Gluten Free Trend is Here to Stay
There’s a revolution happening in our grocery stores, restaurants, and even our own kitchen cupboards. In the place of traditional food products, items fulfilling special dietary needs are cropping up. Organic, non-GMO, and preservative free products are quickly rising in popularity, but it’s one trend that has received the most notice. The appearance of gluten free alternatives to popular baked goods and prepared foods are on the rise, as more and more people are diagnosed with Celiac disease.
For those who suffer from this intolerance, gluten free products are a necessary addition to their diet. But they aren’t the only ones to be eating these new foods, as many seemingly healthy individuals opt for these products in the hopes that they are a healthier choice.
Photograph of 4 gluten sources. Top: High-gluten wheat flour. Right: European spelt. Bottom: Barley. Left: Rolled rye flakes.
Image/Pdeitiker
Whether gluten sensitivity is a health fact or simply a diet fad, it has enough power to affect global markets. According to a study conducted by the marketing researching firm, Mintel, a quarter of Americans confirm they’re eating glutenfree foods. As a result, these specialty products have seen an exponential rise in sales, which Mintel estimates to surpass $11.6 billion in 2015.
It becomes a business imperative for food manufacturers to tap into these sales by offering gluten free products. But it can be a challenge to replace it for all that it does for the flavour and texture profile of food. Gluten is a protein found in wheat and other cereal grains, and it gives things like pizza doughs and baked goods their signature mouth feel. In order to recreate these textures, the ingredients used must be of the highest quality – otherwise what’s left is a sad imitation of people’s favourite foods.
In addition to flavour, these ingredients need to meet industry standards in order to provide healthy and safe alternatives for those suffering from Celiac disease. These new ingredients have big shoes to fill, but it’s not impossible to find common-sense solutions. Sourcing quality raw materials from a distribution company is a simple way to start. A distributing company with innovative solutions for gluten free products, such as Cambrian Solutions, connects companies with natural and nutritional ingredients from all over the world. Together with their supply partners, they’re sourcing ground-breaking new products to meet the new dietary needs of North America. Check out Cambrian.com/about-us/ to learn more about their commitment to achieving tailored solutions for the nutritional and health foods industries.
A trusted distributing company that finds reputable sources for alternative ingredients can drastically improve the overall nutritional value of these products. Cambrian can provide natural ingredients that satisfying multiple niche requirements, including all natural, organic, non-GMO, and preservative free elements should these additional labels be a necessity.
Natural and nutritional ingredients can be a safe and cost-effective alternative to traditional ingredients. When sourced from a distribution company of natural and organic materials, they can easily provide the means for food manufacturers to satisfy growing gluten free trends. When these trends prove that the desire for safe, healthy, and delicious gluten free products is on the rise, it’s only fair that supply meets demand.
Author: Anwar Hossain
photo Sergey Klimkin via pixabay
