Gluten Free By the Numbers

bread, bagel, pita, pretzel, food with glutenI am a big fan of carbs—bread, pasta, and pastries—you name it, I would love to eat it. Recently I’ve been tinkering in the kitchen with gluten-free recipes to appeal to my new husband’s gluten sensitivity. To my surprise, the results have been quite delicious and I find myself opting for gluten free foods voluntarily. It’s a growing segment in the supermarket and many of your clients may be gluten sensitive or intolerant according to these stats.

1 in 133: Estimated number of people in the U.S. affected by celiac disease, the majority still remain undiagnosed.

6–7 percent: Population thought to have non-celiac gluten sensitivity.

17 percent: Growth of the gluten-free foods market as it boomed in 2012 (in comparison conventional grocery grew less than 1% during the same period).

29 percent: Americans who say they are trying to avoid gluten for health reasons, according to NPD Group.

#2: Place “gluten-free” was listed in Time magazine’s Top 10 Food Trends of 2012.

$4.2 billion:  The size of the gluten-free market in the United States in 2012, according to Packaged Facts.

$6.6 billion: The expected size of the gluten-free category by 2017, according to Packaged Facts.

 

Gluten free isn’t just a catch phrase in the supermarket anymore either. Aubrey, Arbonne, ColorProof, and La Roche Posay all boast products sans gluten and are great to recommend to clients. Do you offer gluten free products or foods in your spa?