The Rise Of Gluten-Free Baked Goods

Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition characterised by an inability to consume wheat protein, commonly known as gluten. Especially in western countries, the past years have seen the number of diagnosed celiac disease increase dramatically.

- Christian Philippsen

People afflicted by the celiac disease have to resort to gluten-free diets as there is no known treatment. In addition, health-conscious consumers who do not have any gluten intolerance or allergy issues are increasingly choosing gluten-free products, seeing them as a healthy alternative to gluten equivalents. Reducing or managing the intake of gluten is also commonly seen by consumers as beneficial to digestive health improvement as well as to manage/maintain a healthy weight. According to Euromonitor2, gluten-free is now an industry wide trend and the demand of glutenfree food products is set to increase tremendously in the future3.

Food manufacturers are more and more responding to the incredible demand in mainstream gluten-free products and are seeking to develop gluten-free food products such as bread, muffin or pastry. However, there are many challenges to overcome in the manufacturing of gluten-free baked goods, with the biggest hurdle being the difficulty to recreate the familiar textural characteristics of wheat-based bakery products.

Creating Gluten-Free Bakery Formulation

Initially, gluten-free bakery products were manufactured in smaller, independent (not part of large business chains) bakeries and sold in health food stores. Competition was low and as a result, so was the relative quality of these products. The first gluten-free products were created and purchased out of necessity, consumed by individuals who suffered from celiac disease. Without the use of flavouring or bakery formulation expertise, many of these products were lacking in taste and texture.