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Gluten-Free Boom

Gluten Intolerance is 10 Times Higher Than Expected



DENVER, CO (BUSINESS WIRE): Move over low-carb and sugar-free! New
research shows that the need for a gluten-free diet is 10 times higher
than experts originally predicted. Retailers should prepare to meet the
needs of this growing niche, say two experts on the gluten-free diet.


This is the message that Shelley Case, RD and Carol Fenster, Ph.D. will
bring to retailers at the Natural Products Expo West trade show on March
17 at the Anaheim Convention Center. Case, a registered dietitian and
leading North American nutrition expert on celiac disease and author of
Gluten-Free Diet, www.glutenfreediet.ca <http://www.glutenfreediet.ca/>.
Fenster is a chef who develops gluten-free products for manufacturers
and is the author of Gluten-Free 101, www.glutenfree101.com
<http://www.glutenfree101.com/>.



This diet is not a fad, they explain, but a medically prescribed
avoidance of gluten which is a protein in wheat that is toxic for some
people. The two experts will help retailers, food manufacturers and
others understand the medical necessity of the gluten-free diet and how
stores can stock their shelves and market effectively to gluten-free
consumers.



"Food manufacturers are responding to the need for gluten-free products.
According to the Natural Foods Merchandiser, the number of gluten-free
products jumped 88% between 2002 and 2003," says Fenster, who has been
gluten-free for 15 years. Total food dollars spent on allergies and
intolerances--gluten-free products are a part of this--will rise to
nearly $4 billion by 2008, she adds.



People who need gluten-free diets are those with allergies or
intolerances to wheat or related grains such as barley, rye, spelt, and
possibly oats. Nearly 3 million Americans have celiac disease, an
autoimmune form of gluten intolerance in which gluten damages the
ability to absorb nutrients. The condition can be fatal if not treated
with a gluten-free diet.



"There is no magic pill or surgery for celiac disease," says Case, who
has been counseling gluten-free patients for over 20 years. "The only
treatment is total avoidance of gluten for the rest of one's life. This
makes the gluten-free consumer a repeat buyer--and very attractive to
retailers."



If you're attending the Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, CA next
month please join Shelley Case, R.D. and Carol Fenster, Ph.D. as they
present "The Gluten-Free Boom: Understanding and Merchandising to this
Growing Niche" at 10:30 AM, Thursday, March 17  in Room 207C of the
Anaheim Convention Center. See www.expowest.com

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