From ancient grains for the gluten-sensitive to antioxidant-rich berries to satiety ingredients for weight control--the future focus is on ingredients that promote better overall health.
On a global scale, the gluten-free market is estimated to grow to more than $1.2 billion during the next five years, according to Datamonitor. The global market is already at $3.1 billion, and the National Restaurant Association named “gluten-free” as one of the top 10 culinary trends for 2011. With 15 million gluten-intolerant consumers worldwide, this means formulating for this vast and growing segment is more than just “trendy”—to ignore it would be to ignore the realities of the market.
In her Prepared Foods’ R&D Applications Seminar-Chicago titled “Nutritionally Enhanced Gluten-free,” Jennifer Williams, senior application scientist at Penford Food Ingredients, discussed the market need for gluten-free products, as well as what she termed “generation one” products and an overview of nutritionally enhanced gluten-free items.