Food Allergy, Gluten Free Products to hit $26 Billion Globally by 2017

The most recent statistic on the gluten -free product forecast has gluten-free products hitting $5 billion by 2015.  Now a new report comes out with a global view of both gluten free and other allergy-friendly product showing it’s massive stake on the market.

The report called Food Allergy and Intolerance Products: A Global Business Report, was actually published back in April, but received little traction until now. The report cited an explosion of growth since 2003 and “…is expected to continue the same momentum driven by increased diagnosis of digestive health conditions, growing vogue for wheat-free and gluten-free diets, improved labeling regulations, and a load of tastier and sumptuous innovations in the category.”

The report describes the food allergy/sensitive food products as just coming to being in the early 2000’s– up to now and in the future becoming a “mainstream food business”  in several countries — with the US being the largest market for these products — gluten free in particular.

Why is the US such a high market?  “Surprisingly, the consumer base for gluten-free diets comprises a greater proportion of non-celiacs,” the report said.  “This is mainly due to growing concerns related to symptoms associated with celiac disease and wrong self-diagnosis among the non-celiac sufferers. Also with celebrities endorsing gluten-free and wheat-free diets as a weight loss regimen, more people are taking interest in gluten free products, and embracing it as part of their lifestyles.”

Yup– the fad hits us again.  Is the gluten-free fad diet hitting anywhere other than the US?  I mean we are not hearing about celebrities in Europe, Asia and Australia rushing out to get gluten free food are we???

In 2010 , the report says gluten-free folks were able to bask in the glow of an onslaught of products including  “savory snacks, energy bars, baking ingredients/mixes, chocolates, and cookies…Consumers now have a variety of options to choose from in the baked products category including baking mixes, breads, bagels, muffins, entrees, cakes, cookies, doughnuts, baking mixes, pastas, pizza, cereals, snack foods, and soups.”

While we celiacs, who require the prescribed diet to remain healthy, and other gluten sensitive individuals, appreciate the new gluten free products — I really hope these companies stick with it for the long haul — When Victoria Beckham and Gwyneth Paltrow have moved on to the next diet craze.

Tags: celiac, diet, gluten-free, products