The Vegetarian Resource Group Blog

L-Cysteine in Domino’s Pizza: “Non-Animal” According to Domino’s

Posted on September 13, 2010 by The VRG Blog Editor

by Jeanne Yacoubou, MS
VRG Research Director

The VRG recently received an email from a London reader asking about
L-cysteine in Domino’s pizza. He reported to us that Domino’s UK told
him that the L-cysteine used in the United Kingdom “is made
synthetically” and wondered if this were true for the United States.

We contacted Domino’s Quality Assurance Department and posed the
question as we did in 2007 when we were told that Domino’s L-cysteine
in its Hand-Tossed Crust, Breadsticks, the Cheesy Bread and the Cinna
Stix is “not animal-derived.” This time the same individual told us
that “We still use L-Cysteine in our Hand Tossed dough, Bread for
Sandwiches and Pasta, Breadsticks, and Cinna Stix.” Upon further
questioning, our contact informed us that “the source is non-animal.”

Although The VRG has attempted by phone and email to get more detail
on “non-animal” and “synthetic,” Domino’s has not supplied us with any
further information at this time.

Readers may wish to note that Domino’s Brooklyn Crust also contains
L-cysteine. Its Deep Dish Crust contains dairy-derived ingredients (as
do the Hand Tossed and Brooklyn crusts). The Crunchy Thin Crust
appears to be all vegetable-based. The pizza sauce at Domino’s,
according to the ingredient listings on Domino’s website, is
plant-derived as well.

0 to “L-Cysteine in Domino’s Pizza: “Non-Animal” According to Domino’s”

  1. Larry says:

    I live in Chicago and after reading this I’m going to do some digging and checking myself, on Domino’s and Pizza Hut. My family eat both of these company’s pizza all the time.



Leave a Reply


  • Donate

  • Subscribe to the blog by RSS

  • VRG-NEWS

    Sign up for our newsletter to receive recipes, ingredient information, reviews of new products, announcements of new books, free samples of products, and other VRG materials.

    Your E-mail address:
    Your Name (optional):



↑ Top