August, 2017 – Firebird Artisan Mills Answers: What’s Behind the Growth in Gluten-Free Demand?

Naturally gluten-free baking ingredients such as ancient grain and pulse flours are enjoying heightened interest among health-driven consumers. Staples of a gluten-free product include buckwheat and brown rice. In addition, the flours from garbanzo/chickpea, fava bean and lentil are also gluten-free, high in protein and gaining greater industry demand.

“Part of the recent surge in consumer demand is the increased diagnosis of celiac disease. The Mayo Clinic Proceedings journal states that one percent of the United States population have been diagnosed with this disease, a long-term digestive disorder that damages the intestinal lining. Those with Celiac disease cannot eat gluten, which is a protein found in barley, rye and wheat,” explains Chris Cairo, VP and Managing Director of Firebird Artisan Mills.

Also, fueling this demand are the more than 3 million people in the US without a diagnosis of celiac disease; who regardless, eat a gluten-free diet on a regular basis. Researchers are not yet clear why those without a celiac diagnosis eat gluten-free. Commonly referred to as People Who Avoid Gluten (PWAG), some of these consumers may simply feel better when they reduce their gluten intake, which is a difficult measurement to quantify.

However, what is clear is that the gluten-free label makes a difference in the shelf stable baking ingredients category. SPINS® data comparing sales in baking mix, ingredients and flour from 2015 to 2016, confirms that products labeled “gluten-free” are outselling their conventional counterparts*.

When looking at the baking category overall, sales were down 3.5% from 2015 to 2016. But those with gluten-free claims actually increased by nearly six percent. Gluten-free flours were up nearly five percent while the total category had dropped over eight percent.

Firebird Artisan Mills offers more than thirty ancient grain and pulse flours to satisfy consumers’ demand, as well as the custom milling of gluten-free and allergen-free products upon request.

Download the Firebird Artisan Mills product list or contact your Skidmore representative for additional information or samples of Firebird’s wide array of products.