Shelley Case, RD, is a registered dietitian and leading international expert on celiac disease and the gluten-free diet. Case also is a member of the Medical Advisory Boards of the Celiac Disease Foundation, Gluten Intolerance Group and Canadian Celiac Association and the Scientific Advisory Board of the Grain Foods Foundation. She also has a national best selling book, Gluten-Free Diet: A Comprehensive Resource Guide. Visit www.glutenfreediet.ca for more information.
August marked the completion of the gluten-free labeling rule development process. Published in August 2013 by FDA, the final rule put parameters around the voluntary use of the terms “gluten-free,” “free of gluten,” “no gluten” and “without gluten” on food labels.
As demand for gluten-free products continues to increase, more manufacturers are entering this niche market, developing a wide range of products in various categories.
Gluten has become Public Enemy Number One. Countless people follow a gluten-free diet, and just about everyone knows someone avoiding foods made with the gluten-containing grains wheat, rye and barley
The long-awaited final rule by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on gluten-free labeling was published in the Federal Register on Aug. 5. This voluntary rule became effective on Sept. 4, with the compliance date set for Aug. 5, 2014.
I recently conducted an online survey, asking gluten-free consumers whether breads, rolls, sweet goods and other baked products on the market today meet their expectations for taste, texture and nutritional quality.
In my first column in February, I highlighted the rapid growth of the gluten-free market and provided an overview of conditions that require a gluten-free diet for treatment, as well as other reasons why consumers may be following it.
Nearly unheard of a decade ago, the gluten-free market has grown exponentially in recent years. According to the Packaged Facts report, “Gluten-Free Foods and Beverages in the U.S.,” this product group showed a 30% compound annual growth rate between 2006 and 2010, and the category is expected to balloon to more than $5 billion by 2015. These increases are a reflection of the development of new gluten-free products as well as the conversion of existing gluten-containing products to meet consumer demand.
