by Kim Koeller and Robert La
France
"Gluten-free" products have
passed "low-carb" in the world economy. Awareness
of celiac and the gluten-free diets has hit an all time high!
How do we know this? A recent report by analyst Lynn Dornblaser,
of the market research firm Mintel, revealed that new gluten-free
products introduced into the market jumped 86% last year,
surpassing the almighty low-carb craze that has filled the
public’s conscience over the last 10 years thanks to
Dr. Atkins and his followers. "I can unequivocally say that
the low-carb food trend is dead," proclaimed Dornblaser. Instead,
the report indicates consumer products companies lately have
gone "gluten-free," with the term "no trans-fat" also growing
in prominence on food labels around the world.
If that’s the case,
where are all of these great new products? If you traveled
to sunny southern California in early March, like we did,
you would have had an eye...and most importantly, a mouth-full.
The Natural Products Expo West, the world’s largest natural,
organic and healthy products trade show, posted 10 percent
growth in overall attendance this year, with more than 47,000
attendees and 3,162 exhibits. Of those exhibitors, over 170
were offering gluten-free products; and for the first time
ever, we saw an egg-free category with 50-plus booths and
a dairy-free category with over 110! It seems abundantly clear
that healthy, "free" lifestyles in general are becoming
increasingly more common, with industry production finally
making an effort to keep ahead of demand.
All of the business talk
aside, let’s get down to what we all really want to know:
What’s coming soon and how does it taste. Rather than
give a 50 page report of everything we saw, which incidentally
you may not find at your local health-food store immediately,
we want to fill you on some items that knocked our socks off!
Before going gluten-free, do remember how much you loved a
hot croissant in the morning with raspberry preserves
or your first petit pain au chocolat (french for chocolate
pastry)? Or, how about a nice big glass of milk for those
of you who are living dairy-free? What once may have seemed
a distant memory, never to be experienced again; may now be
on its way back into your life, and more appropriately, in
your belly!
 Another
positive trend, which we were very happy to see growth in,
was individual packaged portions. For the traveler, whether
you’re going on a road trip to see grandma or catching
a flight to Bora Bora, conveniently packaged gluten-free products
are on their way! Why would you want to take a two-pound bag
of cookies with you for a two day trip, when you can take
four packs of six cookies to satisfy your gluten-free snack
needs?
New Travel-Size
Gluten-Free Snacks
We are very excited about
being able to open pre-packaged individual-size servings while
on the go. Finally, no more putting gluten-free foods in zip
lock bags to carry with you! Gluten-free foods are starting
to reach the mainstream and the food industry heard our needs!
Some tasty gluten-free travel-size snacks
that we sampled at the Expo include:
There are now more salad
dressings and sauces to take with us into restaurants around
the corner from our homes and around the world. In addition
to Annie’s Naturals (www.anniesnaturals.com),
the pioneer in providing us with individual portion salad
dressings, we also now have:
Some of the new individually packaged delicious
cookies include:
Many new protein, energy
and snack bars were launched at the show made from ingredients
ranging from dates, nuts, fruits and coconut, to rice syrup,
agave nectar, quinoa, amaranth and even goji berries! Some
of these include:
We also want to mention
that Foods by George (www.foodsbygeorge.com)
launched their new individual mouth-watering brownie at the
International Celiac Symposium in New York!!
We hope you take the opportunity
to try and enjoy all of these new goodies while on the road,
anywhere your life may take you! If you are seeking new products
to sample in your kitchen at home, many familiar faces, as
well as new companies, have introduced some fantastic treats.
For new gluten-free products to cook inside
your home, we now have even more delicious options with:
Snack Shopping Tip
In our discussions with
manufacturers, it became clear to us that the manufacturing
community seeking to offer more gluten-free products had their
heads spinning due to the new "gluten-free" definition
proposed by the FDA and its impact on product labeling. In
our article last month, we attempted to clear up some of the
confusion associated with labeling regulations in countries
around the world. Too bad most of these companies are not
regular visitors of Glutenfreeda.com. It would have saved
us a lot of time and energy at the Expo, as we talked ourselves
blue in the face over definitions, labeling and messaging.
Some of the manufacturers
new to the gluten-free industry were just a bit overwhelmed
and confused. We found a number of products labeled gluten-free,
but also had "May Contain Wheat" prominently posted
on the package. Talk about a mixed message! Our conversations
with most manufacturers cited legal advice because their facilities
also processed foods that contain wheat, even though their
production lines were sanitized prior to making gluten-free
products. While cross-contamination is always a concern for
those of us following a gluten-free diet, the appropriate
message on these packages should have been, "Processed
in a non gluten-free facility."
Whether you decide to purchase
products that are not produced in a dedicated facility is
a personal choice. As always, it’s best to consult medical
professionals in matters related to your diet and health.
Hopefully, the FDA’s proposed definition will clear up
a lot of confusion within the product manufacturing community,
and we can all eat gluten-free foods sold in the U.S. with
confidence. Until then, we remind you to stay diligent when
you shop for gluten-free foods by carefully reading labels
and using your best judgment.
In the end, we are happy
to report that there are more choices, better products and
a greater level of social concern surrounding our gluten-free
lifestyles. Whether driven by market demand or government
regulations, product manufacturers are clearly getting the
message. While we haven’t fully realized an equal quality
of life, compared with the general public; as celiacs, we
are one step closer to having the world recognize the gluten-free
diet as a universally understood and supported way of living.
Bon appétit!
Kim Koeller and Robert La France
are President and Executive Vice President of GlutenFree Passport®.
They are the award-winning co-authors of the Let’s
Eat Out! Your Passport to Living Gluten and Allergy Free
book series, winner of the USABooknews.com Best Language Guide
and finalist for Best Health/Diet Book 2006; as well as, the
2006 Benjamin Franklin Award finalist for Best Health Book
and Best First Book Non-fiction. For more information and
free educational materials, please visit http://www.glutenfreepassport.com.
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