Acme Introducing Dietz & Watson Dedicated Gluten-Free Deli

Dietz & Watson Premium Deli Meats & Artisan Cheeses and ACME Markets, part of the nationwide SUPERVALU family of grocery stores, will debut the first-ever dedicated Dietz & Watson gluten-free deli in the Philadelphia suburb of Paoli. Dietz & Watson offers more than 400 gluten-free choices, and more than 20 of them will be available at this one-of-a-kind deli case starting Wednesday, June 15.

Dietz & Watson and ACME are taking every step possible to prevent gluten from touching any product in the special deli case by adhering to strict guidelines to maintain the gluten-free integrity of the products. Shoppers will see items in a special eight-foot segregated section of the deli. The gluten-free products will have dedicated slicers separate from the other deli slicers, and deli associates will wear special blue gloves when handling gluten-free products. Shoppers can still purchase items at the regular deli cases with a full array of all traditional offerings available.

"Recently, we have seen an increase in customers who follow gluten-free diets and this partnership with Dietz & Watson is ACME's latest effort to meet the needs of our customers," said Dan Sanders, president, ACME.  "Our Paoli shoppers in need of gluten-free deli meats can now take advantage of this new deli section without having to compromise taste or quality. This gluten-free deli will allow consumers following a diet free of gluten to shop with more confidence."

Louis Eni, Dietz & Watson president & CEO feels that the more retailers and suppliers can work together to cater to customers with special needs the better.

"We're proud of our extensive variety of gluten-free products which account for almost all of our premium meat delicacies, 100 percent of our artisan cheeses and 100 percent of our condiments, said Eni.  "All but two of our 450 items - Philadelphia Scrapple and Bockwurst - are gluten-free. We have never used extenders or fillers in our products and never will," Eni added.

Dietz & Watson nutrition consultant Emma Fogt says that one out of every 133 people in the United States has Celiac Disease, preventing them from eating wheat or gluten.

"The new gluten-free deli provides tasty options for those with Celiac Disease and those simply concerned with keeping their diet free of wheat," said Fogt.

Some of Dietz & Watson's most popular meats are available at the gluten-free deli, including Gourmet Lite Breast of Turkey, Gourmet Lite Cooked Ham and Buffalo Style Chicken Breast. A full list of Dietz & Watson's more than 400 gluten-free products is available at www.dietzandwatson.com/gluten-free.

The debut of the new Gluten-Free Deli is Dietz & Watson's latest step in leading the way of the healthy deli meat and cheese revolution. Since 1939, Dietz & Watson has been committed to using only the best natural ingredients. Dietz & Watson never uses fillers, MSG or artificial flavors in any of its 450 products. And since the 1970s, Dietz & Watson has offered a Healthier Lifestyle line of products that are low in sodium and high in taste.

The new deli also aligns with ACME's gluten-free program in center store. Launched last fall, the program provides signage and special merchandising sets in select stores to help make it easier for customers to find gluten-free products.  ACME customers can also visit the customer service department to pick up an in-store shopping list/guide to gluten-free products throughout the store as well as get their gluten-related questions answered.