Gluten-free product prices reduced but still high

By Alexandra Latremouille

Staff Writer

 

Gluten-free products are becoming less expensive, even though they still cost more than foods containing gluten.

A 2013 study by gastroenterologist, Mohsin Rashid, found Canadian gluten-free items cost, on average, 162 per cent more than regular products. In 2008, he found they were even higher.

According to a marketing professor at the University of Windsor, this decrease is a direct result of there being higher demand for gluten-free foods.

“We see there are a lot of specific food items being offered on the market responding to allergies,” said Peter Voyer, assistant professor of marketing at the Odette School of Business.

“It’s the ultimate desire of marketers to meet these needs — the desires of consumers — and in many cases to create those needs.”

According to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, roughly 10 million Canadians are purchasing gluten-free products. About seven million are doing so for non-medical reasons.

“A big thing is weight loss,” said Voyer. “The whole gluten-free notion is integrally linked to the Wheat Belly aspect related to obesity and weight loss and, in turn, issues surrounding health.”

The head of the Windsor Celiac Foundation said this tendency to view gluten-free products as a solution for weight loss is affecting those with gluten intolerances.

“[People with these problems] feel the people who do not really need the gluten-free diet are making it hard for those of us who do,” said Shirley Girard, founder of the Windsor Celiac Foundation. “Some people at restaurants and stores feel that we may just be fussy people who are on a fad kick and they in turn don’t take our needs too seriously.”

The increased gluten-free market has enabled these products to be more easily available for those with celiac disease and gluten intolerance. The variety of these products has increased by nearly 80 per cent between 2005 and 2010, according to Joy Kiddie, a Canadian human nutrition specialist.

An article on Real Food for Life states that the primary reason prices remain high is manufacturing costs. For example, gluten-free bread contains 20 ingredients to compensate for the lack of wheat, each of which must be free from contamination. Manufacturers also have to pay for the certifying and labelling of these foods.

A sales associate at Pure Nature Nutrition said she believes costs are also dependent on where stores are located.

“Some cities are more sensitive to gluten-free and prices are more mellow,” said Sarah Emerson. “When you’re in a city like this it might be a newer thing so prices will be a little bit higher. But I think it will all average out eventually because gluten-free isn’t anything new.”

Regardless of cost, Emerson said people should try a gluten-free diet for at least a few weeks to see if it positively impacts their health.