Gluten-Free Food, Beverage Market Continues To Boom

Though there are only 1.8 million people in the U.S. with extreme digestive sensitivity to gluten (celiac disease) – and 78 percent of those don’t know it – somehow the market for gluten-free food products hit $4.2 billion in 2012. According to Packaged Facts, the main reason for this phenomenon – a CAGR of 28 percent between 2008 and 2012 – is the perception among consumers that gluten-free products are healthier. The food industry has certainly responded to that perception. People looking for gluten-free foods and beverages are finding a huge diversity of products in the marketplace, and numerous new product introductions within the past year.