{"id":5281,"date":"2014-03-24T12:22:06","date_gmt":"2014-03-24T16:22:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.vrg.org\/blog\/?p=5281"},"modified":"2014-03-24T12:33:41","modified_gmt":"2014-03-24T16:33:41","slug":"soy-cheese-pizza-at-dominos-pizza-in-israel-a-first-for-major-pizza-chains","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vrg.org\/blog\/2014\/03\/24\/soy-cheese-pizza-at-dominos-pizza-in-israel-a-first-for-major-pizza-chains\/","title":{"rendered":"Soy Cheese Pizza at Domino\u2019s Pizza\u00ae in Israel: A First for Major Pizza Chains"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS
\nVRG Research Director<\/p>\n

Domino\u2019s\u00ae Pizza Israel debuted what it calls a vegan pizza in December
\n2013. After contacting Domino\u2019s\u00ae American corporate office to find out
\nmore information The VRG received a call from a Domino\u2019s\u00ae employee
\nworking in Holland followed by email contact with the Domino\u2019s\u00ae Israel
\nVP of Marketing.<\/p>\n

Ido Fridman at Domino\u2019s\u00ae Pizza Israel replied to us by email about the
\nvegan menu option in January 2014. Here is that exchange.<\/p>\n

Q:<\/strong> We’d like to know the ingredients in the pizza including the dough,
\nsauce and cheese.
\nA:<\/strong> I apologize in advance for that, but all the raw materials of our
\nproducts are presumed trade secrets and I cannot reveal them.<\/p>\n

Q:<\/strong> If not, can you assure us that all of the ingredients in this pizza
\nare all non-animal including no eggs or dairy or ingredients derived
\nfrom them such as honey, whey, casein, gelatin, rennet, etc.?
\nA:<\/strong> I can assure you that all of the vegan pizzas at Domino’s\u00ae Pizza
\nIsrael are non-animal\u2026There are no ingredients derived from animals with
\nall that implies – period.
\nWhat is important to note is the work environment, such as the makeline
\nor stove, etc., where we make the pizzas is not vegan\u2026We also have in
\nthe store mozzarella cheese, meat, etc.<\/p>\n

Q:<\/strong> Can you tell us if the cheese on the vegan pizza is soy-based?
\nA:<\/strong> Domino\u2019s\u00ae maintains commercial confidentiality with regards to raw
\nmaterials, but I will deviate once and\u2026[confirm] that the vegan cheese
\nis actually based on soy.<\/p>\n

Q:<\/strong> Is it possible that the same utensils and cookware are used for the
\nnon-vegan (including dairy-containing) ingredients including
\ndairy-containing doughs, sauces, etc.? Do you take any precautions to
\navoid cross-contamination?
\nA:<\/strong> Operating procedures at Domino’s\u00ae Pizza Israel are very clear and
\ncontain strict adherence to use separate tools such as a slicer (pizza
\ncutter), [when] using\u2026vegan ingredients such as vegan cheese, etc.
\nAs I mentioned preparation areas such as makeline or oven are common to
\nall types of pizzas. Finally I note that we do our best to avoid
\nmistakes but sometimes mistakes can happen. [At the] end of the day
\nthese are people who prepare our pizzas and not machines. I will also
\nsay that the issue of errors that may occur has been\u2026[discussed] and
\nagreed upon in advance\u2026[by] Domino’s\u00ae Pizza Israel and the Vegan
\nFriendly Israeli organization that was part of the process of developing
\nthe new vegan pizza.<\/p>\n

Q:<\/strong> How is the pizza selling there? Do you know if it will be a permanent
\nmenu item?
\nA:<\/strong> I apologize in advance but I cannot discuss the results of sales of
\nvegan pizza or future plans of Domino’s\u00ae Pizza Israel.<\/p>\n

Q:<\/strong> Are there any plans to offer the vegan pizza in other countries
\nincluding the US?
\nA:<\/strong> Don’t know…<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The VRG also asked Fridman if the dough conditioner L-cysteine often
\nderived from duck feathers or human hair was used to make the dough of
\nthe vegan pizza. We have not yet received a reply to this specific question.
\nIn an attempt to get a reply, we asked an Israeli member of Vegan
\nFriendly to call Fridman.<\/p>\n

The member reported to us by email that she had called Fridman to ask
\nspecifically about the dough ingredients. She replied to us that she had
\nbeen told on the phone that the dough was \u201ca vegan dough.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ingredient statements on the Domino\u2019s\u00ae Israel website<\/a> were not evident even after translation attempts were made. A brief description of the Domino\u2019s\u00ae vegan pizza was seen on another Israeli website<\/a>: “Comes with fresh dough without eggs or animal fat with soy cheese of ‘Nature Delhi'”<\/p>\n

Readers may note that Domino\u2019s\u00ae Pizza USA posts all of its ingredient
\nstatements on its website<\/a>. L-cysteine is listed on the Domino\u2019s\u00ae USA website as an ingredient in three of its five crusts. The VRG was told in November 2013 by a senior
\nlevel employee at Domino\u2019s\u00ae USA that \u201cnon-animal\u201d L-cysteine is used in
\nthose crusts (Source<\/a>).<\/p>\n

For more information on fast food and quick casual restaurant chains
\nvisit vrg.org\/fastfoodinfo.php<\/a><\/p>\n

Readers interested in learning more about Israeli vegan food initiatives
\nbrought about by vegan activists including the one at Domino\u2019s\u00ae Israel
\nled by Vegan Friendly may view the following links(VRG poll results
\nare cited in the first link.):<\/p>\n