By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS

The Vegetarian Resource Group recently received a request from an online reader about Domino’s Pizza Ingredients.

So we reached out to Spencer Breidinger, Manager of Global Product Quality and Regulatory Compliance – Supply Chain Services at Domino’s. We asked him about the dough conditioner L-cysteine present in most of their crusts:

“Is L-cysteine in your pizza crust dough derived from feathers or hair? If not, what is the source of L-cysteine?”

(Readers should note, as we’ve reported in articles over the years, that most L-cysteine in commercial food products today is derived from poultry feathers or human hair.)

Spencer Breidinger replied:

“…All L-cysteine in any dough product is synthetic and not derived from any animal sources. This has been our standard for over 20 years.”

The VRG followed up by asking for more clarification on the term “synthetic” as it relates to L-cysteine.

In response, Spencer forwarded us a statement dated January 15, 2020, from Steve Lutes, VP Global QA & Health/Safety at Domino’s Pizza. Here it is in its entirety:

“The L-cysteine and enzymes in all our dough and crust varieties are microbial and/or vegetable-sourced. We do not source these ingredients from animal sources. Our dough does contain sweet dairy whey, which is a derivative from cow’s milk. Our gluten-free crust does not contain L-cysteine or any of the 8 FDA-recognized allergens, including milk. While there is no animal by-product (other than whey) in any of our crusts, we do have products in our stores which contain them (such as pepperoni and cheese). We make all our products in the same kitchens; and even as clean as we keep them, there may be those items present. Therefore, we cannot guarantee that pizzas made are entirely free from animal by-product.”

Readers with additional questions about menu items or ingredients at Domino’s should contact the restaurant chain directly.

For information about other chains, see https://www.vrg.org/fastfoodinfo.php

For information on veg restaurants, go to https://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php

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.