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I am not real big on risking my health at fast food or chain restaurants but
let's face it:  sometimes you are out, it's getting late and you just don't
want to go home and start dealing with dinner -- not even something from the
freezer and that protein bar in your handbag isn't going to do it for you
until breakfast.  Having heard good things about Red Lobster, I decided to
contact them directly and see what menu possibilities there might be for
those of us on a gluten-free diet.  Their response really took me by
surprise so I am sharing the e-mail exchange with you to see if there might
be something I am missing or if I overreacted to their response (which was a
first in 13 years of contacting companies and restaurants).

My initial query:

> To Whom It May Concern:
>
> I have a medical condition called celiac sprue that requires that I adhere to
> a strictly gluten-free diet (no wheat, oats, barley, ryes, spelt, kamut,
> triticale or their derivatives).  Ingredients such as "natural flavorings" and
> "spices" may be a source of hidden glutens as well as "dextrose" -- while
> dextrose is usually derived from corn in the US, I understand it can be
> derived from wheat.
>
> I would like to know which, if any of your menu items, would be appropriate
> for some one on a diet such as mine?  Thank you for your cooperation in this
> matter.

Red Lobster's response to me:

on 2/27/02 6:09 PM, RES - RL Guest Relations at [log in to unmask] wrote:

>
> Thank you for your interest in Red Lobster.  Our goal is to earn a sterling
> reputation for measured excellence in everything that we do.
>
> Red Lobster is constantly making improvements to the menu, whether it be
> company wide or on a regional basis.  Due to the differences in menus, and in
> some cases recipes, we are unable to provide accurate, up-to-date nutritional
> information for all of our guests.
>
> If you need this information because of medical condition such as food
> allergies, please have your physician or health care provider contact us at
> 1-800-562-7837, Monday through Friday, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 5:00
> p.m. Eastern time.
>
> Again, thank you for taking the time to contact us.  Please do not hesitate to
> contact us, if we may be of further assistance.
>
> Sincerely,
>
>
> Wanda
> Hospitality Specialist
>

Which prompted my response to Red Lobster:
>
> Dear Wanda --
>
> Thank you for your response.  I am a bit puzzled that you would need my doctor
> or health care provider to contact you to so that I may know which menu items
> might be appropriate for a person on a gluten-free diet.  While I do indeed
> see a doctor, celiac disease is controlled entirely through adherence to a
> restricted diet.  It is my understanding, from information shared on the
> celiac listserv as well as my local celiac support group, that your company is
> familiar with this diet and have made this information available to others.  I
> am not asking for recipes or any other information that could be considered
> proprietary.
>
> As an adult, I am fully responsible for my own adherence to this diet and have
> no regular health care provider.  I have contacted many (many, many) companies
> with this same request and have never been put in the position of having to
> ask my over-burdened physician to inquire if I could eat at a given
> establishment or purchase a product  -- especially in view of the fact that I
> am much more familiar with the parameters of the diet and the hidden pitfalls
> of food processing and preparation.
>
> Frankly, I find your response to be paternalistic and insulting.  If Red
> Lobster cannot deal with me directly, then I prefer not to deal with Red
> Lobster.  Just to be sure that I am not overreacting to your response, I will
> be sharing this information with the Celiac Listserv and my local celiac
> support group for their feedback.


And that's all she wrote -- I haven't heard anything back from them since
sending this response on March 1st.  Has anyone else been asked for what
basically amounts to documentation by their doctor just to get product or
menu information from a company?  I will be happy to summarize.

Jane in OH

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