Gluten-Free Dining Comes of Age: Meeting Demand in a Changing Market

When the FDA released its standard for gluten-free food products in 2013, it ushered in a golden age for gluten-free eating. Consumers looking to lose weight or emulate their favorite celebrity adopted the diet as a lifestyle choice, joining the more than three million Americans who eat gluten-free out of medical necessity. By 2015, sales of gluten-free products had increased by 136 percent. Demand for gluten-free food had never been higher.

Serving food that is truly gluten-free is vital because even a tiny particle of gluten can cause problems for someone with celiac disease.

With new products entering the market and dieticians recommending eating more whole grains, consumer tastes are evolving, causing experts to predict that the gluten-free market will plateau over the next five years. However, as fad dieters leave the market, demand for gluten-free food and beverages will come from the approximately six-to-seven percent of Americans with celiac disease and other forms of gluten…