Company apologizes for offending people with gluten intolerance in Big Game commercial spot

Party City issued an apology on Monday after one of its commercials caused outrage in some social media users who believed the company was calling gluten-sensitive people "gross" in one of its recent campaigns.

What happened?

Party City debuted this year's Big Game ad just in time for Super Bowl LII, but some social media users interpreted the ad as calling gluten-sensitive people "gross."

The short commercial, which features two women congregating at a football-themed party table, also showcases Food Network star Sunny Anderson's "Infladium," an inflatable snack stadium that can be purchased at Party City.

Many foods can be seen on the brightly decorated table, while a nearby stool features a plate holding what appears to a bland-looking snack.

"Those are some gluten-free options," one woman featured in the commercial can be heard saying.

The second woman responds, "Do we even know people that are like that?"

"Tina," the first woman answers.

The second woman knowingly responds, "Oh, gross, yeah."

What did Party City say?

Anderson shared a statement from the company on Monday, which was issued in response to social media outcry.

Anderson captioned the snap of the statement and said, "Please read I’d like to thank @partycity for handling this swiftly and with care."

Party City's statement read:

Party City values its customers above all else, and we take your feedback extremely seriously. We recognize that we made an error in judgment by running the recent Big Game commercial, which was insensitive to people with food allergies. We have removed the commercial from our website and all other channels, and sincerely apologize for any offense this may have caused. We’d also like to clarify that Sunny Anderson was not involved in the creation of this commercial in any way, and we apologize for any offense it has caused with her audience and fans. We will also be reviewing our internal vetting process on all advertising content to avoid any future issues. In addition, Party City will be making a donation in support of Celiac Disease research.

Please read😘 I'd like to thank @partycity for handling this swiftly and with care.

A post shared by Sunny Anderson (@sunnyanderson) on Jan 22, 2018 at 5:10pm PST

Party City also shared the statement on its Instagram page on Monday.