The Melting Pot Restaurants Team Up with Gluten Intolerance Group To Launch Gluten-Free Menu

In recognition of Celiac Awareness Month in May, The Melting Pot fondue restaurants have partnered with the Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG) to launch a new gluten-free (GF) menu available in all locations May 10.

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Considering one in 100 people have celiac disease, guests have been requesting a gluten-free option for about two years, so we worked with GIG to help find a solution

Tampa, Fla. (Vocus) May 10, 2010

In recognition of Celiac Awareness Month in May, The Melting Pot fondue restaurants (http://www.meltingpot.com ) have partnered with the Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG) to launch a new gluten-free (GF) menu available in all locations May 10.

“Considering one in 100 people have celiac disease, guests have been requesting a gluten-free option for about two years, so we worked with GIG to help find a solution,” said Laura Lachapelle, director of training and education for The Melting Pot restaurants. “With GIG’s help, we developed an easy-to-read version of the menu that tells guests exactly what is gluten free and how to request gluten-free items.”

GIG analyzed The Melting Pot’s menus, products and ingredients by checking labels and nutritional facts to determine items that contained gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye and barley, and then advised accordingly.

The gluten-free menu includes the following revisions:

Cheese course – Considering The Melting Pot cheese is normally floured, guests requesting the gluten-free option must request for the cheese to be made with cornstarch. Also, instead of the guest receiving bread, cauliflower, carrots and celery, he/she will receive more veggies and broccoli.
Salad course – All salads are gluten free. The only items that need to be removed are croutons.
Entrée course – Most of the items on the entrée list are gluten free. Items that need to be substituted out include the teriyaki sirloin and spring vegetable dumplings.
Dessert course – Two of the chocolate fondues contain gluten: Cookies n' Cream Marshmallow Dream and the Chocolate S'mores because of the Oreo cookies and graham crackers. A specialized dessert plate is also prepared to include strawberries, bananas, plain marshmallows and pineapple. Cheesecake, pound cake, Rice Krispie treats and brownies all contain flour and are not included on the GF menu.
Beverages – All wines and mandatory specialty drinks are gluten free. Red Bridge, a gluten-free beer by Anheuser Busch, is used as a substitution base for some of the cheeses.

To make reservations, find locations or view the GF menu online, visit http://www.meltingpot.com/locations.

About Gluten Intolerance and Celiac Disease:
Gluten intolerance occurs when a person is unable to digest the protein called gluten found in wheat, rye and barley. A person with gluten intolerance can have health issues because he/she suffers damage to his/her intestines while eating foods containing gluten. This damage does not allow proper nutrient absorption and ultimately leads to a number of complications including slow starvation. Gluten intolerance includes gluten sensitivity and celiac disease. Between 6-9 million people currently suffer from gluten intolerance.

Celiac disease, affecting all ages from infants to adults, is a genetic digestive disease that damages the small intestine and interferes with the absorption of nutrients from foods. Ingestion of gluten for a person with celiac disease has long-term health consequences and puts him/her at risk for complications including, but not limited to, malnutrition, failure to thrive, malignancies, loss of bone density, neurological problems, anemia and infertility.

For more information about gluten intolerance or celiac disease, visit http://www.glutenfreerestaurants.org.

About The Melting Pot Restaurants Inc.
With 145 restaurants in North America, existing locations in 36 states and Canada and over 13 locations currently in development, The Melting Pot Restaurants Inc. is the premier fondue restaurant franchise. At The Melting Pot, fondue becomes a memorable four-course dining experience where patrons can dip into something different. Guests enjoy a choice of four fondue cooking styles and a variety of unique entrées combined with dipping sauces. The menu also includes cheese fondues, salads, fine wines and chocolate fondue desserts. Founded in 1975, The Melting Pot’s corporate headquarters are in Tampa, Fla. For more information, visit http://www.meltingpot.com or email info(at)meltingpot(dot)com.

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