All About The Details

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New York Times recent article, “A Big Bet on Gluten-Free” addressed the trending topic of gluten-free products. I am fatally allergic to peanuts and know what it is like to grow up with a food allergy that dictates your life, so I relate to others that have similar food allergies.

While the popularity of gluten-free products has risen over that past several years, I have always seen it trend that was bound to fade away. I saw it as a bandwagon approach similar to the organic craze. I see the words ‘gluten-free’ everywhere. Even food products that have always been gluten-free are advertising their product as such.  The article stated that, “The portion of households reporting purchases of gluten-free food products to Nielsen hit 11 percent last year, rising from 5 percent in 2010.”

I don’t think that the rise in gluten-free products is because more people are becoming gluten intolerant. I think that it is because of the marketing strategy behind it. “There are truly people out there who need gluten-free foods for health reasons, but they are not the majority of consumers who are driving this market,” said Virginia Morris, vice president for consumer strategy and insights at Daymon Worldwide, a private brand and consumer interactions company.

I find it interesting to think about the marketing efforts behind the topic. Companies began to label their products as gluten-free and started advertising the so-called health benefits of going gluten-free. This in turn led people to endorse the new diet structure or excluding gluten products from their diet. Since consumers fed into this marketing strategy, it led to even more companies creating gluten-free versions of their products to compete in that market.

It will be interesting to see how this trend continues to evolve over the next several years. Have any of you experienced a gluten-free diet or food trend? If so, share your experiences with us!