Major players in the gluten free food market are Pinnacle Foods, Inc., Hain Celestial Group, Inc., General Mills, Inc, Kellogg Company, The Kraft Heinz Company, Genius Foods Pvt. Ltd, Freedom Foods Group Limited, Mondelez International Inc., Wessanen and Valeo Foods Group Limited.
The global gluten free food market is expected grow from $4.84 billion in 2020 to $5.21 billion in 2021 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.6%. The growth is mainly due to the companies resuming their operations and adapting to the new normal while recovering from the COVID-19 impact, which had earlier led to restrictive containment measures involving social distancing, remote working, and the closure of commercial activities that resulted in operational challenges. The market is expected to reach $6.96 billion in 2025 at a CAGR of 8%.
The gluten free food market consists of sales of gluten free food items and related services.Gluten is a group of proteins found in various grains including barley, wheat, and rye.
The gluten free food items are consumed mostly by people with celiac disease or are allergic to gluten.Gluten free food comprises fruit & vegetable, meat, fish, potatoes, rice, lentils, and others.
The benefits associated with the consumption of gluten free food includes weight loss, increased energy, and improved health.
The high cost associated with the gluten free products in comparison with the gluten containing products is anticipated to limit the growth of the market over the coming years.The replacement of gluten containing wheat with the gluten free grains along with requirement of additional ingredients such as inulin, guar gum, chicory, and oligo fructose increases the production cost for the manufacturers.
According to National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), on an average gluten free items were 242% more expensive that the regular products.This is likely to increase the price for consumers.
Which in turn, is anticipated to restraint the growth of gluten free products market over the forecast period.
Increasing incidence of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and celiac diseases is expected to contribute to higher demand for gluten free food products.Celiac disease a severe genetic autoimmune disease that damages the villi of small intestine and affects the absorption of nutrients from food.
According to National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA), an estimation of 3.0 million (1 in 133) Americans has celiac disease, however 83.0% of the 3 million Americans are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. A person suffering from IBS is sensitive to gluten and consumption of gluten containing food aggravates the disease systems. Therefore, the rising incidence of IBS and celiac diseases is projected to boost the demand for gluten free food over the coming years.
The gluten free food market covered in this report is segmented by product type into bakery products; dairy/ dairy alternatives; meats/ meats alternatives; condiments, seasonings, spreads; desserts & ice creams; prepared foods; pasta and rice; others. It is also segmented by distribution channel into conventional retailers; natural sales channels.
The need for gluten free products is driving innovation across food industry, especially in bakery sector.For instance, Veripan, a specialist in food products, announced the launch of “breakthrough” all-purpose flour mix for gluten-free bakery.
This is a completely natural solution discovered to create gluten free bakery products while avoiding crumbly textures, dryness, and off-flavors. This scenario is to provide ample of growth opportunities for manufacturers for expansion in the global market.
In January 2020, Fazer Group, a Finland-based food processor acquired bakery and milling business of Vuohela Delicacy.This acquisition aims towards strengthening Fazer’s in the gluten free bakery products market in Finland.
Vuohela Delicacy is engaged in producing gluten free bakery products in Finland. In Finland, gluten free bakery items accounts for 3.0% of the total bakery market. Fazer anticipates substantial growth in the market, thus, planning to expand its gluten free bakery product portfolio in order to meet the consumer requirements.