When the gluten-free craze hit in 2004, I was already several years into my career as a food industry writer, with stints under my belt covering agriculture, food ingredient R&D, and restaurant menu development, as well as related culinary science trends, bolstered by my background working in restaurants when I was studying to be a writer at Purdue University. I was immersing myself in the culture, science and art of food, and loving every minute of it (I still do).
I also knew enough about the industry to have more than a little hesitation when it came to the enthusiasm surrounding gluten-free. Frankly, I saw it as a passing fad, maybe lasting a few years, just a pebble in an ocean of ideas.