Recent strategies for tackling the problems in gluten-free diet and products

Abstract

The gluten-free food market is growing with the increases in the number of people who adhere to gluten-free diet. The noteworthy increase in the number of people following a gluten-free diet may be associated to the diagnosis of many silent and subclinical celiac disease cases, improved knowledge of celiac disease, gluten allergy or gluten sensitivity as well as to popular belief that gluten-free diet is healthier. Despite the increase in the number of people following a gluten-free diet, the lack of awareness and knowledge about gluten-free diet generates problems for non-celiac people who are considering that gluten-free products are healthier as well as for celiac people who have to follow gluten-free diet. Notwithstanding the increasing interest in adopting gluten-free diet, there are still important obstacles affecting the adherence to gluten-free diet. The limited availability, high price of products, insufficient labeling, cross-contamination risk, treatment burden, lack of knowledge and information about celiac disease and about gluten-free diet, psychological factors in celiac patients, the adverse effects of a gluten-free diet and quality defects of gluten-free products are among the major problems that faced by celiac patients. In this perspective, the aim of this review is to provide an overview of important challenges in the maintenance of a strict gluten-free diet that faced by celiac patients during the adherence to gluten-free diet and related approaches have been able for tackling the problems.