Pizza Hut® Cheese Made with “Microbial Fermentation Ingredient” — Parmesan Romano Cheese Blend Contains Animal-based Rennet
By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS
The VRG received a question on our Facebook Page
“…I saw your article…that pizza hut uses Chymax (plant-based) rennet to make cheese suitable for vegetarians…Do you know if that is still the case?”
We called Pizza Hut in April 2019 to find out their latest cheese ingredient information.
Here are our questions:
- What is the name of the enzyme used to make your pizza cheese?
- Do you offer vegan cheese now or are you planning to test it?
A Pizza Hut customer service rep said that she didn’t know the answers to our questions but would look into it further and get back to us by email.
In a timely manner, we received an email response from “Pizza Hut Customer Service.” It consisted of the following Q&A. (Although not posted on their website FAQ page or on their nutrition pages, it looks like something that would be there.)
“Q. What is the source of the enzymes in pizza cheese?
A. Enzymes used in the production of pizza cheese for Pizza Hut is a microbial fermentation ingredient…and is not of animal origin. However, Pizza Hut does not claim any of our products to be ‘vegetarian’ or ‘vegan’ as all products are prepared in a common area with meat products and cooked in the same oven. On request, the restaurant team will use additional caution when preparing products for guests with dietary concerns.
Q. Do any of the cheeses at Pizza Hut contain animal rennet?
A. Parmesan Romano cheese blend that is added to P’Zones, Breadsticks and Ultimate Cheese Pizza as well as some dine-in products contains both microbial enzymes and animal-based rennet. Customers can request that ‘breadstick seasoning’ or ‘Parmesan parsley blend’ NOT be added to their products, if desired. However, Pizza Hut does not claim any of our products to be ‘vegetarian’ or ‘vegan’ as all products are prepared in a common area with meat products and cooked in the same oven. On request, the restaurant team will use additional caution when preparing products for guests with dietary concerns.
Q. Is there meat in your pizza sauce?
A. Pizza sauce and marinara sauce contain no beef or other meat products. However, Pizza Hut does not claim any of our products to be ‘vegetarian’ or ‘vegan’ as all products are prepared in a common area with meat products and cooked in the same oven. On request, the restaurant team will use additional caution when preparing products for guests with dietary concerns.
Q. Source of Dough Enzymes
A. There are no animal byproducts used in any of our Pizza Hut crusts. The enzymes present in some of our dough, including our breadstick dough, is used as a dough conditioner and is from a microbial origin. However, Pizza Hut does not claim any of our products to be ‘vegetarian’ or ‘vegan’ as all products are prepared in a common area with meat products and cooked in the same oven. On request, the restaurant team will use additional caution when preparing products for guests with dietary concerns.”
Upon follow-up, we received this additional information.
Regarding vegan cheese, Pizza Hut Customer Service stated:
“At this time Pizza Hut does not offer vegan cheese. Pizza Hut is looking into options.” Those interested in Pizza Hut menu options may find their online nutrition calculator (which lists ingredient information) helpful. It is arranged per menu item, not by general ingredients. You may filter out certain allergens (such as dairy or egg) to generate a complete list of all menu offerings without those allergens.
For information about other restaurant chains, see https://www.vrg.org/fastfoodinfo.php
For information about vegetarian restaurants around the U.S. and Canada, see VRG Online Veggie Restaurant Guide
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The contents of this posting, our website, and our other publications, including Vegetarian Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company statements. It is impossible to be 100% sure about a statement, info can change, people have different views, and mistakes can be made. Please use your best judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. To be sure, do further research or confirmation on your own.
