The famous Olive Garden breadsticks are once again sesame-free. The popular chain restaurant recently switched suppliers, so the customer favorite is made with flour – with no added sesame.
Olive Garden was among several national eateries with bread products that suddenly contained sesame as of the end of 2022. This occurred as commercial bakeries that supply restaurants started intentionally adding sesame to products – just as a new law made sesame a U.S. top allergen.
Under the FASTER Act, which took effect January 1, 2023, manufacturers are required to clearly label sesame as a top allergen when it’s an ingredient. To get around cross-contact and potential recall risks, the baking industry has widely adopted a practice of “adding sesame”.
This practice has frustrated many in the food allergy community. The growing use of sesame flour puts foods suddenly off-limits for consumers with a sesame allergy.
This is why Olive Garden’s announcement that it switched suppliers is such welcome news in the food allergy community.
“FARE is grateful that sesame-allergic individuals and their families can once again enjoy the restaurant’s wonderful breadsticks,” says Jason Linde, the nonprofit’s senior vice president of advocacy.
Olive Garden certainly heard concerns over the breadsticks suddenly containing sesame, says Rich Jeffers, senior director of communications for Darden Restaurants, which owns Olive Garden. “It was always our intent to identify alternative sources to ensure our breadsticks did not contain sesame flour,” Jeffers told Allergic Living.
Seed of Sesame Change
In less than a year since the “added sesame” issue emerged, Olive Garden is taking the lead in finding a way to provide food that is safe for its guests with a sesame allergy.
The chain is working with multiple suppliers to ensure that all of its nearly 900 locations now have sesame-free breadsticks, Jeffers says. The menu item became available without sesame as of October 2023.
“We’re committed to making the dining experience for every guest, including our guests with food allergies, an exceptional one,” Jeffers says.
Since bakers started changing recipes in light of the FASTER Act, advocacy groups have voiced concerns.
In May 2023, the American Bakers Association (ABA) defended commercial bakers foradding sesame to bread and other baked goods in response to the FASTER ACT. The trade organization cited “consumer safety” in its defense, which noted the challenges in eliminating the small sesame seed from baking equipment.
The FDA says it does not support the practice of intentionally adding sesame to products. The agency is encouraging manufacturers to follow its advice on allergen controls in new draft guidance that the FDA brought forward in September 2023.
But the agency has been criticized for not taking stronger action against companies who are using added sesame as a way around the law. For example, the Center for Science in the Public Interest has called out the FDA for not taking a firm hand in deterring the practice.
Meantime, FARE has voiced concern about the added sesame issue since it emerged. The food allergy non-profit also is exploring legislative solutions with the FDA to deter companies from adding sesame to comply with the FASTER ACT.
Olive Garden Leads Way
For now, customers can celebrate a major food chain putting its popular breadsticks back on the menu for customers with a sesame allergy. Olive Garden encourages guests with food allergies to review the online allergen menu to make informed decision when dining, Jeffers notes.
Sung Poblete, CEO of FARE, added her voice, thanking the Olive Garden team “on behalf of the more than 1.6 million Americans allergic to sesame.”
“We applaud Olive Garden’s leadership for valuing the food allergic community by demanding sesame-free bread,” FARE’s Linde says. “And we encourage other restaurant brands to follow Olive Garden’s lead.”
Statement by Sung Poblete, RN, PhD, CEO of FARE, regarding Olive Garden's decision to change suppliers and make its breadsticks sesame-free - FoodAllergy.org.
The famous Olive Garden breadsticks are once again sesame-free. The popular chain restaurant recently switched suppliers, so the customer favorite is made with flour – with no added sesame. Olive Garden was among several national eateries with bread products that suddenly contained sesame as of the end of 2022.
Olive Garden does have a policy on breadsticks. Typically, a server is supposed to bring one stick per person plus one extra for the first basket. After that, the rule of thumb is one breadstick per person.
The truth is, you can't simply stroll into an Olive Garden, sit down, and declare, "I'll have the free, unlimited breadsticks only, please." They are only free with the purchase of a meal, and there are some backend rules and regulations that shape the famous perk.
Since it is so difficult to remove all traces of sesame from baking equipment, many commercial bakers began adding sesame flour to their products after the seed became classified as a major allergen because they were concerned with “consumer safety, not cost savings,” American Bakers Association President and CEO W.
Instead of following regulatory guidelines for preventing cross-contamination of sesame in food facilities, these companies are adding sesame flour to items because that process is easier and less expensive than guaranteeing a contaminant-free product, the Associated Press report.
The company has discontinued dishes like the spaghetti pie, the braised beef with tortellini, and the chicken fettuccine alfredo. "I like Olive Garden, but they discontinued my favorite Braised Beef with Tortellini," one fan said on Twitter of their favorite Olive Garden dish.
Olive Garden's "V" symbol on its menu indicates that a particular dish is vegetarian, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's vegan — though some items are vegan-friendly. Vegetarian cuisine foregoes meat and animal byproducts but typically includes dairy and eggs.
As many chain restaurants become unaffordable for the average diner, Olive Garden's unlimited breadsticks remain one of the best deals in the business. While there's no limit on basket refills, the restaurant has gotten stricter about how many breadsticks come in a serving.
Store your Olive Garden breadsticks in an airtight container or sealable plastic bag for up to 4 or 5 days in the fridge. You can also freeze them in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.
Following those instructions, leave the breadsticks right in the same bag in which they were sent home, pop them into a 350 F oven, and bake until they are warm and soft. That should be about five minutes.
It's no longer a secret that Olive Garden's breadsticks aren't made in-house, but where the restaurant actually gets them from isn't common knowledge. According to Darden Restaurants — the company that owns Olive Garden and a number of other chains — Turano Baking Company is the longtime supplier of its breadsticks.
Additionally, fruit juices, as well as Olive Garden's Caffe la Toscana all include endless refills, as well. Not every location will offer free refills on anything but soft drinks, though, so you'll want to check with your server before requesting a top-off.
The Never-Ending Pasta Pass® allows a Passholder to enjoy the Never-Ending Pasta Bowl® menu at Olive Garden as many times as they wish in-restaurant for 9 weeks. That's right - unlimited pasta, sauce and toppings, plus all the soup or salad and breadsticks at Olive Garden for 9 weeks!
Our food recipes do not use added MSG (Monosodium Glutamate) and, based on information from our suppliers, MSG is not added to any of the ingredients we use. However, certain foods and ingredients naturally contain glutamate or glutamic acid (such as tomatoes, milk, cheese, mushrooms and certain yeasts and proteins).
As many chain restaurants become unaffordable for the average diner, Olive Garden's unlimited breadsticks remain one of the best deals in the business. While there's no limit on basket refills, the restaurant has gotten stricter about how many breadsticks come in a serving.
Store your Olive Garden breadsticks in an airtight container or sealable plastic bag for up to 4 or 5 days in the fridge. You can also freeze them in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.
Introduction: My name is Annamae Dooley, I am a witty, quaint, lovely, clever, rich, sparkling, powerful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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