The Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG), the leader in the certification of gluten-free products and food services, has issued its State of GIG report in conjunction with Celiac Awareness Month, recognized every year during the month of May.

A variety of factors other than gluten sensitivity are continuing to spur consumer interest in gluten-free products.

Gluten-free is a hot product category. It seems everyone in the food industry wants to be involved in this trend, and the gluten-free label claim does attract a segment of the population that is highly sensitive to the ingestion of traces of gluten. Consumers with celiac disease must completely avoid gluten.

Today’s most-successful gluten-free products are competing in taste and texture with their gluten-containing counterparts—but manufacturers still face challenges.

According to the January 2015 “Gluten-Free Foods in the U.S., 5th Edition” report from Packaged Facts, Rockville, MD, from 2009–2014, sales of gluten-free products in grain-based categories posted a 34 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR).

Snyder’s of Hanover will donate a portion of its Gluten-Free Pretzels sales to the Celiac Disease Foundation.

Any food product bearing a gluten-free claim labeled on or after Aug. 5 must meet the requirements of a rule issued in August 2013 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

As demand for gluten-free products continues to increase, more manufacturers are entering this niche market, developing a wide range of products in various categories. 

Glutino, a division of GFA Brands Inc., introduces a bite-size version of its Glutino Gluten Free Wafers.

Gluten has become Public Enemy Number One. Countless people follow a gluten-free diet, and just about everyone knows someone avoiding foods made with the gluten-containing grains wheat, rye and barley