Archive for the 'Gluten Free Food' Category
Gluten Free Food | 15.07.2010 20:25 | No Comments
If you are a celiac, your miracle cure is under way – being trialed in Melbourne Australia from April 2009! It could conceivably desensitize people with celiac disease to the point that the villi in their small intestine are not damaged by the gluten protein. However with the need for extensive testing in this three phase trial, the vaccine may not be ready for release for several years.
Before we go into the details of such a cure it should be noted that this vaccine might not be a ‘magic bullet’ that makes people permanently immune to the gluten protein, it might ‘only’ desensitize them. Also be aware that if you choose to undertake the ‘therapy’ there are no guarantees of how you will react, and the only way to regularly check to see if you have been ‘cured’ would be regular intestine biopsies. As it is known that some people take over two years to heal their intestines from gluten damage, how risky will this strategy be? It is expected that testing will be extensive so these questions may all sit under the ‘devil’s advocate’ category, and all may be well.
An even more philosophical question is what effect covering up the cause of your disease will have on your body. Books have been written that suggest that it is the increased gluten potency in wheat and other gluten grains as well as increased use in manufactured foods that has led to an overdose of gluten. Our bodies then pass a ‘tipping point’ where our genetic predisposition to CD turns into an active disease. If this is true, how wise would it be to continue ingesting unnaturally high levels of gluten, once ‘cured’ just because we can? Sure it would make life simpler not following a gluten free diet, however maybe we should wait for gluten to be decreased at the source, the growing fields, before we return to a gluten filled diet.
Different types of celiac disease identified
With all these issues under consideration, I am sure that every celiac would still be interested in a ‘cure’. A July 2007 article based on research conducted in Victoria, Australia, showed that “Celiac disease – is strongly associated with human leukocyte antigen (HLA) DQ2 and to a lesser extent with HLA DQ8.”
“HLA genes are part of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), which plays a pivotal role in the immune system. HLA-DQ2 mediated celiac disease is common in people of European ancestry, with about 90 per cent of sufferers positive for DQ2. Another five per cent possess HLA DQ8. In China and East Asia, DQ2 genes are rare while DQ8 genes are as common as in Europe.”
So it appears that this preliminary research has been able to isolate two main versions of celiac disease. However the molecular workings of the immune response in the two antigens appear to be very different. The researchers discovered that T-cells in people with DQ8-associated celiac disease reacted quite differently to the small proteins in gluten than the T-cells in people with the DQ2 form of the disease.
“At the moment a gluten-free diet is the only treatment for celiac disease but nearly half the people on the diet still have damage to their small intestine. Consequently other therapies, including a vaccine and three different drugs, are in various stages of development. The research team believes celiac disease might be the first example of an immune disease where treatments are customized according to the genetic make-up of the patient.”
The celiac vaccine discovery
The discovery that lead to the creation of the vaccine was that the one critical part of wheat gluten protein that was toxic was the common genetic version (HLA DQ2) of celiac disease. “As much as the identity of the toxic component of gluten was important, it was the way in which it was found that has proven to be even more important. By eating gluten in wheat, rye, or barley for three days (even a single meal will suffice in some people), immune cells (T cells) that damage the small intestine are mobilized into blood for a few short days. The T cells in blood can be monitored and analyzed to define what part of gluten they recognize. The parts of gluten recognized by the vast majority of T cells involved in celiac disease can be condensed to a few “short” fragments of gluten that remain after its digestion in the gut. These gluten fragments can be synthesized using fairly standard chemistry and are the basis for the celiac vaccine.”
The Celiac Vaccine Trials
The original research began at Oxford England in 1997. The work continued in Australia in 2002 and by April 2009 Bob Anderson from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical research (Melbourne, Australia) will commence the first world trials of a celiac vaccine that could reduce or eradicate the need for being gluten free. In fact Bob Anderson calls the vaccine a “next-generation desensitization therapy” that has been successful in mice and is soon to be tested on celiacs.
“The vaccine will be tested on 40 volunteers with celiac disease over 11 months to establish that it does not harm them. In a subsequent phase 2 trial, which is designed to find out if the treatment is effective, volunteers will receive the treatment and then be challenged with foods containing gluten. Their immune response and intestines will then be examined to see if a tolerance to gluten has developed. The therapy involves repeatedly injecting solutions of gluten at increasing concentrations. The aim is to desensitize the subjects slowly, in a similar way to hay fever and dust allergy desensitization treatments.”
Testing process
“For a new drug to be accepted for use in people in Australia, Europe, or North America it must have progressed successfully from Phase 1 (safety) studies usually involving up to about 30 volunteers, to Phase 2 (efficacy) studies to show that “it works” in people with the medical condition of interest (typically about 200 volunteers in several locations around the world), and to Phase 3 (similar to Phase 2 but involving several thousand volunteers in many sites around the world).”
The celiac vaccine future
Due to difficulties in funding, Bob Anderson (Walter and Eliza Hall Institute) co-founded a commercial company called Nexpep to develop the vaccine. Nucleus Network, Centre for Clinical Studies (CCS) in the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, will be conducting the Phase 1 clinical trial.
The difficulty he has faced, besides the technical issues, is the low diagnosis level of celiac disease and the mass of associated symptoms has made a vaccine cure unattractive to traditional pharmaceutical companies. These companies always prefer well defined markets to accurately forecast payback periods for their R&D and marketing expenses.
The facts are that for this vaccine to prove financially viable, The US will need to approve the drug and doctors and celiacs will need to accept the treatment. One report estimates that only 600,000 people are diagnosed with celiac disease (out of the 5 million with celiac disease in North America and Europe).
Compounded to the funding challenges is that previously, globally, there have only been three “randomized, controlled” studies of the gluten free diet – one in children and two in adults – the largest with 57 participants.”
The assessment of the vaccine treatment will require repeated endoscopy and collection of small intestine biopsies which are expensive and un-enjoyable for volunteers. However a recent trial in Italy has shown that biopsies are still the only ‘almost’ guaranteed method of assessing gluten damage. The study findings showed that “two years after adopting a gluten free diet, about half those people diagnosed with celiac disease continued to have villous atrophy as severe as when they were first diagnosed. Only about one in five of those with severe intestinal damage (villous atrophy) on a gluten free diet had raised (abnormal) blood levels of transglutaminase antibody, meaning that standard blood tests to monitor disease activity were relatively ineffective.”
So while the development of this vaccine is an important step in potentially eradicating celiac disease, philosophical questions still remain as issues for the long term efficacy of the vaccines. As an Australian first, this research is applauded by the gluten free community. We wish the researchers and medical staff all of the best in demystifying this illusive disease.
Article references are available on the gluten free pages website.
Gluten Free Food | 14.07.2010 18:43 | No Comments
Gluten-Free Food and Beverage Market: Trends and Developments Worldwide, 2nd Edition, TheThe retail market for gluten-free foods and beverages is exploding as a result of multiple triggers. On the marketer side, giant General Mills has converted its venerable Rice Chex Brand to gluten-free status, thus beginning what promises to be a battle of giants as other mega-marketers look to enter the fray. The first giant marketer to create a gluten-free product was Anheuser-Busch, which debuted a gluten-free beer, Redbridge in 2006. Also that year the international spice giant McCormick and Co. acquired Simply Asia Foods. Undeterred, numerous specialty marketers have sprung up, using web 2.0 networking to sell directly in what has long been a consumer driven market. ( http://www.bharatbook.com/detail.asp?id=106716&rt=Gluten-Free-Food-and-Beverage-Market-Trends-and-Developments-Worldwide-2nd-Edition-The.html )On the consumer side, demand has been growing exponentially as sufferers of a wide variety of maladies (including celiac disease, autism, attention deficit disorder, irritated bowel syndrome, and MS) have come to believe a gluten-free diet will provide relief. The consumer core of celiac disease, and gluten allergy, sufferers is also growing steadily as diagnosis and treatment of these conditions has improved and increased.Retailers are holding up their side too. Supermarkets’ gluten-free marketing ranges from gluten-free product lists on their websites, to gluten-free private-label reformulations, to new gluten-free store sections. Even the Federal Government is lending a hand as it finalizes regulatory criteria for gluten-free labeling. This new regulatory clarity should prove a boon to marketers currently struggling through a hodge-podge of self-help organizations for certification. Even the current economic slowdown cannot be seen as a negative factor for the overall gluten-free foods and beverages market, as hard-pressed consumers are motivated to try dietary self-help when mainstream medical assistance grows out of reach.The Gluten-Free Food and Beverage Market: Trends and Developments Worldwide, 2nd Edition. contains comprehensive data on the U.S. market for Gluten-Free Foods And Beverages, including historical (2004-2008) and forecast (2008-2012) retail sales data. The report discusses key trends affecting marketers, retailers and consumer demographics. It also contains two special sections: 1) Global Spotlight, a look at international activity; and 2) Medical Conditions Relating To Gluten, which deals with the broad spectrum of complaints that define consumer segments. In addition, the report profiles a broad spectrum of marketers.
To know more and to buy a copy of your report feel free to visit : http://www.bharatbook.com/detail.asp?id=106716&rt=Gluten-Free-Food-and-Beverage-Market-Trends-and-Developments-Worldwide-2nd-Edition-The.html OrContact us at :Bharat Book BureauTel: +91 22 27578668Fax: +91 22 27579131Email: info@bharatbook.com Website: www.bharatbook.com Blog: http://bharatbookresearch.blogspot.com Follow us on twitter: http://twitter.com/3bbharatbook
Gluten Free Food | 13.07.2010 5:09 | No Comments
Nothings more fun than having a little get-together for a New Year celebration and having some tasty gluten free foods for your friends and loved ones that has a gluten free lifestyle. When preparing the food for the celebration, make sure that you avoid gluten foods. It’s because a person with a gluten free lifestyle or a celiac disease is able to eat different kinds of food but not the ones with gluten especially breads and other types of pastries. It’s not that hard these days to make a gluten free bread or gluten free cake that you can serve for a New Year’s celebration by acquiring recipes for a gluten free bread and gluten free cake or finding trusted gluten free bakery online. An example of a gluten free online shop where they have gluten free bread, cakes, cookies and yes even gluten free pizza crust for your new year feast is Katz Gluten Free online shop. Their products are manufactured in a dedicated gluten free, dairy free and a nut free factory. You can say that you’re celebration this end of the year is really for everyone by variety of gluten free food this New Year’s celebration. It’s always important to have some food ready even before the main feast in any occasional gathering especially during a new year’s party. That’s why I think that having a gluten free food like gluten free bread, cakes, muffins and cookies on the table where people can eat and take a bite while enjoying each others company during the early part of the celebration and even until the time where everyone is finished on the main course and just enjoying a goodness of a baked goodies after meal.The thing I like most about Katz gluten free products is that, it has a tasty looking look and full of taste products that are of course gluten free products that lets anyone with a celiac disease enjoy the goodness of cakes and breads and many more gluten free food. That is why I think it’s really convenient and hassle free to have gluten free bread and gluten free cake included in the food variety that you can serve this new years celebration. It’s really convenient that a gluten free food just like home baked goodies can be available at your doorstep with just one click away through the internet. Online shops for gluten free food such as Katz gluten free not only helps spread gluten intolerant awareness all over the world but also provides people with tasty baked goodies that is 100% gluten free and this is some achievement for the gluten free food industry that we can also celebrate this New Year. The very center of any celebration is always the food that will be served or has been prepared and it always considered a good one if all the people that is present in the occasion can satisfy their taste for a good food with out any hold backs like avoiding gluten foods. A new year’s celebration can never be this good, with all the good things to celebrate and of course having a variety of gluten free food for the feast that allows any family member or friends with or without gluten intolerance to savor the good times and enjoy a gluten free and a happy new year celebration.
Gluten Free Food | 13.07.2010 2:42 | No Comments
Gluten is a protein that is found out in wheat, rye, and barley. Gluten is found out in foods that use these grains in the ingredients. usual foods that contain gluten include breads, cereals, and pasta. regardless these can be the most usual foods there are lots others that contain gluten in addition. Wheat mainly is untapped in lots foods that the average person consumes daily.Oats are a grain that is questionable for this topic. a few people with gluten intolerance can eat them. Some exploration indicates that oats themselves don’t contain gluten but they frequently are manufactured with wheat products, provoking cross-contamination. because of this contamination oats often get left off of a Gluten free food list. Other exploration explains that oats contain a protein that is notably similar to wheat and shouldn’t be included in a gluten free diet. Oats stick with it to be discussed for this issue.Gluten is most often used in bread dough to make it chewy. It in addition helps to come to the dough less sticky. Gluten is in addition an aid for the bread to maintain its softness and its shape. Wheat flour and wheat starch is another gluten product that assists to create softness and shape in bread based products. Wheat starch is often used as a thickener for soups, dressings, marinades, and other liquid food products.The number of people who maintain a gluten free diet is growing. People with Celiac Disease, gluten intolerance, and Autism often remain strict to a diet with no Gluten. There are other factors why a doctor may recommend a Gluten free diet. People who undergo from acid reflux, asthma, irritable bowel syndrome, and lots other medical concerns may try a diet without Gluten. The diet may give relief from the symptoms affiliated with any of these medical diagnoses.Gluten free foods include most whole fresh foods such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, and meats. There are grains that don’t contain gluten such as millet, wild rice, corn, quinoa, and soybeans. Other foods such as bread, pasta, and cereals can be bought as long as there is a licensed gluten free label on the packaging. These licensed foods are produced in food manufacturing plants where there is no other gluten products produced at that special location. Other processed food labels should state the usage of gluten but have to be read notably carefully by the buyer.There may be fantastic health advantages to coming out and maintaining a gluten free diet. People who need to pop out eating gluten free should consult their family doctor. A doctor can in addition be a good resource for a gluten free foods list. A physician may in addition provide other alternatives to incorporate healthy whole foods and grains that don’t contain gluten into a every day diet.
Gluten Free Food | 12.07.2010 8:39 | No Comments
Because of our dependence in the Western diet on wheat, and to a lesser extent oats, barley and rye, gluten is contained in many of the foods commonly eaten.
What Ever Gluten Is It Must Be Tasty!
The hard part of cutting out gluten from the diet is that the alternatives do not taste and cook the same as wheat! Some gluten-free breads leave a nasty after-taste that even toasting the bread cannot help! Reading labels must become a part of shopping! Gluten can be a hidden ingredient in many common foods. Malt, glucose, food additives, and vitamin supplements may all contain gluten. Lipsticks and postage stamps too!
The Good News
Food manufacturers have tapped into the growing market for gluten-free foods. For those with a gluten sensitivity or those who want to reduce the intake of gluten, there has been an explosion of foods available in the past two years. Prices too have subsequently fallen. Restaurants are also increasingly offering modified choices.
More Good News
Because wheat flour is often an ingredient in pre-packaged cakes, biscuits and doughnuts, in reducing consumption of these and in increasing fruits and vegetables, intake of fats and sugars is thereby lowered. The subsequent positive side-effects of weight loss, reduced intake of harmful trans fats, and brighter skin help to balance the inconvenience!
Dietary Considerations
For those with Coeliac’s Disease, dietary requirements include increasing:
- fibre-eg. rice, beans, peas, potatoes, lentils.- iron-eg. eggs, chicken, seafood, green vegetables.- folate-eg. orange juice, leafy green vegetables.- B12-eg. eggs, milk, fish, meat.- thiamine.- Vitamin C-eg. citrus.
What To Eat Now?
Reducing or eliminating gluten from the diet may seem a daunting task, that ends with a bland variety of foods, but with the ever expanding choice of suitable foods, it’s getting much easier! It’s more a question now of learning new choices.
Road-testing lots of different products has uncovered several that make the transition smoother, and some of these have been included, to pass on the benefit of our trial and error!
Prices are generally higher than the equivalent products containing gluten but careful shopping can reduce this discrepancy.
Gluten Free Food | 10.07.2010 6:05 | No Comments
As most people do, I too, in the beginning, thought very little of organic & gluten free foods. My only thought was that these foods were expensive. I assumed they were over priced and over hyped as most things are. Then I tried a few of the organic fruits and vegetables, I was amazed! They tasted exotically delicious!
Everyone has heard that organic & gluten free foods are better and healthier for you, but still many don’t believe that it warrants the extra cost. It is true that organic food is a little more expensive than non organic, but the benefits this type of food brings to our body far outweighs the smaller extra price we have to pay out of our wallets. However it is not just the health benefits that organic and gluten free foods bring, the taste will really amaze you too.
Intense Flavor
Let´s put aside for the moment the powerful effects and wonderful benefits that organic food has. Let´s assume that you are like the vast majority of the population, and don´t really care what you put into your body, so long as it tastes good. You are even willing to pay a little more if the flavor is that good. Well, surprise! Organic food is delicious. These fruits and vegetables burst with flavor. You can almost taste the sunshine, the garden, and spring in these foods. When you compare organic to non organic fruits and vegetables, the first difference you will notice is the taste. The taste of organic fruits and vegetables is incredible. The flavor is so much more intense than other fruits and vegetables. You will immediately know that there is a difference. This alone is worth changing from non organic to organic foods.
You will be amazed at the flavor of simple steamed vegetables and naturally cooked meals with gluten free foods and organic vegetables. You don´t have to be chef to make delicious meals, you don´t even have to know how to cook so long as you used unprocessed gluten free foods and organic foods. This food will seem wonderful for you and your family.
Once you start using gluten free foods you will notice the difference and you will start to notice that processed food are lacking in flavor. It´s as if your taste buds have woken up after a long sleep.
The health Benefits
Organic foods are very healthy and you can see the way your body reacts to them almost immediately. It has an inherent enzyme which improves the elimination of toxins and improves the digestive process. This gives you more energy, less fatigue, and you will feel rejuvenated. Because of the ease with which our body digests organic foods, and because of the added fiber, we eat less of the gluten free and organic foods, and eliminate more waste. Thus this type of food helps us lose weight.
Processed foods on the other hand make the body work harder at digestion leaving you tired, and zapping your energy. They leave toxins in your body which clog up your intestines and cause your digestive system to over work. Even if you don’t change to a full organic foods diet, the addition of organic vegetables and gluten free foods into your diet will give you a fuller feeling and will reduce the cravings for processed foods. Over time you will see a drop in weight.
Over the course of your life time the investment you place into gluten free foods, and organic foods will pay off. You will lead a healthier life. You will reduce the risk of prolonged diseases like high blood pressure, diabetes, and even arthritis. Believe me, the cost of treating these will be much more than what organic and gluten free foods cost. Need help in purchasing organic foods we can help.
For more details please visit: http://www.ourorganics.com.au/
Gluten Free Food | 9.07.2010 7:49 | No Comments
If you are looking for complex protein, then wheat, barley and rye has it in loads and are not Gluten free. It is sticky and feels like chewing gum and it is stretchy as well. They are also used in flour to make the dough elastic and the sponginess you see in bread, is due to gluten. Gluten free food is much more favored as its inherent stretchiness makes it very hard to digest. Avoid allergiesIf you have an old health issue regarding digestive problems, you need to go for gluten free food by checking out the list of gluten free foods available. As it remains undigested, you can get lots of problems like bad bacteria in the intestine. It will be sticking to the walls of the intestine and stand in the way of proper absorption of nutrients in your daily diet. If the nutrients do not get absorbed, they can settle in your blood stream and lead to allergic conditions. Gluten free diet has long been prescribed for those suffering from autism, schizophrenia and multiple sclerosis and they feel better without them. An inflammatory bowel syndrome known as Crohn’s disease and celiac disease are common among those who do not stick to a gluten free diet. The lining of the small intestine can get damaged in the long run and people are slowly realizing the benefits of sticking to a diet free from gluten. It is hard to keep off gluten as it is present in some of the basic everyday foods that we are used to taking. Cereals, breads and common everyday meals have loads of gluten in them and it is hard to avoid unless you can think out of the box and go for a total diet makeover.Once you notice some of the symptoms like allergy and constipation, you should pair down your intake of buckwheat, millet and rice. Multi vitamins and mineral supplementsTo avoid celiac disease, your best bet would be to look for supplements that can keep your diet free of gluten. Common and everyday diet in western countries is loaded with gluten and usually leads to mal absorption of nutrients. Your system could soon turn intolerant to its intake. You could rely on good multi vitamins and mineral supplements that are also available in the form of formulas requiring little or no digestion. Many people coast to coast are checking out organic foods that are free from the harmful effects of gluten. By avoiding pasta, bread and cereals, you can go in for vegetables and fruits grown organically for a more balanced and healthy diet. Go for shellfish, fresh meat, poultry and game, fresh vegetables, herbs and fruits, cheese, dried fruits and nuts, vegetable oils, dried beans, pulses, rice cakes and crackers that are known to be gluten free.
Gluten Free Food | 8.07.2010 1:19 | No Comments
Gluten is composed of two different proteins and is mostly found in wheat, barley and rye. What most people don’t know is that gluten is accountable for various diseases and health problems.Some people might even suffer for many years from various health conditions without even realizing that gluten is the cause of these health problems. Celiac disease is probably the most well known disease that’s directly linked with gluten intolerance. However, there are also other health issues that are related to a gluten-rich diet:* Gluten can cause skin disorders such as psoriasis.* Gluten is responsible for different allergies.* In the long run, a high carbohydrate / gluten rich diet (consisting mainly of pizza, bread, biscuits, cakes…), can lead to health issues, such as: polycystic ovary syndrome, insulin resistance and diabetes.* Gluten intake is often associated with leaky gut syndrome. This is an inflammatory response which can affect the whole body and produce symptoms such as drowsiness, pain, allergies and skin problems.* Gluten is known to slow down thyroid function and therefore must be avoided by people suffering from hypothyroidism.So, what can you do to prevent the various problems that arise from a high gluten intake? The simple answer is to increase the amount of gluten free foods in you diet while decreasing the amount of foods that contain gluten.But what foods are actually gluten free – what foods are safe? Below is a list of the main categories of gluten free foods:Vegetables:All vegetables are naturally gluten free: artichokes, asparagus, avocado, beans, beets, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, corn, cucumber, eggplant, green beans, lettuce, mushrooms, onions, parsley, peas, peppers, potatoes, pumpkin, spinach…Fruits:Fruits are also gluten free: apples, apricot, bananas, blackberries, cherry, cranberries, currants, dates, figs, grapes, kiwis, lemons, limes, mandarin, mangoes, oranges, papaya, passion fruits, peaches, pears, pineapples, plums, raspberries, strawberries, watermelons…Meat & Poultry:Meat and poultry don’t contain any gluten: beef, chicken, duck, lamb, pork, rabbit, turkey, veal…Dairy & Eggs:Butter, cheese (except blue cheese), eggs, milk and yoghurt are all gluten free.Grains & Flour:Only use breads, pasta, flour… that are made from gluten free grains, such as: Almond flour, amaranth, brown rice flour, corn flour, corn meal, cornstarch, cottonseed, flaxseed, manioc, pea flour, polenta, potato flour, quinoa, rice flour, soy flour, yucca…Alcoholic Beverages:Spirits, such as brandy, wine, cider, sherry, champagne, whisky, port, rum, tequila… are free of gluten.People often think that it’s almost impossible to completely remove gluten from their diet. But in reality it’s easier than most people might think. First of all, there are hundreds of foods and products that are naturally gluten free and on top of that, there are more and more companies nowadays that specialize in the production of gluten free foods and products.
Gluten Free Food | 7.07.2010 11:41 | No Comments
France and Germany are expected to have large online gluten free search demand values, but they don’t. Search volumes for Nov 2009 gluten free associated search term volumes were found and the results shown in the tables below:
France / French TOP TEN (Both English and French searches)
FRANCE – English speaking
Terms…………….……NOV 09 Volumes
Gluten………………….5400
gluten free…………..1900
celiac…………………….590
celiac disease……….320
gluten recipes……….260
gluten free diet………210
gluten free recipes…210
wheat gluten………….210
gluten diet……………..210
wheat free………………210
FRANCE – French speaking
Terms……………………….NOV 08 Volumes
gluten intolerance…… 2900
intolerance gluten……..2900
gluten free………………..2400
free gluten………………..2400
gluten allergies………….390
corn gluten……………….390
celiac disease…………….390
wheat gluten……………..320
wheat free………………….260
gluten free bread……….140
When compared to analysis for any of the leading gluten free online demand markets such as Australia, USA, Canada or UK, these volumes are INCREDIBLY small. Even for Australia with a population just over 20 million, the term gluten free itself has 165,000 searches. So instead of providing a top 50 analysis, the top 10 terms for Germany and France will be considered.
As for every other country, the generic ‘gluten free’ terms (in English searches) ranks the highest, followed by a celiac associated terms. Most of the terms and the order that compose the standard seven gluten free groups for other countries are present (see typical analysis for Australia).
The French speaking searches (those on the Google French website) show a slightly different pattern. The emphasis seems to be more on the celiac disease than on generic gluten free terms. This usually means that a market is very immature.
GERMAN TOP TEN (Both English and German speaking searches)
GERMAN – English speaking
Terms…………………….NOV 09 VOL
gluten free……………..2900
free gluten……………..2900
celiac………………………880
celiac disease……..….480
gluten recipes…………320
wheat free……………..320
sprue……………………..320
wheat gluten…………..320
gluten free recipes….260
gluten bread……………210
GERMAN – German speaking
Terms…………………….NOV 08 VOL
gluten free………….….2900
free gluten………….….2900
gliadin……………………1900
celiac disease…………1000
wheat gluten…………..260
wheat free……………..260
gluten free diet………140
gluten free bread……110
food gluten……………..110
gluten free recipes……91
The German – English speaking search volume order is similar to the France – English speaking order. Gluten free generic terms occupy the first two volume ranks followed by celiac associated terms.
However unlike the French – French speaking keyword list, the German, German speaking volumes show a similar pattern to their English speaking volumes – ie gluten free followed by celiac associated terms.
Why are the European Gluten Free Online Searches so low?
Sales data from actual gluten free product sales in European countries is scant.
The internet penetration (usage) is around 58% in France and 63% in Germany and Google has over 80% market share in both countries – so these results are the lions share of usage patterns. This means that the tables very likely represent the majority of gluten free searches made in these countries.
The reason that gluten free searches may be so low are that celiac disease may have gone untreated in these countries or that celiacs ‘make do’ with preparing their own home meals without gluten based products.
The following excerpts from various websites suggest that poor gluten free food distribution may also be a reason that gluten free it is relatively unknown in eastern European countries.
A euromontior.com report summarises its findings for specific European countries as:
FRANCE: Food intolerance is largely unacknowledged but Gluten-free leads the way with Specialist shops and pharmacies dominate sales. In Germany awareness of food intolerances is still low, however GF benefits from wider product range. In ITALY Growth is said to be held up by limited distribution but GF products are on the rise. Ref 1
A GF blog (ref 2) discusses personal experience in travelling these countries. In Germany, “GF products such as bread, pasta, cookies are sold only in shops called “Reformhaus”, that are located in towns. Some supermarkets offer just GF bread, but this is really rare”
In Italy: “ GF products are on sale mainly in pharmacies located in big towns. (housing a wide range of GF products). It is also possible to buy products in some supermarkets chains. There is no price difference, but the choice of products is better at pharmacies where the Italians can spend their medical prescription.”
An article on celiac.com (ref 3) “My travels were in southern France (the Dordogne/Lot/Vezere area, the Luberon, Provence, Carcassonne). We shopped frequently and I combed grocery stores in larger cities, including Avignon and Toulouse, smaller ones, such as Apt, and tiny villages and hill-towns for gluten-free options. In general, groceries, including the big chains such as Hyper Champion, did not seem to carry exclusively gluten-free products, such as baked goods, and I had to watch for hidden gluten in many brands.”
CONCLUSIONS
Online Gluten free searches in European cities (French and German) remain exceptionally low. As Europeans are believed to be particularly susceptible to celiac disease (they carry the celiac responsible genes), it is believed that low diagnosis levels and a propensity to still cook at home or avoid gluten dishes when eating out has created such a low online demand.
References
Ref 1 http://www.euromonitor.com/Global_Market_for_Food_Intolerance_Products_At_War_With_Our_Food?print=true
Ref 2 cye.freehostia.com/…/Travel_Guide_Coeliac_Youth_of_Europe.pdf
Ref 3 http://www.celiac.com/articles/21485/1/France-sans-Pain-How-to-Travel-Gluten-Free-in-France/Page1.html
Gluten Free Food | 6.07.2010 15:34 | No Comments
One of the primary concepts was defined as ‘Celiac searches per month’. In short, this measure is a way of comparing the relative strength of the gluten free market across countries. It equates to the notional value of how many times on average, a celiac (diagnosed and undiagnosed) search online for gluten free associated terms each month. This research primarily uses the Google data sets.
COUNTRY…………..Celiac Searches/mth ….. Search volumes
Aust 08…………….…4.2………………………………….911,494
US Eng 08…………..3.1……………………………….…8,288,917
Canada Eng 08…..3.7………………………………….1,125,893
UK 08………………….2.2………………………………….1,363,949
Aust 09……………….4.8………………………………….1,018,681
US Eng 09…………..5.5………………………………….16,959,812
Canada Eng 09……4.8………………………………….1,616,217
UK 09………………….3.3…………………………………..2,035,719
What the celiac search values mean
The search volumes are the total gluten free associated term searches per month in each country and are adjusted for internet penetration and google market share.
The ‘celiac searches per month’ maybe explained by example. Assuming 1% of the population are celiac, then a value of 4.0 suggests that if every celiac was diagnosed, then on average they would be searching for gluten free associated terms 4 times per month. While this notational value may not be completely true in practice it does provide a base scale on which to measure and compare all countries. It is noted that America’s corporate marketing machine and search engine optimization tracking of keywords may also artificially increase their value to some degree.
Year 2009 Gluten Free Demand highlights
The USA has made one of the largest gluten free online demand gains over the last year (2009), probably as it recovers from the global financial crisis and more people get diagnosed and act on it. Increasing from 3.1 to 5.5 ‘celiac searches’ is a 77% increase in demand! Australia increased the least over this period (4.2 to 4.8 - a 14% increase), however with a low population ( 1 / 15th of USA) and nowhere near the marketing power that US food conglomerates can use to promote gluten free foods, it can be seen that this modest increase is still quite significant.
Both Canada (3.7 to 4.8 – a 30% increase) and UK (2.2 to 3.3 – a 50% increase) increased a similar amount in terms of raw searches per population.
All of these countries have at least 80% undiagnosed celiac in them, so a major driver of gluten free demand is the diagnosis of these people. This has to do with the affordability of a country’s healthcare, the propensity of people to follow up feeling unwell and the ability of GP’s and specialists to diagnose the disease (which on average can take up to ten years, from the forming of symptoms). This suggests that all gluten free markets under analysis may be very much in the ‘early adopter stage’, meaning that they are all looking for a ‘tipping point’ to turn them into ‘run-away’ growth success. This is vital for a large scale uptake in the supply of gluten free products and easy access to food for celiac.
Gluten free food group proportions
Another major concept of the GFP research is the composition of the major search phrases. With the top 50 phrases separated into seven groups, the changes in the proportions can give a good insight into how the markets are evolving. Previous research found that the leading demand developed countries tended to have a proportion profile that included a generic GF food group of around 60% and a celiac search proportion of around 20%.
The changes over 12 months for each of the leading countries shows a trend of gluten free generic searches remaining moderately stable (USA up 5%, Canada down 2%, Australia and UK unchanged). The one thing they all have in common is a significant DECREASE in ‘celiac related’ search terms. USA (-12%), Canada (-3%), Australia (-6%) and UK (-5%).
Research suggests that developing countries with very immature gluten free markets tended to have larger proportions of celiac searches due to newly diagnosed people spending a large proportion of time finding information on the disease rather than products. They also tend to have a larger proportion than developed markets for ‘GF diet’ information, and ‘wheat free’ searches.
Another article by Gluten Free Pages also looked at the long term trend of gluten free searches versus celiac searches and found that celiac searches remained relatively constant over the last five years while demand for gluten free information continued strong growth. It is likely that the increased maturity of the market (the diagnosed people no longer searching for celiac topics) and friends and family searching for gluten free foods (rather than celiac information) is behind the relative stagnation in the search volume of ’celiac related’ searches. Another consideration is that celiac searches may be made more by medical professionals than consumers or diagnosed celiac.
LONG TERM DEMAND
To assist the general understanding of the market, The following graph tracks the growth of the leading search phrases for each of the seven gluten free associated groups. It is proposed that while this information is specifically for the USA market, that due to the many similarities in market dynamics for the leading gluten free countries demand patterns, that analysis of the USA may act as a proxy for the others.
The trends for ‘celiac’ and ‘wheat free’ searches have remained steady over the last three years (little growth), while gluten free restaurants have increased dramatically in popularity since May 2008.
The four groups that have enjoyed the highest and similar growth patterns are: generic gluten free searches, gluten free recipes, gluten diet searches and specific gluten free foods. As the generic gluten free top two search terms usually comprise around 50% of the total group (for leading markets) and as the whole group comprises 60% of total gluten free associated searches, the stability of the ‘gluten free’ phrase is the most significant indicator of the likely continuing high growth of the whole market.
Gluten Free Market CONCLUSIONS
All of the top online demand countries in 2008 performed exceptionally well in the later half of 2009. The proportion of the major generic gluten free group remained relatively stable while the celiac term group fell in all markets. America grew the most in 2009 and Australia and Canada are now nearly equal second on the GFP Matrix ‘celiac searches per month’ metric.
Peak online demand levels are often found around December, so it will be interesting to see with a recovering global economy whether this extreme growth will be sustained globally into the new year of 2010.