Gluten-free foods and beverages spent the better part of the past two decades moving up the trend track in fits and starts. Recently, however, the gluten-free category experienced a growth spurt of epic proportions.
According to global market research concern Mintel Group Ltd., from Fall 2011 to Fall 2013, the release of food and beverage products designated as gluten-free leaped ahead by 44%, topping out at more than $10 billion in sales in the U.S. This figure is twice that of 10 years ago. It also is nearly double what experts predicted even as recently as 2006.