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On Oct 28, 2013, Food Business News reported under the heading of
"gluten-free" that Barilla Group, which is the world’s largest pasta
company, posted a 4% increase in dollar sales and 7% gain in unit sales
within its Barilla America Inc. spaghetti/macaroni/pasta (no noodles)
business in the 52 weeks ended Sept. 8 (Chicago-based market research firm
Information Resources, Inc.)

The nation’s second-largest pasta company, New World Pasta, Harrisburg,
Pa., earlier this month introduced Ronzoni Gluten-Free Pasta in three new
varieties: spaghetti, penne rigate and rotini. The pastas blend white rice,
brown rice, corn and quinoa, and contain 19 grams of whole grains per
serving.

While gluten-free may be dominating new product trends in the pasta
category, a potential acquisition looms that will alter the landscape for
one large player. In mid-September, St. Louis-based Post Holdings, Inc.
entered into an agreement to acquire Dakota Growers Pasta Company, Inc.
from Viterra, Inc. for $370 million. Dakota Growers Pasta manufactures a
full line of dry pastas for retail, food service and food processors,
including whole grain and organic items. Product lines include Dakota
Growers Pasta, Dreamfields and Pasta Sanita.

In the 52 weeks ended Sept. 8, Dakota Growers had spaghetti/macaroni/pasta
dollar sales of $32,369,020, up 9% from the same period a year ago,
according to I.R.I. Unit sales were 15,460,260, up 15%.
_____
When I took a statistics course in college, we were taught that we could
prove anything simply by "how" we presented the information. Most of the
non-GF people I know well enough to talk gluten say, "Your GF food is going
to become cheaper as more companies enter the market." Yeah. Well, I hated
statistics - mostly because it seemed deceptive to me - so I don't know how
to get to the bottom line of whether or not our food is becoming less
costly. I see the numbers above and know that I have to have more
information that I probably can't get. All I know now is that the cost of
my last bread is still almost $6 per loaf of 12 oz. with no nutrition. I've
found a new GF bread with 7gm fiber, tastes good, is 19oz. (smaller slices
and heavier due to nutritious and heavier grains used), but costs just over
$4 (Three Bakers bread - amaranth, whole grain millet, whole grain teff,
brown rice). I'll go nutritious and good tasting every time, but it's hard
to find 2 manufacturers that sell similar breads to compare. I don't eat
much pasta, so I don't think to compare costs and can't really tell about
taste.

I wonder when we're supposed to be able to tell when the cost of GF foods
are going down...?

Cheers~~Ayn in Kansas

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