Gluten-free food products are sought not only by those with medical conditions requiring a life-long adherence to a gluten-free diet but also by consumers who believe that a gluten-free diet is more healthful. Increasing awareness of coeliac disease is the driving factor leading to this demand for gluten-free food products.
Chronic digestive disorder
Coeliac disease is a chronic digestive disorder occurring in some people when they ingest gluten. Gluten is the predominant protein in wheat and therefore in wheat-based baked goods like bread, cakes, biscuits, cookies etc. There is no known cure for coeliac disease and at present a gluten-free diet is the recommended course of action. The National Foundation for Coeliac Awareness in the United States indicates that a little under 1% of the US population has coeliac disease, which translates to about 3 million Americans. Another 6-9% of the population is reported to be gluten-sensitive - about 15 to 20 million of the American population may therefore be counted as gluten-sensitive. Conservatively one can surmise that a minimum of 10 million people in the United States are aware of their gluten sensitivity. Some studies indicate that as a result of the marketing "buzz" about 40 million people have an interest in gluten-free products. The Wall Street Journal linked the rise of gluten-free products to an increase in the diagnosis of coeliac disease as well as more families limiting their intake of gluten for general health reasons.
Indian scenario
In India, it has been taken for granted that coeliac disease and the sensitivity to gluten is minimal. Only recently has there been some formal reported study of the incidence of coeliac disease in the Indian population.
A group of researchers led by Govind Makharia et al at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi reported the results of one such study in the May 2011 issue of the Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. According to their results, coeliac disease in this north Indian community is 1 in 96, or about 1%. That means that coeliac disease may be more common than is recognised in India, and that rates may be about the same as in the United States and the United Kingdom.
In India, popular menu items like bread, cookies, cakes, naan, chappati and puri contain gluten. Another option is to look at Indian menu items which are gluten-free - e.g. dosa which is based on rice flour and promote it to a Western audience as a gluten-free product.
Since gluten is the predominant wheat protein, the major component of the gluten-free market is the baked goods sector. To determine which products may be classified as "gluten- free" the US Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) proposed as early as 2007 that to be classified as gluten-free, baked products should have 20 ppm or less of gluten in the final baked goods.
Baked products
In the United States, a number of mainstream baking companies are entering the gluten-free arena by introducing gluten-free baked products.
Most gluten-free bread is marketed frozen because of the tendency to "stale." Cookies and biscuits have embraced this market demand by targeting the gluten-free markets. Gluten-free muffins and cup cakes are also gaining acceptance.
There is continuing attention to the development of suitable technology to manufacture acceptable gluten-free baked products. This involves development of gluten-free formulations as well as processing methods and equipment. Recipe development has 2 goals. The first goal is to make the gluten-free baked product as close to the standard bakery product in terms of volume, texture and eating quality. Gluten-free flours from rice, brown rice, tapioca, waxy rice and sorghum are gaining increasing use. In developing gluten-free bread recipes part of native starch was replaced with chemically modified starches. Optimised blending of such gluten flours and chemically modified starches has resulted in an increase in volume of gluten-free bread. Internal structure was also improved due to increase in number of cells in the internal structure as well as a decrease of average cell size. Gums have also been used in optimised formula development. Synergistic gum blends can help develop texture and provide structure to gluten-free baked goods. Gums have helped retain moisture and slow starch retrogradation thus increasing shelf life. Most importantly these combinations of ingredients must not only replace functional quality but also improve mouth feel and eating quality. Through practice and experience a "gluten-free" technology and expertise is slowly evolving.
Many of the gluten-free products on the market have some deficiencies in their nutritional profile - for example, the protein and fibre levels are less than the standard baked goods. Formulators are starting to pay attention to this factor in recipe development. To increase fibre or protein levels, formulators might add such whole grain flours as those from amaranth, buckwheat, chia, millet and quinoa.
It has been stressed that only gluten-free products with overall quality including good taste will help sustain the market. Manufacturers also need to adopt a more holistic approach ensuring they communicate the wider benefits of gluten-free foods rather than relying on what is excluded from the products.
Meeting regulations
A challenge in producing gluten-free products is ensuring that the product truly meets gluten-free regulations. As the market grows, there will be need to focus on specific needs, some of which are
■ Segregation of gluten-free ingredients
■ Dedication of areas, equipment and/or time slots for production of gluten-free products
■ There may also be a need to pack gluten-free in separate locations
■ The ideal solution would be to use a dedicated facility
■ Codex Alimentarius allows the term "gluten-free" as long as the gluten content does not exceed 20 ppm in the food product
■ This definition of gluten-free has been proposed to FDA. The US FDA has published a proposed rule to define the term 'gluten-free' for use on food labels. The proposal, which has entered public comment period, would establish a definition for voluntary use on labels, but these guidelines would also prevent product misbranding. Currently, there is no federal regulation that defines the term 'gluten-free' used in the labelling of foods.
Trends, challenges & solutions
In October 2010, Cereal Foods World, the official magazine of AACC took note of the gluten-free phenomenon by publishing a feature article titled "Gluten Free Foods - Trends, Challenges and Solutions." Some of the interesting points made in this article are
■ With heightened media coverage, public awareness of coeliac disease has spread into the wider culture, creating a niche market for gluten-free products
■ Beyond coeliac sufferers and their families, consumers in general seem to see gluten-free as having a healthy connotation
■ The trend towards gluten-free products is expanding, driven by consumer demand
■ If this trend is to endure then the quality - taste, texture and shelf life of the gluten-free products will have to be optimised
■ The nutritional content of gluten-free products is still an area of major concern
■ At the 2010 - IBIE meeting in Las Vegas, during a panel discussion, bakers interested in gluten-free products were warned that they should focus on boosting the nutritional content of gluten-free products as well as enhancing texture and taste at the formulation stage
When the increasing awareness of coeliac disease and the need for gluten-free products became apparent the market was primarily serviced by comparatively small players. There is a gradual realisation amongst the larger companies that there may be a "substantial" market. This has brought out the need for both product development and marketing innovation. This may also present an opportunity for the ingredient suppliers with sophisticated technical capabilities to satisfy the demand.
