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Gluten-free Menus Difficult at Restaurants

in The Too Busy to Diet Blog on January 24, 2014

Restaurants are struggling to offer gluten-free offerings that meet increased customer demand and government regulations. But restaurants have found that it is very difficult to insure that their meals are gluten-free. This is due to the chaos found in most restaurants and how easily ingredients can be mixed, and the chance of cross-contamination with foods with gluten.

This year, the Food and Drug Administration regulation goes into effect that foods labeled as gluten-free
must contain fewer than 20 parts per million of gluten that is a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye.
This will not just apply to packaged goods, but restaurants will also be subject to the same rules.
Most restaurants realize the risk of offering gluten-free products and then not being able to deliver on their promise. A number of restaurants including: Noodles & Company, Texas Roadhouse, Dominos Pizza ,and Olive Garden offer a gluten-free menu, but they will make no guarantee of the gluten content of the foods served.
It is estimated that two million to three million Americans or about 1% of the population suffer from celiac disease, an auto-immune disorder where gluten ingestion causes an interference of nutrient absorption. Another 18 million Americans have a gluten sensitivity resulting in diarrhea, anemia and other symptoms similar to celiac disease are found. These individuals lack the antibodies and intestinal damage found in celiac disease.
Approximately 30% of Americans up from 25.5% three years ago, reported from a market research firm, NPD Group Inc., are trying to avoid the use of gluten. Others try to avoid gluten to lose weight.
California Pizza Kitchen is offering four pizzas with less than 10 parts per million of gluten. They have revamped their kitchens, trained staff, and worked with the Gluten Intolerance Group of North America to insure their products are gluten-free. Managers are getting approximately 35 gluten-free pizzas ordered each week. They have found that gluten-free pizza is the most requested item .
It appears that gluten-free consumers will have to exercise caution when eating out because of the difficulty involved with providing gluten-free products in restaurants. Gluten-free consumers need to frequent restaurants where they have not suffered from repeated symptoms after eating at the restaurants. It will be hard to guarantee that foods served will be completely gluten-free. Discussing safe ways to eat out with a registered dietitian is a helpful way to learn tips for eating out.
For more information on gluten-free, try our book, Too Busy to Diet at www.toobusytodietbook.com.