Foodservice Operators Get Sweet on Gluten-Free Snack Trends

Posted in Millennials on October 10, 2016

As consumers become more health conscious and public concern over food allergies reaches a fever pitch, there’s a lot of sweet talk about what allergen-free snacking can bring to the table. Gluten-free dieting in particular has seen a surge in popularity. Projected to grow from $4.63 billion in 2015 to $7.59 billion in 2020,¹ the gluten-free market is too big to ignore and naturally commands attention as a foodservice trend. As a result, gluten-free alternatives to popular favorites make sense for operators interested in menu innovation.

While wheat allergies tend to be rare and only roughly 1% of the population has celiac disease (the condition of the small intestine that causes hypersensitivity to gluten), an estimated 30% of shoppers opt for gluten-free products.² What’s more, 41% of U.S. adults consider gluten-free foods healthier in general, even though gluten-free options are not necessarily more nutritious and may even have higher sugar, sodium and fat content.² The perception–sometimes accurate, sometimes not–that gluten-free snacks are healthy snacks has taken hold. The fact that much of the growth in the category is coming from cookies, crackers, snack bars and chips² underscores the importance of the gluten-free phenomenon as a snacking trend.

Increasingly, the gluten-free market is seen as a healthy lifestyle choice. As Brijesh Kumar Choubey, a lead research analyst for the food industry at Technavio, explained: “Gluten-free products have turned from being medicated products for gluten intolerant people to a lifestyle choice across all customer segments.”³

Feed the Need: Millennial Snack Attack

Gluten-free foods are especially popular among millennials. Nearly one in three millennials considers gluten free to be a driving factor in their food choices.⁴  According to Nielsen, younger generations are leading the charge to gluten-free food and ready to put their money where their mouth is when it comes to the higher prices often associated with gluten-free products. “Thirty-seven percent of Generation Z respondents and 31% of millennials are very willing to pay a premium for gluten-free products,” reports Nielsen, “while only 22% of Baby Boomer and 12% of Silent Generation respondents are willing to do so.”⁵

The perception that a gluten-free diet promotes a healthier diet may shed light on why the millennial snack is so often gluten free. While celiac disease and wheat allergies are limited to a small segment of the population, there may be varying degrees of gluten sensitivity, and the gluten-free movement has attracted a wide following who feel that living without gluten has made them healthier and happier.

Technavio predicts that new product innovation will drive gluten-free market growth in the foreseeable future, and that the bakery segment, which claimed 64% of the gluten-free packaged food market in 2014, will continue to grow through 2019.³ Meanwhile, pulses have proven a popular wheat substitute in pastas, baked foods and snacks for consumers who demand high protein and fiber in their health-oriented diets.³

Sweet Nothings: Award-Winning Snack Options Minus the Gluten

Given the prevalence of food allergies and the popularity of the gluten-free foodservice trend (#13 in the National Restaurant Association’s What’s Hot list of the top 20 Culinary Themes⁶), operators today are expected to adapt and offer dietary alternatives. But creating gluten-free options that are flavorful and delight rather than disappoint can be a challenge.

The need to feed the public’s growing appetite for gluten-free snacks is inspiring some tasty ingenuity. At last year’s National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show in Chicago, a record number of Food and Beverage Innovations Award winners were gluten-free baked goods.⁷ Winners included:

• A whoopie pie made with a proprietary flour blend that bakes a light and fluffy devil’s food cake.
• A wholesome, non-GMO substitute for wheat flour made with ground golden flaxseed and rice bran and offering 14 grams of whole grains per serving.
• Two-layer cakes -- one featuring dark chocolate sponge cake and another with light, moist shortcake -- filled with premium ingredients such as Belgian white chocolate, strawberry fruit filling and chocolate ganache.
• On-the-go, individually wrapped cookies in candy, chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin varieties as well as muffins in banana nut, blueberry and double chocolate variants.
• Fully cooked individually quick-frozen pasta based on brown rice flour, starch and egg.

Think the gluten-free phenomenon has transitioned from passing fad to permanent fact? Any plans to sink your teeth into the gluten-free market? Give us a taste below.