When you offer gluten-free foods in your restaurant, you’ll provide a better dining experience for hundreds of your patrons and attract new patrons looking for dining options that are sensitive to their diet needs.
But you must be able to guarantee your gluten-free foods. That means preventing your gluten-free foods from coming in direct contact with those that contain gluten.
For people living with celiac disease and gluten intolerance, even minute amounts of gluten can trigger health problems. Fortunately, by taking a few simple precautions, you’ll be able to offer our gluten-free pizza crusts with confidence.
Your customers are your best source of information when it comes to providing a satisfying gluten-free dining experience. Get to know them and their concerns. They’ll have plenty of suggestions to help you succeed with your gluten-free menu options. Remember, they want you to succeed as much as you want to!
Cross Contamination Prevention Basics
First, if you can designate a surface in your kitchen for gluten free preparation, do so. Otherwise, post a reminder that preparation surfaces must be cleaned thoroughly before readying a gluten-free order.
Second, designate a set of kitchen utensils, storage containers, and a pizza tray as gluten free. Mark them clearly and don’t use them with foods that contain gluten.
Third, make sure the ingredients you use to top our pizza crusts are also gluten free.
Finally, if you use regular dry wheat flour as part of the food prep in your restaurant kitchen, set up your gluten-free preparation area as far from the area where the flour is used as possible. If you can arrange it so the flour-use area is in a different room than the gluten-free prep station, that would be ideal. Or you might consider switching to an alternate flour, such as rice flour for your regular food prep.
The most important step you can take to ensuring proper gluten-free preparation is to educate your staff and regularly remind them of the importance of avoiding cross contamination. Equally important—talk to your customers so you know what’s important to them!
People adhering to a gluten-free diet often miss eating out—they miss pizza! If you are able to offer them their favorite foods and assure them that you are taking precautions to keep your gluten-free foods gluten free, you will gain customers for life.
