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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.

Tampa, Fla. May 10, 2010 - In recognition of Celiac Awareness Month in  
May, The Melting Pot fondue restaurants (_http://www.meltingpot.com_ 
(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.
Entree course - Most of the items on the entree  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_ (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_ (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 entrees 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 _www.meltingpot.com_ 
(http://www.meltingpot.com)  or email [log in to unmask] (mailto:[log in to unmask]) .
 

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