{"id":15379,"date":"2020-04-24T09:00:56","date_gmt":"2020-04-24T13:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vrg.org\/blog\/?p=15379"},"modified":"2020-04-14T12:53:09","modified_gmt":"2020-04-14T16:53:09","slug":"papa-johns-pizza-ingredients","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vrg.org\/blog\/2020\/04\/24\/papa-johns-pizza-ingredients\/","title":{"rendered":"Papa John’s\u00ae Pizza Ingredients"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS<\/p>\n

The Vegetarian Resource Group received an email from a reader about Papa John’s pizza. He asked: Do the Papa John’s pizza doughs…contain any animal products? There is some confusion about their source of “whey protein concentrate”?<\/p>\n

We responded in part with information from a VRG article on rennet<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cApproximately 90-95% of the rennet used to curdle milk into cheese remains in the whey.\u201d<\/p>\n

We also told our reader that most rennet used commercially in the USA is microbial, not animal-derived. Long ago, genetic material was isolated from rennet taken from a calf’s stomach and inserted into microbial genetic material to produce \u201cmicrobial rennet.\u201d It may also be called \u201cvegetarian rennet\u201d on some labels.<\/p>\n

Isolating rennet from a calf’s stomach is NOT done for each batch of \u201cmicrobial\u201d enzyme today.<\/p>\n

There may be some \u201cmicrobial rennet\u201d made differently, where no calf gene was ever used, even at the very start of the microbial line, decades ago. In this case, ALL genetic transfer occurs between microbes.<\/p>\n

But this method is uncommon. It’s not the way that the majority of rennet is manufactured on a commercial basis. Companies may not be willing to find out definitively which way was used if you inquired. Or, they may say \u201cit’s proprietary.\u201d More often than not, they’ll just say \u201cmicrobial rennet\u201d and leave it at that.<\/p>\n

To answer the reader’s first question, The Vegetarian Resource Group turned to Papa John’s for an update. Unlike many restaurant chains, Papa John’s lists a direct link to its pizza ingredients<\/a> on the bottom of its homepage:<\/a><\/u><\/p>\n

In February 2020, we first sent in our questions through their website, and then called their customer service line.\u00a0After a few inquiries, we were told:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe 2-cheese blend, made of Parmesan and Romano cheeses, is made with animal rennet. The mozzarella cheese is made with microbial enzymes. The 3-cheese blend, consisting of Asiago, fontina and provolone cheeses, is made with animal rennet.\u201d<\/p>\n

We then asked about the natural flavors in the two types of pizza doughs listed on their website.<\/p>\n

Here is an answer from their email with the subject line: \u201cRennet in Cheese, Animal Enzymes, Vegan Concerns.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOur nutritional, allergen and general ingredient information can be found on these pages:
http:\/\/www.papajohns.com\/company\/nutrition-allergen-information.html<\/a>
http:\/\/www.papajohns.com\/allergens\/papa-johns-allergen-guide.html<\/a><\/p>\n

The majority of our products contain biosynthesized and\/or vegetable-derived enzymes, including our mozzarella cheese. Our mozzarella cheese contains no animal-derived enzymes. The enzyme used is from a microbial source. However, our two- and three-cheese blends do contain animal derived enzymes. There are no animal products in our original crust, pizza sauce, or pizza cheese (other than milk).<\/p>\n

Our pizza dough contains fungal or bacterial derivatives.<\/p>\n

Our garlic sauce contains lactic acid, which is not classified as an animal derivative because it has been fermented.<\/p>\n

Blue cheese and ranch [dressings] do contain animal-derived rennet.<\/p>\n

The rennet that is used in the Papa John’s Parmesan cheese is a GMO-free microbial rennet. It is not animal-derived. It would be suitable for vegetarian consumption.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Vegetarian Resource Group asked if the \u201cfungal or bacterial derivatives\u201d in the pizza dough, since they are not listed on the website’s ingredient statement, could be the natural flavors.<\/p>\n

We also asked about the microbial rennet in the Parmesan cheese. Since we were told the cheese blend with Parmesan had been made with animal rennet, we wanted clarification on this point. We don’t have an answer to this question yet.<\/p>\n

Based on a careful look at the Allergen Guide<\/a>, which lists all menu items, and the information from the email that Papa John’s sent to us, (see above), The VRG believes that the Parmesan cheese containing the microbial rennet is in the Parmesan cheese packet and\/or the cheese dipping sauce. (NOTE: We have not received confirmation from Papa John’s on this point.)<\/p>\n

After a closer analysis of the pizza crust ingredients listed on the Papa John’s website and the email that Papa John’s sent (see above), it appears that the natural flavors are<\/strong> \u201cfungal or bacterial derivatives.\u201d They are not specifically listed as such, but by a process of elimination, The VRG concludes that the natural flavors are most likely microbial derivatives, and, therefore, not animal-derived. (NOTE: We have not received confirmation from Papa John’s on this point.)<\/p>\n

Papa John’s Pizza Crusts<\/strong><\/p>\n

According to the Allergen Guide<\/a> on Papa John’s site, along with information from the email we received (reprinted above), as well considering what we had discovered a few years ago<\/a>, it appears that:<\/p>\n