Gluten-Free Bakery Market Trends

Market Trends of Gluten-Free Bakery Industry

Rising demand for Clean-label and Organic Gluten Free Bakery Products

• Celiac disease is an auto-immune disorder. The only treatment for celiac disease is following a gluten-free diet. Thus, consumers are taking gluten-free products, not only to prevent adverse symptoms but also as those which are gastrointestinal in nature. Celiac disease has a very strong genetic component.
• 'Clean labeling' is no longer a trend but has become a high-rated consumer demand that the global food industry is responding to by putting additional emphasis on these aspects while processing a food product.
• Consumers are becoming more aware of the adverse health effects associated with the consumption of various allergens, including gluten protein. Such a preference shift towards clean labels is primarily owing to the government authorities, such as the World Health Organization (WHO), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), European Food Safety Authority (FSA), and Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), who has recognized the effects of these ingredients and have laid down guidelines for the use of such ingredients in food products that food and beverage manufacturers must comply.
• According to Mayo Clinic, 3.1 million Americans follow a gluten-free diet to avoid effects such as gluten gastrointestinal allergy, gluten skin allergy, celiac disease, or others. In European countries, too, there is a rising prevalence of celiac diseases among the population.
• People suffering from celiac disease adhere to a strict gluten-free diet supposedly expected to drive market growth for clean and organic bakery products globally. According to Green Food Development Centre, China, the number of food products using organic labels increased by 112.5% from 2016 to 2021. Thus, consumers' shift towards natural products drives the demand for free-from foods.
• Furthermore, according to Ingredion's Global Clean Label Consumer Study 2019, 64% of Canadian consumers said it is important to recognize the ingredients used in the food products they purchase to avoid consequences after eating food with allergens.

Asia-pacific registers the fastest growth rate

• The bakery sector has remained at the forefront of gluten-free food in Asia-pacific countries like India and China. India has one of the world's largest populations of people living with celiac disease, being a major wheat-consuming country. 
• For instance, celiac disease affects nearly six to eight million people in India, according to the expert report at All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) data 2019. There is a growing demand for gluten-free bakery products among Indians, resulting in the expansion of gluten-free bakeries throughout the country. 
• For instance, in October 2021, Ellipsis Bakery opened its third location in Oshiwara, Andheri West, Mumbai. Along with classic baked goods, the bakery offers gluten-free and wheat-free options. This has slowly led to a rise in health consciousness among people, which is driving the market for gluten-free processed foods, such as crackers, bread, biscuits, and cookies, in the country.
• Increasing awareness of the health benefits of gluten-free products is one of the key factors driving the growth of the region's gluten-free bakery products market. Hence, it is due to evolving consumer needs that the country's bakery industry is readily adapting to new concepts and trends in the food processing industry. The locals are fond of bakeries; therefore, a significant portion of sales from processed food comes from the bakery segment.