Market Surges As Americans Equate “Gluten-Free” With Healthier Eating

An online survey of buyers of gluten-free products has found that the main reason for purchasing is that gluten-free foods are thought to be healthier than conventional foods. According to market research firm Packaged Facts, tens of millions of Americans have reduced or eliminated wheat, barley, oats and rye from their diets, driving “the extraordinary surge in the market for gluten-free foods and beverages,” and not just among people with celiac disease or food allergies. The result has been an explosion of specialty food and beverage marketers who contributed to an industry  CAGR of 30 percent between 2006 and 2010, a total gluten-free market value of $2.6 billion in 2010 and a predicted $5 billion value by 2015.