Gluten-free: an unstoppable trend?

Only a small portion of the population suffers from celiac disease or has sensitivity to gluten.

Still, gluten-free products are more popular than ever. Why?

Likely because a growing number of grocery shoppers are eyeballing ingredient lists and want to eat what they perceive as being more “natural” food products.

“The reason I do believe has legs is that it ties into this whole naked and ‘free from’ trend. I think we as a country and as a globe will continue to be concerned about what’s going into our food supply,” says Virginia Morris, vice-president of consumer insights and strategy at Daymon Worldwide.

According to an article in the New York Times, the number of households buying gluten-free products rose to 11 per cent last year. That’s up from five per cent in 2010.

As a result, manufacturers are pouring money into new lines of gluten-free products and sales are on the rise, especially for smaller, niche manufacturers.

If nothing else, gluten-free customers are a valuable bunch for grocers. According to Catalina Marketing, the average gluten-free shopper spends $100 at the grocery store, compared to $33 for the average shopper.

Read the full story here.