Gluten Free Foods Case Study

Beware: “Gluten-Free” Products Are Now All Over the Market
Believe it or not, there are many people in the world who suffer from gluten sensitivity. It is a condition that causes a person to have a negative reaction whenever they eat anything that contains gluten that can commonly be found in rye, wheat, and barley. Fortunately, for these people, gluten-free foods are now available in supermarkets and retail stores.
The Increasing Popularity of Gluten-Free Foods
The gluten-free food is continuously growing. In fact, it has been projected that by 2020, the value of this market will reach $7.50 billion. It also made up 2.8% of the foods sales in the U.S. in 2013 while in 2015, it made up 6.5% of the sales. Well, such number is not surprising
In 2013, there has even been a 137% increase in the interest of people in such products. Also, from 2008-2012, the annual growth rate of the gluten-free market in Canada is over 26% while its sales value in Canada back in 2012 was estimated to be about $27 million. By 2018, the market is expected to reach $6.2 billion, with North America contributing 59% of it. In the world, United States is still one of the largest gluten-free markets.
Gluten-Free Foods for People with Celiac Disease
The main target of the companies who belong in this industry are the people with celiac disease since they are advised to go on a gluten-free diet. According to statistics, Celiac is one of the most common chronic illnesses in the world. In fact, there has been an estimate that it affects 1 out of 133 Americans and Canadians. 10% of Canadians are estimated to be exerting great effort to find food that is free of gluten while in the U.S., 1 in 4 adults said that they either cut down gluten or gotten rid of it completely. 31% of Americans also said that they were interested in trying gluten-free foods.
While Canada is strict when it comes to food that contains oats, in the U.S., there has been a number of oats and products that contain oats labeled as “gluten-free”. In fact, from 2007-2013, 1,325 new oat products including energy bars and cereals were launched and these products came with a gluten-free
In Canada and in the U.S., when a packaging says that it is gluten-free, then it only means that the product does not contain more than 20 ppm or parts per million of gluten. In Canada, the ones that can be claimed as gluten-free are the special dietary use foods while in the U.S., any food that meets the mentioned requirement before can be claimed as gluten-free. By special dietary use foods, it means foods that are specially formulated or processed in order to meet the needs of people who for the sake of their health are on a gluten-free diet.
In both countries, adding ingredients that contain gluten is not allowed unless it is specially processed for the sake of removing the gluten and as long as its gluten content is still lesser than 20 ppm. So, it is possible for a bread to be labeled as “gluten-free” if the flours used as a substitute is not a gluten source. Also, claiming foods as gluten-free is voluntary for both countries. Meaning to say, even if a food product is actually gluten-free, it is possible for the gluten-free claim not to be included in the