Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
Issue link: https://specialtyfoodmagazine.epubxp.com/i/116674
FOODS IN FOCUS Variety keeps growing for in-demand categories like bread. Clockwise from top: The Gluten-Free Bakery Glüten Tag Caraway Bread, Main Line Baking Co. Banana Bread, Food for All Gluten-Free Cracked Pepper Cheddar Bread, Taffets Multigrain Teff Bread. Reasons for Growth Today 18 percent of adults are buying or consuming food products tagged as gluten-free, up from 15 percent in October 2010, Packaged Facts notes. Here are some of the reasons why. Consumers with health problems or concerns want solutions. "More people are getting diagnosed with issues where a glutenfree diet is either medically necessary or may help them," says Jen Cafferty, founder and president of the Gluten & Allergen Free Expo, a lifestyle event that takes place in Chicago, Dallas, San Francisco, and Secaucus, N.J. "Most people who try gluten-free tend to stick with it because it just makes them feel better." In its sixth year, the expo has attracted more than 20,000 visitors and seen a 60 percent bump in attendance from three years ago. Cafferty says the variety of products has grown just as impressively. "The expo started with cookie and bread vendors," she says. "Now we are seeing gluten-free companies who offer raw products, drinks, protein and energy bars, and healthier crackers made with whole grains and flax." "Gluten-free labeling—whether it is certifed or a manufacturer's claim—is becoming clearer and more pronounced. Customers like that."—Terry Foster, Skinny Pantry 28 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE ❘ specialtyfood.com More manufacturers means more competition—and a greater focus on flavor. "The most prevalent change in gluten-free offerings is the combination of great-tasting and healthy," says Lynn Shuter, owner and founder of G-Free NYC, an all–gluten-free shop. "In the beginning, [ingredients] were all sugar and potato starch. Now there are more nutritious grains such as teff, which has actually helped make things taste better. Gluten-free people are not satisfied with average—they want delicious." More retailers offering gluten-free products makes products more readily available. Brick-and-mortar and online retailers alike are featuring gluten-free sections or choosing to sell only gluten-free foods. Shuter, who has been following a gluten-free diet for more than 20 years, opened her store two years ago to cater to people with gluten intolerance or sensitivity, and stock products that tasted as good as, if not better than, regular standbys. "When we first opened, the product selection was not as good," she recalls. "Now we can really pick and choose what we carry." Even gluten-free subscription boxes are popping up, such as Taste Guru, offering monthly packages of hand-selected goodies. Technology allows consumers to feel secure about their selections. New smartphone apps are helping customers eat and shop safely outside the home. "I wanted gluten-free followers to have the information they needed in their hands wherever they went so they could feel com-