So what is Prezzo's stance on cross contamination?

Nationwide chain Prezzo have recently announced that they do will be jumping on the gluten free train and offering gluten free pizzas! Obviously, fab news... not only does it provide us with more choice but also raises awareness of gluten intolerance/coeliac disease.

BUT... how are they planning on dealing with cross contamination as, if this is not taken seriously, we may as well be eating a 'normal' gluten free pizza! So, I contacted Prezzo to ask for some details regarding this and was impressed with the helpful response I received:

'All of our staff have been trained to make sure that the risk of cross contamination with non gluten free products is as small as possible. All Prezzo kitchens have been supplied with detailed instructions on how to correctly prepare gluten free meals and these are present in the kitchen at all times.

Some of the measures we have in place include removing the bases from their packaging and placing them straight onto a special pan which is used ONLY for gluten free pizzas without touching any other surfaces. We also use special kitchen utensils which are clean and used only for gluten free pizzas.

Only fresh ingredients are used rather than ingredients that may have been in contact with non gluten free products; and, it goes without saying, that all kitchen staff have clean hands before handling and preparing the gluten free pizzas.

Finally, whenever there is a gluten free pizza order, the manager of the restaurant is present in the kitchen to supervise the kitchen staff and ensure they are preparing the pizzas correctly.'

 

So, what do you think? Are you confident in their response? Will you be giving them a go? Let me know!

Dominos are going gluten free! But what about cross contamination?

It has recently been announced that Dominos are going to be introducing a gluten free base. This is fab news as not only does it mean that there is more choice for a gluten free takeaway, but also, any large chain introducing gluten free alternatives on their menu is good as it raises the gluten free profile.

However, do Dominos understand the importance of ensuring that cross contamination does not occur? Whilst it is great that they are introducing this gluten free base, for coeliacs it is not much good if the pizzas are then cross contaminated, for example, by using the same cutting equipment, or preparing on the same surface as the 'normal' pizzas.

With this in mind, I contacted Dominos to ask them how they would be dealing with this, and was impressed with the detail in which they responded:

We have been working on this product with Coeliac UK for a number of years. Our staff are currently being fully trained on the new product ready for its launch in November, to make sure that they understand the controls around handling gluten-free pizzas and ingredients.

We have a range of controlsin place,  which have been thoroughly tested to ensure our gluten-free product is suitable for coeliacs. These include:

· The gluten-free bases are made in dedicated central production facilities.

· Every gluten-free base is stored in a sealed pouch before use. Before opening the base, the team member must wash their hands.

· The gluten-free base is easy to differentiate from our classic crust as it is a slightly different size.

· All of our makeline teams are currently being trained on the correct handling of the product and which toppings contain gluten.

· Toppings which contain gluten will be clearly marked on our website from the product launch date (November 5, 2012) and on our printed menus from January 2013.

· One team member will take ownership of each gluten-free pizza from start to end of the makeline.

· A clean cutter will be used for all gluten-free pizzas.

· Pizza screens will be visually checked to ensure they are clean before a gluten-free base is placed on it. We have carried out extensive testing to prove that any gluten on the screen does not transfer to the gluten-free pizza.

· Within each store, a manager or appointed person will conduct a hot rack check to confirm pizza is on the correct base, correctly topped and boxed before it is sent for delivery.

· The cornflour we use for stretching most of our pizzas is gluten-free. We do not handle wheat flour in any of our stores.

· We will not be using separate ovens for our pizzas – thorough testing has concluded that it does not present a risk in our stores.


Is the product suitable for people who are lactose intolerant?

The gluten-free base is dairy-free.


Is the product suitable for vegans or people allergic to egg?

No, the base contains egg.

What ingredients are in the gluten-free base?

Water, Maize Flour, Rice Flour, Potato Flour, Rapeseed Oil, Sugar, Yeast, Salt, Thickeners: Guar Gum, Xanthan Gum, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose; Vegetable Protein, Vegetable Fibre, Egg White.

So what do you think? Will you be giving them a go? The gluten-free base will be available from Domino’s UK and ROI stores from November 5, 2012. You will be able to order it online, in person or by phone.

Pizza Hut and Prezzo have also announced they are to be introducing gluten free bases... I have contacted them also and will let you know once I have received their response regarding cross contamination.