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.
Comments
165 responses to “Gluten Free Pizza from Dominos – but it may contain traces of gluten.”
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’.