Gluten-free foods enter new era of innovation
Gluten-free foods have come a long way from the days of dry, crumbly breads and mushy noodles. New ingredients and formulations are improving both taste and texture, while a broader range of shoppers is driving demand in the category, which is set to hit a major growth milestone this year.
According to Mordor Intelligence, Canada’s gluten-free foods and beverages market size in 2026 is projected to reach US$1.07 billion, growing from US$977 million in 2025. The market is forecast to reach US$1.6 billion in 2031, growing at a 9% CAGR over 2026-2031. Bakery products accounted for 41.5% of the market share in 2025, while meat and meat substitutes are the fastest-growing segment, at a CAGR of 10.35%.
What’s behind the growth? The research firm notes that momentum comes from the 400,000 Canadians with celiac disease and an expanding group of self-diagnosed gluten-sensitive shoppers. Other factors include increased trust in certified gluten-free labels, the growth of gluten-free private-label products and ingredient innovation.
While being gluten-free is the draw, consumers no longer see that as the complete value proposition, says Lynsey Walker, VP of marketing and communications at the Canadian Health Food Association (CHFA).
“They’re also asking: Is it made with recognizable ingredients? Does it have protein or fibre? Is it convenient? Does it taste great?” she says. “That is pushing the category toward cleaner labels, alternative grains, functional nutrition and products that can appeal to the whole household rather than only the person avoiding gluten.”
Pasta without the trade-offs
A new gluten-free pasta brand—Felicia—is aiming to tick all the boxes. Owned by Italian food manufacturer Andriani, the line includes seven naturally gluten-free pastas, made with ingredients including oats, buckwheat, chickpeas, red lentils and spirulina. The brand has distribution across major retailers and has invested $55 million in a new manufacturing facility in London, Ont.
Naïla Bassin, Andriani’s head of marketing in Canada, agrees the new era of gluten-free is no longer about just taking gluten out of the equation. “It’s how do we have it taste great, be naturally gluten-free and add different nutrients and health benefits? How do we increase the fibre and protein profile while staying naturally gluten-free?” she says. “We want products that everyone can consume and that are easy to digest.”
For example, Bassin notes that Felicia Organic Oat Penne has great taste and texture, along with three times more fibre than regular gluten-free pasta.
Delivering on taste and texture, however, can be particularly challenging with gluten-free products. “When you make regular pasta using wheat, the gluten helps to bind the product, hold it together and give it that texture. With no gluten, we don’t have that. So, we need to work the raw materials in a different way,” Bassin says. “It has taken our R&D team many years of trials and mastering the art of those ingredients. That has been at the core of our company.”
The fibre opportunity
Beyond taste and texture, Felicia Organic Oat Penne taps into rising interest in fibre. “Only now are people starting to talk about the quality of fibre,” Bassin says. “There are soluble and insoluble fibres, and people do need both. Oat technically is higher in soluble fibre than other whole-grain products. So, it brings additional benefits to the table when it comes to heart health and other functional benefits.”
CHFA’s Walker says fibre and gut health are among the biggest opportunities for brands right now. “Consumers increasingly want products to deliver multiple benefits at once, so being gluten-free may get a product into consideration, but it isn’t necessarily enough to close the sale,” she says. “We’re seeing more interest in prebiotic fibre, higher-protein ingredients, seeds, whole or alternative grains, and simpler ingredient lists.
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She points to Snackish as a great Canadian example: its certified gluten-free chips also provide potato-based protein and five grams of prebiotic fibre per serving, and are cooked in avocado oil.
A fibre-forward option for kids is Easy Peasy Treats, which makes gluten-free, ready-to-make granola bar mixes. The lineup, which includes Chocochomp, Polar Berry and Moose Munchies, combines fibre-rich ingredients such as flax and chia with pea protein crisps. Walker says the result is “a product that is allergen-friendly while staying focused on nutrition, convenience, and family participation.”
Baked goods hit a sourdough note
The push for taste, texture and function is also playing out in gluten-free’s biggest category: the bakery.
Aidan’s Gluten Free is an early Canadian innovator in the space. Founded in 2008, the North York, Ont.-based company makes a range of gluten-free breads, buns, baguettes, pitas and bagels. It recently launched a new fermented sourdough line which includes baguettes, sliced loaves and bagels.
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“Gluten-free products tend to rely heavily on starches, which do not ferment, so developing a gluten free sourdough requires some proprietary measures,” says Grant MacMillan, co-owner and co-founder of Aidan’s Gluten Free. “A key differentiator is that our sourdough ‘sour’ is achieved naturally through the fermentation process, where competing sourdoughs resort to adding vinegar to their recipes.”
For its traditional line, Aidan’s uses nutrient-dense ingredients like chickpeas, corn and potato flours. “Other companies rely on fortifications, but we believe if you choose good, wholesome ingredients you can achieve the nutritional aspects without using ultra-refined ultra-processed or chemically modified fortifications,” says MacMillan.
Ran Goel, CEO of Mama Earth Organics, an online grocery company, says the fastest growth in the gluten-free category has been in bakery products from dedicated gluten-free Ontario producers such as Aidan’s Gluten Free and Whisked.
“Properly fermented gluten-free sourdough with real crust and texture is the biggest single improvement we’ve seen,” Goel says. “The second is we’re seeing a wider assortment that now stretches from baguettes to bagels to pitas.”
Outside of customers who have celiac, he says most buyers of gluten-free products are seeking other attributes such as organic, local, high protein and a short ingredient list.
The whole picture
The focus on whole foods and simple ingredients also extends to the gluten-free plant-based category.
Montreal-based VG Gourmet makes a line of gluten-free, vegan and kosher products including burgers, bites and crumbles. Its veggie burger line includes Lentil & Walnut, Mexican 3-Bean, Sweet Potato & Black Bean and the new Beet Power, which boasts 19 grams of plant-based protein and lists fresh beets as the first ingredient.
“Consumers want more whole foods, more fibre, more protein—and it’s not enough just to have a gluten-free label,” says Chantal Bekhor, co-founder, president and CEO of VG Gourmet. “I think that’s a good thing. “Consumers are becoming smarter and more educated and are learning to read labels.”
Before co-founding the company, Bekhor made plant-based burgers for her family at home, using breadcrumbs and flour as binders.
“When decided to launch it as a business, I knew that being gluten-free was important because there are so many consumers who are looking for gluten-free products, whether for medical reasons or lifestyle reasons,” she says. After a lot of R&D, Bekjor came up with a mix of potato starch and flax seeds to act as a binder. “It works really well for us,” she says. “We don’t want to have compromises on taste or texture or quality.”
For CHFA’s Walker, what stands out in the new era of gluten free is how diverse innovation has become. “Overall, the most exciting innovation is happening when brands stop treating gluten-free as the innovation itself,” she says. “The strongest products are gluten-free and delicious, convenient, nutritious or functionally differentiated.”
