Prediction: Gluten-Free Products – Growth Through 2012

Reportlinker.com has published a new research report on this very subject called Gluten-Free Food and Beverage Market:  Trends and Developments Worldwide. Any of us can buy this detailed research for $2,995, but thankfully the Business Wire is giving us the high-level summary for free!

The research looks at three major triggers that have caused the gluten-free market to explode:

Big Brand Marketing of Gluten-Free

The research credits companies like Anheuser-Busch for making gluten-free Redbridge beer; General Mills for making Rice Chex (and now 5 other Chex cereals) gluten-free,  and McCormick and Company for buying Simply Asia Foods.  These big name companies are bringing some big-time publicity to the gluten-free products.

Consumer demand for Gluten-Free

The research says demand is huge for gluten-free products as people look for foods that may help their health.  “The consumer core of celiac disease, and gluten allergy,  sufferers is also growing steadily as diagnosis and treatment of these conditions has improved and increased,” the Business Wire reported.  The study also listed other health concerns like autism, ADD, IBS and MS as issues where people may turn to the gluten-free diet.

Supermarkets Going Gluten-Free

More supermarkets are getting in on this demand for gluten-free products.  They’re making more room for these products online and on store shelves. The research predicts this will really boom when the Food and Drug Administration finalizes its “regulatory criteria for gluten-free labeling”.

What’s next?

According to the Business Wire,

“Packaged Facts projects that this segment of the U.S. retail marketplace enjoyed a 28% CAGR [Compound Annual Growth Rate] to reach $1.56 billion by the end of 2008.  Packaged Facts goes on to project that the segment will continue to grow, though not at the same torrid pace, through 2012.”

Looks like we are all making enough noise to make a difference!  Let’s keep up the good work!