Gluten-free Market Research Articles

Consumer Satisfaction with the Quality and Availability of Gluten-Free Products

The aim of this study is to investigate consumer attitudes toward the quality and availability of gluten-free products. For this purpose, quantitative research was conducted using a questionnaire completed by 107 respondents who consumed gluten-free products. The results of the research showed that most consumers prepared their own meals, paid attention to ingredients, and strictly adhered to a gluten-free diet. About 10% of the respondents declared that they occasionally did not follow a gluten-free diet. Respondents were generally not satisfied with the price and availability of gluten-free products on the market. An additional aggravating circumstance for them when eating out was that restaurants generally do not have a sufficient selection of gluten-free dishes in their daily offer. Although most of them stated that they buy basic, well-known gluten-free products, they want to try new products with different, new flavors. This demand offers food manufacturers the opportunity to capitalize on the rapidly growing gluten-free market by developing creative and sustainable products that not only meet dietary requirements but also exceed consumer expectations. By focusing on innovation and variety, companies can participate in a profitable market while contributing to the growth of a more sustainable economy. The results of this study pointed to consumer preferences that could be used to influence the improvement and development of new gluten-free products, which are on the rise and will have a better nutritional quality and thus had a positive impact on health.

Design optimization and comparative analysis of hypoallergenic muffins to wheat muffins and nutritive improvement using Moringa leaves powder

PurposeGluten is a triggering factor for gluten-related disorders. However, the present market provides expensive, less varied and poor nutritional products. Therefore, this study aims to develop gluten-free muffins and improve their nutritional profile, as well as evaluate the physical, chemical and sensorial aspects of them.Design/methodology/approachA combination of pearl millet, buckwheat and amaranth was used to formulate gluten-free muffin using central composite rotatable design of response surface methodology for optimization of selected parameters (hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose [HPMC], baking temperature and baking time). The optimized muffins were incorporated with Moringa leaves powder. Finally, the final products were compared with the wheat muffins.FindingsThe optimization range of selected variables was 1% HPMC, 170°C baking temperature and 30.33 min baking time with a desirability function of 0.75. The incorporation of 5% Moringa leaves powder enhanced the nutritional profile of gluten-free muffins – increased protein (38%), fiber (208%), iron (224%) and calcium (25%) values. However, the overall acceptability reduced due to decrease in flavor and odor.Originality/valueNonetheless, the ease of accessibility of these convenience gluten-free muffins as well as the nutritional density can help the food research and nutritionists to bridge the gap in current gluten-free market. This puts focus on the use of underutilized crops such as millets and buckwheat which are nutritionally dense.

It is time to appreciate the value of processed foods

BackgroundThe messaging around processed food recently is that it is unhealthy and associated with the onset of chronic disease. However, food is processed for many reasons that range from preservation to safety, and then more recently in response to different drivers. ScopeFood has been processed for many years, in the beginning, for preservation. Over the years, processing methods have developed, and now the industry has responded to nutritional markets such as the vegan market with a range of tasty and healthy foods, and the gluten free market with carbohydrate products with good taste and texture, and the gym market with products high in protein and fortificants of health. There are many examples where processed food is healthy and where it provides convenience to multiple cohorts around the world. NOVA is a food classification system based on the degree of food processing, from minimally processed to ultraprocessed. Key findingsThis review examines many studies that compare NOVA with other classification systems, and this review also compares NOVA to the Health Star Rating, based on nutrients, using approximately 10000 datapoints, showing no association. In addition, the lack of association with nutrient-based classification, means that epidemiological work based on classes of food is problematic, since there are examples of processed food that range across the spectrum of health.

Ultrasound treatments of tef [Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter] flour rupture starch α-(1,4) bonds and fragment amylose with modification of gelatinization properties

Tef is a nutritionally-rich ancient grain gaining increasing interest in gluten-free market. Molecular and structural properties in the main biopolymers of two Spanish ecotypes of tef flour physically modified by ultrasound (US) treatments under different temperatures (20, 40, 45, 50 and 55 °C) were studied. Modifications achieved were dependent on tef ecotype, where white tef presented higher susceptibility. Size-exclusion chromatography indicated higher proportion of intermediate amylose chains (degree of polymerization 300–1600) across the whole amylose chain-length distribution and a higher amylose/amylopectin ratio, that increased up to 23% and 19% in treated samples of white and brown tef respectively. US increased the starch short-range order crystallinity and promoted the formation of random coil protein structure and the disappearance of β-sheet, as confirmed from FTIR spectroscopy. XRD and 1H NMR revealed a higher fragmentation of α-(1,4) than α-(1,6) bonds due ultrasonication. The gelatinization temperature range and ΔHgel decreased after ultrasonication up to 6 °C and 13%, an effect that was reinforced or counteracted, respectively, by the treatment temperature, indicating that annealing modulates the impact of sonication on flour gelatinization properties. Tef starch structural properties were found to be significantly modified by US treatments, where temperature was a determining variable influencing the degree of modification achieved.

Modification of the microstructure of tef [Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter] flour ultrasonicated at different temperatures. Impact on its techno-functional and rheological properties

Tef flour comes from a nutritionally-rich ancient grain gaining increasing interest in gluten-free market. Gluten-free sources are modified by different means to improve their functionality. Ultrasound treatment (US) alters flours' structure and leads to physically modified flours with a wider application range. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the impact of US treatments of moderate treatment time, 10 min, and high concentration of the aqueous flour dispersion, 25%, on the microstructural, starch damage, apparent amylose content, techno-functional, pasting and rheological properties of two tef flour varieties, white and brown. Temperature was varied (20, 40, 45, 50, and 55 °C) to modulate the impact of sonication. US treatments led to general particle fragmentation which markedly increased starch damage and lightness (L*) values. Apparent amylose content was higher after ultrasonication, as consequence of molecular fragmentation due to cavitation. Increased starch granules’ exposed area led to enhanced interaction with water, promoting the water absorption index (WAI) and swelling power (SP) of treated flours. Pasting properties showed increased pasting temperatures as well as decreased viscometric profiles with lower breakdown viscosities, indicative of starch rearrangement improved by increasing temperature. Rheological properties indicated higher consistency in gels after US treatments, with improved ability to withstand stress and lower values of tan(δ)1 reflecting a higher solid-like behavior and higher strength of the gel. Temperature was found to be a crucial variable during US treatments, showing an improved degree of modification at higher temperatures in ultrasonicated tef flours, following the same trend in both varieties.

An integrated instrumental and sensory techniques for assessing liking, softness and emotional related of gluten-free bread based on blended rice and bean flour

Despite recent scientific advances and the growth of the gluten-free market, important issues such as the improvement of the sensory and nutritional quality of gluten-free bread (GFB) still need to be addressed. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to integrate instrumental and sensory techniques for assessing liking, softness, and emotions related to GFB based on rice flour (RF) and bean flour (BF). Results shows that common BF increases the ash, protein, and dietary fiber content of bread. The RF and BF blend improves dough thermomechanical properties, bread volume, instrumental texture properties and acceptability, as well as being the formulation indicated by consumers as presenting ideal softness, all of which subsequently correlated with positive food-related emotions, based on a facial emojis list. Thus, a RF and BF blend is a valuable ingredient producing nutrient-dense and acceptable GFB, which is important for consumers who choose or must adhere to a gluten-free diet. This research highlights promising predictors able to correlate dough parameters, as well as physical properties of bread with the sensory quality of GFB; this could be helpful to food scientists and producers to conduct extensive sensory and consumer research regarding both commercial and experimental GFB to establish whether those products meet consumer expectations, showing the relevance of continuing studies.

Gluten-Free Crackers Based on Chickpea and Pumpkin Seed Press Cake Flour: Nutritional, Functional and Sensory Properties.

Despite the growing trend of the gluten-free market and the presence of a wide range of gluten-free products, there are still some shortcomings in nutritional and sensory quality of these products. The commercially available gluten-free products are characterised as products of inferior nutritional quality, particularly in terms of protein and dietary fibre content and with high glycaemic index. On the other hand, from a sensory point of view, gluten-free products usually have inappropriate textural and mechanical properties, poor mouthfeel and flavour. This is a consequence of the limiting choice of raw materials that mainly possess large amount of carbohydrate components. Chickpea flour and two types of pumpkin seed press cake flour (virgin and cold pressed), at two substitution mass fractions (20 and 35%), were blended to produce gluten-free crackers without the presence of conventional gluten-free starch-rich ingredients. This study aims to investigate the effect of these non-conventional flours on nutritional and physicochemical properties, sensory acceptability, antioxidant activity and glycaemic index of crackers. All produced crackers can bear nutritional claims 'high fibre', 'source of protein' and 'source of minerals'. Replacing chickpea flour with pumpkin seed press cake flour increased protein and total phenolic content and enhanced antioxidant activity. The selected combination of raw materials allows the production of gluten-free crackers with a moderate glycaemic index. Besides nutrient content, the addition of cold-pressed flour increased overall sensory acceptability, noticeably improving taste and flavour scores compared to the control and crackers with virgin pumpkin seed flour. To the best of our knowledge, there is no study investigating the use of chickpea and pumpkin seed press cake flour blend without using conventional gluten-free flour and starch. The used non-conventional flour represents complementary raw materials in terms of protein quality and valuable alternatives to produce nutrient-rich, health-promoting gluten-free crackers with reduced glycaemic response and acceptable sensory properties.

Pulse-Cereal Blend Extrusion for Improving the Antioxidant Properties of a Gluten-Free Flour.

Extrusion is an interesting technological tool that facilitates pulse formulation into flour mixtures, with tailored fibre content, total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and glycemic index (GI) among other components in final formulas. The gluten-free (GF) market has significantly grown during the last years. GF products have evolved from specialty health foods to products targeted to the general population and not only associated to celiac consumers. This study evaluates how temperature, cereal base (rice/corn) and pulse concentration affect extruded flour properties and which conditions are more efficient to develop a gluten-free flour with high TAC and low GI. Additionally, it evaluated the effect of this optimal formula after the baking process. The results showed an increase of total phenol (TP) and antioxidant activity with extrusion, with a temperature-dependent effect (130 °C ≥ 120 °C ≥ 110 °C), which may imply an enhanced bioaccessibility of phenolics compounds after extraction. Extrusion increased GI in comparison to native flour; however, a dough temperature of 130 °C resulted in a significantly (p ≤ 0.05) lower GI than that observed for 110–120 °C doughs, probably associated to the pastification that occurred at higher temperatures, which would decrease the degree of gelatinization of the starches and therefore a significant (p ≤ 0.05) GI reduction. Corn-lentil flour showed higher antioxidant properties and lower GI index in comparison with rice-lentil blends. The formulation of the optimal blend flour into a baked product (muffin) resulted in a significant loss of antioxidant properties, with the exception of the reducing power (FRAP), although the final antioxidant values of the baked product were in the range of the original native flour blend before any process.

Influence of Chia Seed, Buckwheat and Chestnut Flour Addition on the Overall Quality and Shelf Life of the Gluten-Free Biscuits.

SUMMARYResearch backgroundIn spite of being a significantly growing segment, there are still problems regarding the nutritional, technological and sensory profiles of gluten-free products. Thus, the combination of a variety of functional ingredients is required in order to achieve the desired product quality.Experimental approachThree types of flour, chestnut, buckwheat and potato, were chosen in this study because they are all gluten-free, nutritionally richer and technologically more advantageous than wheat flour. They are combined with chia seeds, which are also functional ingredients as they are rich in dietary fibre and unsaturated fatty acids. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the utilization of chia seeds with chestnut, buckwheat and potato flour in biscuits as overall quality enhancers in gluten-free products. The proximate composition, total phenolic content, antioxidant activity, some biscuit quality parameters and the sensory properties of the samples were investigated, and some changes in these products during storage were monitored and evaluated.Results and conclusionsAccording to the results, biscuits with chestnut flour had the highest phenolic content (400.2 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE) per 100 g dry sample) and total antioxidant activity (155.5 mg Trolox equivalent (TE) per 100 g dry sample). Biscuits with chestnut and chia seeds had the hardness of 30.1 N (p<0.05). In addition, the use of chia seeds significantly increased the overall acceptability and flavour scores according to the sensory analysis results. During storage, chia seeds affected the oxidation stability; however, the fatty acid profile remained almost unchanged, except for the losses in lauric, stearic and α-linolenic acids (p<0.05). In conclusion, the biscuits with chestnut and chia seeds were more attractive than those made with other types of flour, with remarkably better nutritional characteristics and sensory attributes.Novelty and scientific contributionThe study fulfils a need for the growing gluten-free market by combining together the functional nutrients of chia seeds, chestnut flour and buckwheat flour to achieve the nutritionally improved and organoleptically acceptable gluten-free biscuits. Furthermore, this study makes an overall evaluation of the changes in product quality during storage to provide new ideas for an overall innovation in the gluten-free food market.

A Narrow Window: Booming Gluten-free Market and Fostering Healthy Dietary Habits in Children With Celiac Disease.

An expanding gluten-free marketplace has left children with celiac disease and their families with a host of new dietary options. The quality of these foods is inconsistent and processed items may be high in caloric content while lacking nutritional value. Assessing the dietary preferences of a cohort of children with celiac disease via cross-sectional survey, we find that these processed food items have become a staple of the gluten-free diet, and in many cases, these foods are consumed to the exclusion of healthy alternatives. Furthermore, children with celiac disease and their families become less interested in dietary education over time, indicating that the greatest opportunity for imparting a healthy diet may occur at the time of diagnosis.

Celiac and non-celiac consumers' experiences when purchasing gluten-free products in Italy

Recently gluten-free products are becoming very popular among consumers. Gluten-free market is expanding rapidly due to the increasing number of people affected by celiac disease but moreover non-celiac consumers are embracing the gluten-free diet. Given these advancements, it is necessary to understand the reasons and beliefs behind food choices made by non-celiac consumers and compare their choices to celiac patients. The current research is very limited, hence further research is needed to generalize and better understand the relation gluten-free-non celiac consumers and comparisons. Thus, this research aims to give an overview of the gluten-free sector by taking into account perceptions of consumers, retailers and institutional actors. In order to fulfill this objective semi structured interviews were undertaken with consumers and retailers in Bologna, Italy. Furthermore, one representative of Celiac Association was also interviewed for this qualitative study. The results showed that most of the concerns regarding gluten free products are related to their low sensorial performance, high prices and low nutritional values. Moreover, it was seen that sometimes non-celiac consumers lack knowledge about gluten free food and diet, believing some myths which are not scientifically proven. Finally, it is necessary that future research focuses also on understanding glute-free choices by non-celiac consumers and ways to direct them into healthier food choices. .

Market Capturing and Business Expansion Strategy for Gluten-Free Foods in India and USA Using PESTEL Model

The ultimate goal for any business is to grow vertically and horizontally. Successful business is combination of careful analysis of external and internal factor of business environment and adoption of appropriate business strategy. In this study external factors of gluten-free market are studied in detail through PESTEL model (for external factors). The study would facilitate manufacturers to bring gluten-free foods from niche market to main stream market and to make it more affordable for all the sections of the society. The study focuses on markets of India and USA, since both of these nations have high potential for gluten-free foods and the demand further continues to increase every year.

Different formulations in gluten-free bread production: A review

Studies in recent years have shown that the market demand for gluten-free products is considerably increasing to fulfill celiac patients’ needs. Celiac disease is a food allergenic disease in humans induced by gluten in wheat, barley, rye, kamut, spelt and hybrids like triticale. For individuals with this disease, the one and only cure is to keep away from gluten-containing foods for perpetuity. Because of this reason, production and development of gluten-free bakery products, particularly bread because it is a basic food consumed daily in the world, have become popular and have been improved by the addition of different cereals, flours and starches, dough treatment or changing processing conditions and the method of baking. It needs to improve gluten-free bakery products’ quality because the absence of gluten is a big problem for the quality of dough and bread. For example, a bread made from gluten free flour has lower volume, weaker texture and aroma than the traditionally ones . However the increase of gluten-free market, there are still some problems such as their high prices, limited variety, and availability and low nutritional quality. This review focuses on the finding suitable alternatives for gluten free bread to improve their baking and sensory quality and nutritional properties.

Current Trends in Ancient Grains-Based Foodstuffs: Insights into Nutritional Aspects and Technological Applications.

For centuries, ancient grains fed populations, but due to their low yield, they were abandoned and replaced by high-yielding species. However, currently, there is a renewed interest in ancient wheat and pseudocereal grains from consumers, farmers, and manufacturers. Ancient wheat such as einkorn, emmer, spelt, and Kamut®, are being reintegrated because of their low fertilizer input, high adaptability and important genetic diversity. New trends in pseudocereal products are also emerging, and they are mostly appreciated for their nutritional outcomes, particularly by the gluten-free market. Toward healthier lifestyle, ancient grains-based foodstuffs are a growing business and their industrialization is taking 2 pathways, either as a raw ingredient or a functional ingredient. This paper deals with these grain characteristics by focusing on the compositional profile and the technological potential.

Sensory analysis and aroma compounds of buckwheat containing products—a review

ABSTRACTBuckwheat is a rich source of starch, proteins, minerals and antioxidants, and as such has become a popular functional ingredient incorporated in diverse recipes/products with particular use in the gluten free market. Due to the absence of gluten, application of buckwheat or buckwheat derived ingredients in this particular food sector has increased significantly over recent years with many buckwheat-based products appearing globally.Sensory analysis is an integral part of the development of products that fulfill consumer expectations. Therefore, investigations on the incorporation of health promoting functional ingredients such as buckwheat into traditional recipes are often complemented by the evaluation of appearance, aroma, taste and texture as well as overall quality through standardized procedures involving trained judges or consumer panels. Aroma is of particular importance in driving consumer preference and its sensory assessment is often complemented with analytical workflows aiming to isolate and determine the concentration of volatile compounds in food and understand the effect of food components on the overall aroma intensity and/or perception of the final product.The present manuscript provides a review of recent advances and knowledge on the sensory characteristics, consumer preference and volatile compound analysis of buckwheat and buckwheat based products.

Current and Forward-Looking Approaches to Technological and Nutritional Improvements of Gluten-Free Bread with Legume Flours: A Critical Review.

The gluten-free market currently offers a range of products which can be safely consumed by patients affected by celiac disease. Nevertheless, challenges for optimal formulation remain on the way in terms of appreciable texture, flavor, and adequate nutritional characteristics. Within that framework, legumes have recently attracted attention among scientists as structure- and texture-forming agents, as source of nutrients and bioactive compounds, and as a low-glycemic-index ingredient. This work aims at providing an updated and comprehensive overview of the advantages and disadvantages in the use of legumes in gluten-free breadmaking. It also shows how legumes can contribute to tackling the main technological, nutritional, and organoleptic challenges. From this critical analysis, it emerged that viscoelastic properties of gluten-free bread batter can be enhanced by the use of carob germ, chickpea, lupin, and soybean. Gluten-free bread organoleptic acceptability can be improved by incorporating leguminous flours, such as carob, chickpea, lupin, and soybean. Moreover, a better nutritional quality of gluten-free bread can be obtained by the addition of chickpea and soybean. Gaps and needs in the use of legumes in gluten-free breadmaking emerged and were gathered together to have a sound basis for future studies. The technological and nutritional potential of sourdough should be more extensively exploited. Moreover, in vitro and in vivo studies should be prompted to understand the health benefits of bread formulated with legumes. A holistic approach, interfacing food science, nutrition, and health might help to have, on the market, products with improved sensory properties and nutritional profile.

Medical Benefits to Safeguard Coeliac Consumers and their Impact on the Gluten-Free Product Market: The Case of Italy

In Italy coeliac suffers have the right to obtain free provision of gluten-free products against National Health Service prescription-coupons. The survey on the various ways the law is applied in the different Italian regions showed that these patients don’t enjoy uniform social security treatment through the country. Furthermore it was observed that the healthcare system has affected the gluten-free product market. On examining the prices of these foodstuffs, it was found that they were more costly than their standard counterparts (from 68 to 595%). Differences were also found between the prices of gluten-free products bought at different shopping venues (from 10 to 330%). In order to encourage competition between shopping venues and bring down the prices of gluten-free foodstuffs, it seems necessary to allow the large-scale retail trade to deliver gluten-free products against National Health Service prescription-coupons in all the Italian regions.

Animal models to study non-celiac gluten sensitivity.

Non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS), sometimes known as non-celiac wheat sensitivity (NCWS), has recently received much attention, both scientific as well as from the alternative medical community. Over the past 5 years, there are over 200 publications on NCGS indexed on the PubMed database, the gluten-free market has been growing bigger, and it is clear that the number of consumers who are on a gluten-free diet (GFD) possibly because of a suspicion for NCGS appears to grow even faster. Nevertheless, despite these three rising events, many questions about NCGS remain unresolved. It is likely that NCGS represents a heterogeneous group of disorders linked by a common response to a GFD. It is still not fully understood how gluten, and likely other wheat proteins and components, could activate and drive the pathophysiology of NCGS. As a result, there are still no clear biomarkers, no robust clinical diagnostic criteria, nor a conclusive definition for NCGS. This heterogeneity can be approached by reducing the variables, in particular those of human behaviour and placebo effect, by studying animal models to address specific biological effects of wheat and/or gluten-related proteins. Herein we review the animal models and their potential to be used to advance our understanding of these disorders and potentially address their prevention and treatment.

Suspected Nonceliac Gluten Sensitivity Confirmed in FewPatients After Gluten Challenge in Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trials.

A double-blind, placebo-controlled, gluten challenge has been proposed to confirm a diagnosis of nonceliac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) in patients without celiac disease who respond to a gluten-free diet. To determine the accuracy of this approach, we analyzed data from 10 double-blind, placebo-controlled, gluten-challenge trials, comprising 1312 adults. The studies varied in the duration of the challenge (range, 1 d to 6 wk), daily doses for the gluten challenge (range, 2-52 g; 3 studies administered <8 g/d), and composition of the placebo (gluten-free products, xylose, whey protein, rice, or corn starch containing fermentable carbohydrates). Most of the studies found gluten challenge to significantly increase symptom scores compared with placebo. However, only 38 of 231 NCGS patients (16%) showed gluten-specific symptoms. Furthermore, 40% of these subjects had a nocebo response (similar or increased symptoms in response to placebo). These findings reveal heterogeneity and potential methodology flaws among studies of gluten challenge, cast doubt on gluten as the culprit food component in most patients with presumptive NCGS, and highlight the importance of the nocebo effect in these types of studies.

Technological and Engineering Trends for Production of Gluten-Free Beers

Beer is the main alcoholic beverage consumed worldwide. It is essentially composed of malt, adjuncts or grist, hops, water and metabolites produced by yeast. Produced regularly with barley, it is unsuitable for patients with celiac disease due to the presence of storage proteins known as hordeins. A recent boom in the production of gluten-free beers has been attributed to the awareness of celiac disease and the significant boost in the gluten-free market size. Several strategies have been recognized as suitable gluten-free brewing procedures: by using non-gluten grains, non-grain sources such as sugars, syrups and honey and enzymatic and microbial treatments of barley worts to reduce to non-significant levels (<20 ppm/L), the peptides or epitopes which trigger celiac disease. Since the traditional brewing process uses barley, the use of other grains, such as rice, maize, sorghum, buckwheat or different types of millets, involves differences in both malting and mashing procedures especially in terms of process times and temperatures. Sorghum has been especially recognized for its potential to substitute barley since it is widely used in many countries of Africa to create traditional opaque beers, but compared to barley malt lacks of sufficient diastatic power due to the lower synthesis of both α- and β-amylases, and additionally, the starch requires higher temperatures for gelatinization. Likewise, rice, maize, millets and buckwheat are being used as source of both malt and grist with similar problems as sorghum. Potential future approaches involve the genetic engineering of barley in order to remove the peptides of the storage proteins that cause the allergic reaction on celiac patients and the employment of recombinant yeasts or other fermenting microorganisms that express prolyl endoproteinases which hydrolyze celiac immunoreactive epitopes into non-harmful peptides.