Papa John's just announced the release of a new Ancient Grains Gluten-Free Crust, but there's a catch. Papa John's Gluten-Free Pizza may not actually be gluten-free. Those who have celiac or other serious gluten intolerances have been advised to avoid or to eat with caution.
Here are all the doughy deets behind their new "gluten-free" dough and exactly why it's not as gluten-free as advertised.
All About That Dough
Papa John's new gluten-free crust is made with sorghum, teff, amaranth, and quinoa in a facility free of gluten before being shipped out to locations nationwide. In the individual locations is where the trouble begins because of the high potential for cross-contamination. Because of the high levels of gluten in normal pizza crust, you're likely to see some of that interact with the gluten-free crust, no matter how careful the chefs are.
According to Papa John's, "It is possible that a pizza with Papa John's Ancient Grains Gluten-Free Crust is exposed to gluten during the ordinary preparation process" and customers should "use [their] own best judgement in ordering a pizza with Papa John's Ancient Grains Gluten-Free Crust if you have a sensitivity to gluten."
So basically, eating this crust is equivalent to playing Russian Roulette for gluten-intolerant individuals. Lovely.
Some Intense AF Backlash
Many people on the Internet are trolling Papa John's for this gluten-free pizza snafu, and they honestly deserve it.
And you utterly failed at that job.
This pizza is certainly stretching the definition of "gluten-free."
It's simple, you're either gluten-free or your not.
People are also taking it one step further and calling out Papa John's for their low quality pizza, and tbh I agree.
WTF Does This Mean?
It seems odd that the pizza chain is labeling a crust as gluten-free, when in reality, it's not completely. According to the Celiac Disease Foundation, one in 100 people worldwide have Celiac Disease, an autoimmune disorder where the ingestion of gluten basically attacks the small intestine. For some, even a few crumbs of gluten can wreak havoc on their body, so yes, a possible cross-contamination with gluten is serious.
So, who exactly is this pizza is for? It's basically a marketing move meant for your friend who thinks that going gluten-free is a healthier diet option (the same friend who is "going vegan" because Kylie Jenner did it). However, eating gluten-free is not a ~trendy new diet~.
Eating a gluten-free diet does not help with weight loss, and for those who can tolerate gluten, eating gluten-free does nothing for them. In fact, most gluten-free versions of your favorite breads (like pizza crust) are made with refined grains with very little fiber and nutrients.
The takeaway here is that you shouldn't buy gluten-free pizza from Papa John's if you actually suffer from a legit gluten-intolerance. And if you don't have a gluten-intolerance, you also shouldn't feel the need to order the GF crust, but hey, you do you.