Tolerating gluten intolerance

Free-from foods have been going from strength to strength in recent years, with gluten-free lines seemingly leading the charge. According to Innova Market Insights, products positioned on a gluten-free platform accounted for ten per cent of total global food and drink launches in the 12 months to the end of April 2015.

“This is partly due to improved labelling regulations,” says Lu Ann Williams, director of innovation at Innova Market Insights, “but also to rising awareness of gluten intolerance in the diet and the development of more mainstream and good tasting gluten-free products across a whole range of food and drinks sectors.”

However, new figures from Udi’s Gluten Free suggest that coeliac disease and gluten intolerance remain misunderstood, and more needs to be done to open up gluten-free options for those with allergies and intolerances.

Of the millions of Brits (estimated 14 million) with allergies and intolerances, a quarter (26 per cent) say that leading a gluten-free life is the hardest allergy or intolerance to live with.

Whilst the EU’s recently introduced Food Information Regulation has seen many restaurants adapting their menus to show allergen labelling to help customers who suffer from an allergy or intolerance, research carried out by Udi’s Gluten Free found that a third (32 per cent) claim there is still a struggle when choosing what to eat, with gluten-free options remaining limited.

In addition, a quarter (25 per cent) will debate whether to go on holiday or not because other countries do not understand the importance of their dietary requirements, and just under a fifth (19 per cent) find it difficult to eat at a friend’s house in fear of being fed the wrong foods.

Holly Wales, product development director at Udi’s Gluten Free, comments, “Despite supermarkets’ shelves piled high with gluten-free options, there still remains an underlying problem with restaurants and friends who don’t understand or know how to cater for those leading a gluten-free life.

“With allergies and intolerances on the rise, the fact that people are fearing going to a restaurant, to a friend’s house or debating whether to go abroad or not is extremely worrying and more needs to be done.”

With a wealth of gluten-free products available – many of which are the result of careful innovation in order to achieve the same mouth feel, taste and texture as their added gluten equivalents – it seems more education is needed for them to reach their full potential.

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