cross contamination, of course) could likely result in lost opportunity.
It is great that Amy found a pizza restaurant willing to work with her and I do hope more outlets will offer options that even more individuals affected by celiac disease and allergies can enjoy. I have written to Dominos, Eagle Boys, Crust Gourmet Pizza Bar about this (as well as suggesting further measures to prevent cross-contamination). If you have any other ideas please let me know at crushzeroone@yahoo.com.au or comment on my reply.
sorry my email address is crushzeroone@yahoo.com not the one mentioned above. I continue to make that mistake… absent minded i suppose lol
Found this blog so thought i’d repost it here:
My husband had a domino’s pizza a few months ago, he was fine for about 1/2 hour after eating it,then on the way home ,he pulled over and was sick all the way home and through the night .Irang and told them about their pizza not being totally gluten free,and their replied was sometimes ,their utensil would touch other utensils,and they were happy to refund me the money,the issue is not the money ,but well being of their customers .If you are advertising that your pizza are gluten free, well damn make sure that they are or you are liable for your actions.
i felt a little bit queasy after my last dominos pizza – stuffy nose and constant noises in my belly all night but im pretty sure it was because ive been glutenned by dominos gf pizzas. i had diarrhea the next day and dont seem to be getting filled up even if i eat alot..seven days later..14 more days to heal! dominos u dont need to no crap bout how ‘allergic’ i am to gluten (you wanted to know so you could dust the gf base with a flour starch blend for use in your pan, you wanted to – u know it). ill sue you if u think of tellin me about the crap ccoa or whateverr endorsements u have cauz they mean y to mee. take this seriously. glad i ordered it in store otherwise they might have dusted the gf base with flower. u put a piece of bacon on someone elses yummy glutenny pizza base with barbecue sauce, took it off and put it on my own pizza base. i told u to redo my base and they got AnGRy with mE!!
they told me to be lucky i get anything close and that all this idea of long term gut damage is in my mind. please justify this. i am losing weight atm cause of a stupid frigggin pizza that should have been ‘gluten free’. they told me that little bits of gluten have never been an issue for any other customer they have givn one to! Thats my main rant!
now, i am currently in uni atm staying on college. i am coeliacandhave trouble with some fruits. i thought my college was really good but even they spoke to me very rudely when i asked if their chips were cooked in oil used for crumbd foods in th e past. this was after they assured me they were gluten free after reading the ingredients on the package for the frozen chips.and this was the friggin chef’s response:’i really don’t think that little bit of gluten will be a problem. really, if you’re that bad off with it i’d say you should stick away from cooked breafast altogether.’ THAT i did. people thought i was out of my mind. ‘no one refuses a cooked breakfast.’
im so sick, not of being coeliac, but just being treated like im a pessimistic pest and control freak.
I have now started a new blog on pizza places that advertise gluten free pizzas but then add a disclaimer. i have already done dominos and plan to do eagle boys and crust gourmet pizzas soon
http://glutenfreepizza-not.blogspot.com/
check it out and be sure to support me by visiting some of the ads by google on the page!
It was interesting to come across this page. I had recently heard from my sister that she got some tweets from dominos not that long ago. She is Coeliac and said that her tweets from Pizza_Dominos contained the following:
“….@nicky Our gluten free bases and toppings hav been tested….
….this is why we have the endorsement of the Coeliac Society….
….but we do advise that ur order may contain small amounts of gluten….
….due 2 cross-contamination. if u have any more questions feel free 2 ask.’”
This was her reply after she complained to Domino’s about an endorsed product not actually being gluten free. It surprised me that the Coeliac Society endorsed their 13 GF toppings. I don’t know what the corporate law-makers on gluten free food would have to say about this but it sounds a little suspicious to me.
On another note, a friend told me that on witnessing someone’s gluten free order being filled, crumbs which had dropped onto the table from previous ‘gluten-filled’ bases were swept off the surface onto the orderer’s gluten free base. The orderer seemed fine with it and didn’t say anything, even though it didn’t go unnoticed. I can see why they need to have a disclaimer but don’t see how the Coeliac Society can Endorse these products. I’d like to know if most businesses think it’s OK for Coeliacs to eat traces of gluten.
Any thoughts?
Hey Guys,
Come on…You’re gettin’ far too self-righteous and miserable. If you’re going do something, actually do something that will help. This attitude is just nonsense. So what if a crumb gets on your gluten free dough? at the end of your life it’s really not going to make much difference at all! Get a life, have one, worry less about all of this. Domino’s is doing their best, which is what counts. I’m sure if there were any real issues they would have dropped it by now.
If you’re angry with them, sue them but stop with all this nonsense of being negative and talking behind Domino’s back. They may decide to take legal action against you veronica if you’re not careful.
Joe, tell me where you live so I can come over an educate you! One crumb did nearly kill me you uninformed fool. The next one might.
You sound that stupid that you might qualify to manage a dominos store. We have a disease where one protein is extremely harmful. Do you know what a protein is Joe?
(fool)
yeah well i dont know a whole lot about gluten or the disease but i hear that a crumb or two is not an issue for most of them. i was only trying to lighten things up 1 lttle bit
Joe – It’s unfortunate, but a crumb or two WILL make people with coeliacs severely sick, and it takes almost 3 weeks for my daughter to start feeling better after she’s ingested gluten.
As for speaking behind Dominos back – Dominos was sent a copy of this post and the link to it when I complained originally, as was the Coeliac Society. If they’ve continued to watch the comments here, then they will have seen some of the issues that people have been worried about.
I have twitter. This is what I recently got from Domino’s:
Pizza_Dominos
@infonolan We have strict policy in place which have been approved by the Coeliac Society to ensure no contamination occurs.
Pizza_Dominos
@infonolan We have specific topppings and pizzas which have been approved as Gluten Free by the Coeliac Society.
Coming from the USA, Domino’s does not offer gluten free pizza crusts from what I am aware of. What I do hear, however, is that Domino’s in the States is in the process of investigating possible gluten free bases for future use with combined toppings. I wonder, will the same disclaimer apply here or will the pizza base be called something else?
It will be very interesting to see what happens. It wouldn’t surprise me if they did something similar here. Statistically, it might be interesting to know that Domino’s (USA) is one of the least hygienic fast food outlets around and so it certainly carries no surprise to me whatsoever that individuals have reacted to a pizza served from one of their stores. It certainly leaves one wondering, doesn’t it?
I, myself, would prefer Domino’s to not make any effort here (with regard to offering gluten free) if it cannot be done properly. It will simply waste everyone’s time, money, health and wellbeing. Customers will be doing themselves a disservice in the long term, and I feel that it would not the right thing.
I’d be keen to know how, or if, someone is taking legal action with respect to this issue. As is mentioned, this is definitely one example of ‘false advertising’ practice. I’d like to know how this is being dealt with, as it is not right. We are consumers, and we are therefore always right. It is down to businesses to provide us with what we desire . . .
STOP BADMOUTHING DOMINO’S
I’m sure if coeliacs were that sensitive, they wouldn’t even manage to sell gluten free pizzas at dominos. come on! joe’s right! lay back. . . relax. ‘when you drive, you risk dying’
Issac, you uninformed little prick. You offend me and maybe every other intelligent human being out there. When you’re old enough to have children,and your child has an peanut allergy, just go ahead and give him a little bit. he’ll be right! Speaking of intelligence, try starting with spelling your name correctly.
I shall leave my name spelt this way now that I fxxked it up. your coeliac society is very good. if they reckon dominos is a goer, then go for it! dont hold yourselves short. no one i know has had a bad time with small amounts of gluten. “when you go out to drive you risk having a fatal car accident. why do we do it? so we may have a fun and fulfilling life. the coeliac society is here to encourage individuals to enjoy their gluten free diet and of course with that come some risks”
Issac – You sound suspiciously like the tech officer at the Coeliac society that I spoke to. You’ve quoted him identically actually.
As for ‘small amounts’ YOU come and hold my daughter’s hand while she cries in pain from a ‘small amount’ of gluten. Even trace amounts make her awfully sick. Would you subject YOUR child to that? No. Me either.
I actually would!
You’d make your child sick to prove a point?
Oh wow. No words for how much that disgusts me.
Isaac sounds suspiciously like a 13 year old boy trying to pick a fight.
Or worse— a 30 year old man behaving like a 13 year old boy, trying to pick a fight.
Internet trolls. Excuse me, i have to go roll my eyes now.
Joe, unfortunately “a little crumb” here and there does make a difference. Yeah, some people are just wheat-sensitive and say they have Celiacs out of ignorance. If it was really the same thing, I’d roll my eyes right along with you. Yeah, so what, if you get a little belly gas, or if you get an annoying but minor case of the runs? Life goes on.
Unfortunately, there’s a big difference. It’s not at ALL like lactose intolerance. I’m only moderately sensitive (embarassing side-effects, and if I go heavy on it then my Rheumatoid Arthritis goes out of control) but my son is full-fledged absolutely INTOLERANT of gluten. It’s sad. He’s a year and a half, and if he gets any contamination, he screams all night with belly pain and breaks out in blisters on his butt. Not a diaper rash— BLISTERS. It looks like someone tortured him with a lighter. Last week he actually bled from his anus because of the irritation. He didn’t actually eat any gluteny foods. I think what happened is I accidentally fed him with the same utensils I used to cook my husband’s food. Stupid me, I know. My fault entirely. But unfortunately, a crumb or two goes a long way in this house. I’ve learned the hard way, and unfortunately my son keeps having to pay for my mistakes.
And unfortunately, this whole “gluten-free” thing is pretty new for everyone in the grand scheme of things. So a lot of companies don’t really get that there’s a difference between “not made with any wheat, barley, etc products” and actually “gluten-free.” I worked for Domino’s for longer than I would have liked, and I can pretty much tell you two things:
#1: Domino’s is not doing this out of the goodness of their hearts. There’s a big market to be made in gluten free products, and they are jumping on the bandwagon. It’s a nice idea in theory, but that leads me to my second point..
#2: THERE IS NO WAY IN HELL they will ever be able to avoid cross-contamination. Why? Because while it’s a great idea, it breaks down at the end: You’ve got a bunch of bored 15 year olds in charge of following the rules. Have you ever peeked your head in and seen the countertop they toss the pizza on? It’s COVERED in flour. Everything is. The countertop, the utensils, even the pizza screens. There’s just no way you’re going to get a bunch of money-hungry teenagers to shut down production on a busy night to wipe off and sanitize the prep area before they make the pizza, no matter how many training videos they’ve seen telling them the right way.
But I think I’m beating a dead horse here. Eh. And to be honest, I wouldn’t have believed all the fuss either, until I had my son. I think it’s one of those things you have to see and live through in person before you truly understand it.
The coeliac society is a well respected body of knowledge for coeliac disease. Well respected by doctors, it serves as a support line and group for all your gluten free needs. Even doctors and respected medical firms recommend them as a one stop destination. why not trust them?
Issac, it’s not that I don’t trust the Coeliac Society, it’s that I don’t trust the kids who work at Dominos to prevent cross contamination.
Domino’s is not the only business like this. There’s heaps. The Coeliac Society recommend them! Just discuss it with the young ones working at these places if you’re concerned. They want to make money, tell them they’ll get your business back if you don’t have a reacton. I think you are getting completely beyond yourselves. i really think if it was that much of a concern businesses would be shut down, honestly.
And besides veronica, you would have fallen for it had you not seen the disclaimer. They’re just trying to be conservative and cautious so they dont become liable. I really don’t think its much of an issue. Especially since you were ready to buy some for your daughter! And you probs would have to except you saw the little text saying that there may be traces of gluten. businesses do this only to cover their bottoms you know
Isssaaac…go away. You’re embarrassing yourself with you lack of knowledge.
I am sick of this. I am sick of these people who think that ‘gluten free’ is some fashionable term used to catch a vulnerable market of coeliac disease sufferers.
ISSAC: It is people like you who shouldn’t even be talking about gluten free diets if you don’t know anything about them, let alone coeliac disease.
Gluten is a mixture of proteins contained in wheat, rye, barley and oats. (Don’t believe the Coeliac Society about safely being able to use wheat glucose syrup. It is NOT safe for coeliacs. My reaction to it is SEVERE. Others have nearly died from exposure to this ingredient. Wheat caramel colour is also an issue for me.)
It saddens me to see individuals, let alone businesses, taking the implications and requirements of coeliac disease so lightly. Gluten has a protein in it. All proteins can be harmful and potentially FATAL, and just because the incidence of death from gluten is not as great as that from peanuts or shellfish, it still exists. Businesses like Dominos are playing with fire by advertising their product as gluten free and then adding a disclaimer. If nothing is done about this, it will eventually catch up to them.
On another note, I am very upset with Hungry Jacks right now. I almost want to blog about it. I went to their website, looked at their ingredient listing for their french fries and discovered that there were no known allergens present in their chips. I then called their customer service line to confirm this was the case, as every good coeliac should do. They told me that they contained gluten, due to being deep fried with the chicken nuggets. I asked them why this was not declared on their website. They told me because the chips themselves do not contain gluten and the oil used to fry the chips does not contain gluten. They refused to update this information after having urged them to. The information on their website is MISLEADING and I urge you to refrain from supporting them where possible. Would I be right in saying this is illegal? I should hope so!
Businesses who supply inaccurate information or mislead customers in this way should not be supported in doing so. We, as coeliacs, need to avoid every trace of gluten in our diet. If the Coeliac Society is not attending to it like they should, it is then down to us fellow coeliacs to look after ourselves and each other, fight the battle, and win as consumers!
Let us not let these businesses get away with laziness but, rather, let us show them what we, as customers, ask for – CLEAR, INFORMATIVE and ACCURATE information.
Forgive me – my contact is
george.kite19202@gmail.com – i shall make my email address public so you may contact me about the above
Would you believe that I just had Hungry Jacks (fries only) for lunch today after I check their website? I asked the girl behind the counter and she told me that the chips were fried in there own oil. But now I am feeling sleep (my first sign of being glutened). Unbelievable!
As a member of a very large group of Coeliac members I am glad to see this blog lower itself to the level that we believed it would, with great humour.
Most of us who have been around for a long time and watched the progression of understanding from manufacturers, restaurants, food outlets and yes, The Coeliac Society are disappointed by people like you and your lack of intelligence to understand how to create change and standards by allowing us (with coeliac disease) to live a normal social life.
There have been people who have entered on this blog who in my opinion have been treated with total dis respect (read from top to bottom) does someone who does not understand our disease deserve to be spoken to like a mongrel dog?
Do people need to be told that Kiwipride will come around and teach them? (even though you don’t control the comments of others you do seem to attract a certain type of Coeliac blogger)
Why do you assume that businesses are run by 15 year olds and kids?
What gives you the right to assume that people who work in a Domino’s stores or any other business lack the intelligence to learn.
We have all wondered that if you Veronica could cut and paste from other sites would Domino’s staff be treated better???
One of our members commented that you made your first comment Dec 2009 and then stated on April 2010 ‘Both children are positive for the Coeliacs gene, but of course that is no guarantee to them actually getting coeliacs, no matter………..
The coeliac society does not accept members unless you have had a positive biopsy for coeliac disease.
There are many great sites around the world by Coeliacs for Coeliacs who encounter these common issues and create the means to a better result for all.
I don’t believe that you intended for Domino’s or any other restaurant, food outlet to learn that there are important issues that need to be addressed for Coeliacs. I have spoken to 3 Domino’s stores in my area and all have stated that their Gluten Free Pizza orders are constantly growing each week. They all stated that the majority of people who order ask the same things if they are a Coeliac (reference been that some people are Gluten Intolerant) Do you use separate trays, cutters and paddles???
Which of your toppings are Gluten Free?????
THIS IS CALLED PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR DISEASE WHEREVER YOU GO (no disclaimer needed, just a GF and ask the questions)
These are the same questions that most of us Coeliacs have been asking since pizza outlets started using Gluten Free Pizza Bases. (again I refer to the comment that you could just cut and paste a disclaimer) My favourite pizza outlet nearest me started using Gluten Free Pizza Bases 4 years ago and had a sign in the window stating then “We do the best we can to ensure that our Gluten Free Pizza’s DO NOT COME INTO CONTACT WITH ANY GLUTEN”, this is not a new situation. You make a personal choice to walk in the door.
I have never since been diagnosed with this disease many years ago assumed that outside of my own home to put my health in anyone else’s hands.
We have come a long way and I give credit to Domino’s for adding a disclaimer (like my favourite pizza restaurant) because it made me ask questions and not assume that they knew what to do.
Though I feel since been alerted to this blog you and yours lack the incentive to educate and add awareness, just find a way to stop everything BECAUSE YOU THINK YOU CAN.
We have also followed Kelly and she seems to be putting a lot of fire up all the Coeliacs around the world.
Julie – “One of our members commented that you made your first comment Dec 2009 and then stated on April 2010 ‘Both children are positive for the Coeliacs gene, but of course that is no guarantee to them actually getting coeliacs,”
Yes, the children were given gene testing because we, as her parents DECLINED the biopsy. Amy suffers from Ehlers Danlos Syndrome as well, and therefore, the biopsy would likely cause more problems than we’re willing to deal with. Not to mention the fact that we’re not prepared to make her sick, just to get a bit of paper saying she is positive for Coeliacs. She has a clinical diagnosis for Coeliacs, as well as a borderline blood test for it.
But of course, you don’t care about any of that, you’d just like to argue.
I take responsibility for Amy’s coeliacs, every single time we leave the house. At the end of the day though, this post is about NONE of that. This post is about the laws regarding labelling of gluten free products in Australia. Like I have said, OVER AND OVER.
You CANNOT call something Gluten Free, if it contains traces of gluten. YOU CANNOT. It doesn’t matter that Dominos is ‘making life easier’ and that I should be ‘taking responsibility’. You CANNOT claim Gluten Free status if there is gluten. FULL STOP.
And while you’re talking about disrespect, did you ever wonder how your own comment might come across?
Julie— It wasn’t really Veronica that pointed out that the businesses are run by 15 year olds/kids… it’s me. I’ve worked for Domino’s in the past MUCH longer than I really care to admit. It’s actually decent money if you hustle… and most of the people there do hustle. Admittedly, in the current economy here in the US the trend towards older drivers is rising slightly (it’s been awhile since we’ve had someone under 20 answer our door), but still— if you don’t get the pizzas out the door FAST (and try to sneak a double/triple run) then you aren’t making good money. There’s only one pizza prep area, and depending on the size of the store there will be 1-2 pizza flippers, 1-2 toppers, 1-2 guys running the oven. The delivery drivers depends on the night and the size of the area that particular Domino’s covers. The trays and utensils are all kept in the front, within reach, because when it’s busy, it’s BUSY.
On a Friday/Saturday night, or a Two for Tuesday night, even in some of the smaller stores the order screen will sometimes be 20 deep. Where do they store the gluten-free pizza screens? How do they keep them from getting all mixed in with the others? When the guy covering the oven pulls out the pizza, does he use a separate spatula? if so… where does he store it? When it’s busy, if you leave the oven even for a SECOND the pizzas start backing up, and then crumpling into each other as they come out of the oven.
I dunno— maybe the stores in my current area are filled with magical people who love their minimum wage job and don’t care about paying rent. But even aside from the whole money aspect, keeping the store running smoothly is a matter of pride, and those gluten-free pizzas are rare enough that they probably back things up. I just can’t see the whole store shutting down for the necessary time it would take to make sure everything is gluten-free, and I don’t know where else they would prepare the pizza other than the prep counter. I hope it’s not the back— Oh, Geez. PLEASE don’t be the back. We always scored in the high 90s for cleanliness in all the stores I worked, but man….. EW. That back was always NASTY.
You know what might be an interesting test, now that I think of it? Call Dominos A on a slow day (about noon on a Monday would be best) and ask the manager how/where they prepare the pizzas. Just ask him calmly, and don’t push or make him suspicious. Then pick Domino’s B about 6pm on a Friday night (or whenever your local Domino’s is busiest over there) and then phone in your gluten-free pizza order from your car. Then you can go inside and sit and see how the follow-through is. I bet it’s not great
Heck, maybe I’ll do it, just to assuage my curiosity.
Julie, this whole debate is becoming very tiresome. if you actually READ the post you would see that it isn’t about the coeliacs society, god bless their little hearts.
It is about false advertising and our need to be able to trust the labelling laws implicitly.
This whole comment thread is becoming very tedious and as Veronica’s mother I find your comment especially offensive. But at the end of the day I can walk away from this discussion and not give you another thought because I actually have a life.
Veronica, sweetheart I know you like to give people a chance to air their views no matter how puerile they may be but I think it is time to close comments on this post.
Veronica, please DON’T close this thread as hearing from people like you keeps my morale up!
Julie, all we wamt to be able to do is go out and eat with our familes and trust that when a business says their food is GF, that is actually is. Simple isn’t it?
I have updated my hub. Three pizza outlets have been mentioned, one of which actually claims that the pizzas are gluten free (Gluten Free sticker on box) yet they can’t guarantee a 100% gluten free environment. Information on the following three pizza outlets is now available for your information:
Crust Gourmet Pizza Bar (these guys really disgust me)
Eagle Boys Pizza
Domino’s Pizza
I also found a manufactured cookie (factory-made) which declared itself as gluten free (and had a disclaimer on the back of it that there may be traces of gluten in it). click on my name to view my site for more information!
Julie, I’ve just read your comment and have some concerns:
1. We can live a normal social life with dietary restrictions. That, for me, is barely an issue of all issues for me. Remember, we should eat to live; not live to eat.
2. Legally, a product or foodservice outlet may only legally use the term ‘gluten free’ (with reference to a particular product) if the product is 100% guaranteed gluten free. Coeliac disease is not simply an intolerance to gluten. Individuals with this disease must exclude all gluten from their diets.
3. You can tell them…
…and tell them…
…and tell them…
until you’re blue in the face about it. [I recently visited a family-owned pizza venue in a very backward area of Australia. There was a sign out front that said "GLUTEN FREE PIZZAS AVAILABLE!" Kids of about 9 or 10 years old were working there because they can't get any better workers in this sort of community. They offer gluten free bases that are bought in. There was very little knowledge amongst these kids about 'gluten free' so the manager came out to talk with me. I asked about gluten free toppings. He said there was no guarantee and was surprised I was so sensitive to gluten. We discussed some of the toppings ingredients etc. and found some that were safe. He then dropped the gluten free base in a heap of flour to dust it. I told him he'd have to start again because it was no longer gluten free due to contamination. He told me he had basically had enough and that I would either get it 'pretty gluten free' or 'not at all'. I chose the latter and refused to pay. The manager was annoyed I wasted his time but after all, if the term GLUTEN FREE is going to be used, it should be used legally and properly].
Kelly re: Point 2 Do you assume that I am not a Coeliac??
As we have 8 members of my immediate family with Coeliac Disease, I am very aware of a Gluten Free LIFESTYLE.
As stated, I am a member of a very large group of Coeliacs who meet on a monthly basis to discuss new products, restaurants, food outlets, cooking at home, eating out, living with non Coeliacs, HAVING A SOCIAL LIFE and all things GLUTEN FREE.
You made the comment that ‘You went to a very backward area’ my God what a negative statement for the education of our disease in living a social life.
I have contacted a few Gluten Free Pizza manufacturers and have obtained a cross contamination format that I would be glad to pass on to the so called backward business that you mentioned if you would post the address.
I would hope that you also pass on to the government and relevant agencies the child labour that you refer to.
However, I can’t go past the fact that if you are the same Kelly that has posted above and Re June 18th has the BLOG site.
Why would you even go into any pizza restaurant, chain or outlet for your own personal distain to finding any possibility of CROSS CONTAMINATION.
As a very long time Coeliac I have never seen a restaurant, food outlet, or home delivery service advertise or place a disclaimer that they are Nut Free. Sealed manufactured products do.
Maybe like the Coeliac’s that I mix with we observe Personal choice and productive eduction as I mentioned in my previous comments. Most businesses are on a steep learning curve in relation to Gluten Free Food.
I have also watched that any business that has opened as Totally Gluten Free as closed within a short period of time. (never seen a business totally nut free)
My advice would be to stay away from Pizza, unless you make it at home.
If you eat out and they state GF make a decision that you feel comfortable that they look like they know what they are doing OR LEAVE.
Most of us have done this for a long period of time and raised our children to do the same.
Julie,
Sorry for the delay in my reply
I have assumed that you are a coeliac all along. You seem very knowledgeable about the subject and very aware of a gluten free lifestyle.
Your grammar, spelling and punctuation could use some further refinement.
Yes I am the kelly who owns the BLOG site, which you will find by clicking on my name at the top left corner of this comment.
The address of the mentioned business is:
[Edited by admin to remove content I deem inflammatory]
The legal age for employment is as follows in various states (QLD is in bold type as this is the particular state I am referring to with regard to particular state).
The minimum age of employment can vary across Australia because it is governed by different State based legislative requirements.
NSW, NT, SA, TAS
The minimum age of employment outside school hours is 14 years of age for casual and part time employees. It is our policy that if you are 14 years of age, but not yet 14 years and 9 months that:
Your parent or guardian provides written consent for you to start work
You must be able to demonstrate during the interview that you have the ability to handle difficult situations and the skill to fulfil the required positions.
VIC
In Victoria, the employment of children is governed by the Child Employment Act 2003 which states that the minimum age of employment is 15 years of age.
QLD
In Queensland, the employment of children is governed by the Child Employment Act 2006. The Act requires employees who are under 16 years of age and have not yet finished Year 10, to provide parental consent to commence work.
Employees under 16 may only work 12 hours during a school week (38 hours a week during school holidays), with each shift being a maximum of 4 hours Monday to Friday and 8 hours Saturday and Sunday.
All hours of work must be between 6am and 10pm.
WA
In Western Australia, the employment of children is governed by the Children and Community Services Act 2004 and the School Education Act 1999, which state that the minimum age of employment is 15 years of age.
Employees who are under 15 years of age need to provide parental consent to commence work and may only work between 6am and 10pm if the work is outside of school hours.
Legislation also requires compulsory attendance at school for children up to the year they turn 17.
Employees under 17 years of age may not work during school.
ACT
In the Australian Capital Territory, the employment of children is governed by The Children and Young People Act 2008.
The recommended minimum age for full time employment in ACT is school leaving age (ie. 15 years of age). It is possible to be employed below this age for a maximum of 10 hours per week. However, if you wish to be employed for more than 10 hours per week, prior approval must be obtained from the Chief Executive of the Department of Housing, Disability and Community Services.
right to work in Australia
It is a legal requirement that all employees have the right to work in Australia, If you are invited to an interview, you will need to demonstrate your right to work in Australia by providing an original of one of the following documents:
Australia Passport
Australia Citizenship Certificate and photo ID
Australian Birth Certificate (the birth certificate must show that at least one parent was born in Australia. If it does not, you will also be required to provide one parent’s current Australia Citizenship Certificate or Permanent Residence Visa)
New Zealand Passport with Australian Immigration Entry Stamp
Foreign Passport with Permanent Residency Visa
Foreign Passport with Visa work conditions 8104, 8105, 8108
Laws on gluten free labelling are here (sourced from FSANZ website):
“Clause 16 of Standard 1.2.8 sets out the conditions for making claims in relation to the gluten content of a food. Under subclause 16(2) a ‘gluten free’ claim can be made if the food contains no detectable gluten and no oats or malt.”
Do you ever look at the labelling laws behind gluten free food, or do you rely entirely on the Coeliac Society? If you did, you would realise that it is illegal to use the ‘gluten free’ label unless the food is guaranteed to contain absolutely NO wheat, rye, barley or oats at all. Unfortunately this means that businesses cannot exploit the term ‘gluten free’ unless they can guarantee particular foods with that mention on them to be exactly that – gluten free. The coeliac society provide disclaimers themselves advising members to not solely rely on their advice. All they are is a so-called support group for coeliacs.
Please do pass on the cross-contamination notice to Roscoe’s as I was very disappointed about my experience there.
(As for nut free – silly yak bakery in Melbourne is advertised as 100% peanut free. Happy tums is advertised as a ‘no nuts’ business as well as ‘gluten free http://happytums.com/
(Happy tums is GREAT! If you want true gluten free, go there. They will make sure you’re well looked after! They’re also soy free, Amy so if you ever go up to QLD don’t go past them!))
Kelly – I’ve removed your latest comment, as well as parts of the previous comment because I don’t think it’s neccesary to post addresses of a business here, nor do I think we need to be calling people ‘jerks’.