Gluten-free Prepared Food Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2022 - 2027)

The gluten-free prepared food market is projected to record a CAGR of 5.8% during the forecast period, 2020-2025.

Key Highlights

• The market is primarily driven by the rising awareness about celiac disease and the adoption of special dietary lifestyles. This has resulted in a shift in consumer preference from conventional products towards gluten-free processed foods, such as bakery goods, confectionery products, and dairy products. Moreover, the rising demand for gluten-free foods among the non-celiac consumers is further boosting the market growth. In addition, the easy availability of products in almost all grocery stores is expected to have a significant impact on market growth.
• However, the relatively high cost of gluten-free products than conventional gluten-containing products is due to the added production costs from the manufacturer end, along with the requirement of additional ingredients, such as xanthan gum, guar gum, chicory, inulin, and others, or, an extra preparation step, that is needed to produce an equivalent product, adds to the cost of production of gluten-free products. This results in the high cost of gluten-free products for consumers, which is hindering the growth of the market.

Key Market Trends

Rising Risk of Celiac Disease

The market for gluten-free food products has witnessed an increasing trend owing to the rising risk of celiac disease (CD). The prevalence of CD varies from 4.5% among first-degree relatives of CD-affected patients to 0.5%-1.0% in the general population and is increasing over time. A strict gluten-free diet is the only available treatment for CD as it relieves symptoms, achieves mucosal healing, and prevents disease complications. Therefore, the gluten-free foods are majorly driving the celiac diseased people. However, according to Mayo Clinic, 3.1 million Americans are shifting toward a gluten-free diet, where 72 % of them are classified as people without celiac disease avoiding gluten (PWAG). This group of people has been ditching gluten without a celiac diagnosis, owing to join the trend of gluten-free consumption.

North America to Dominate the Global Market

North America dominates the gluten-free market, primarily driven by the United States, as the consumers in the region are avoiding gluten in their dietary trends, with over 100 million Americans consuming gluten-free products, most of whom do not have celiac disease in the past decade. Consumers are taking gluten-free products, not only because to prevent adverse symptoms, such as gastrointestinal in nature (bloating, wind, and abdominal cramps) and fatigue/tiredness, but also because of a general perception of maintaining better health.

Competitive Landscape

The gluten-free prepared food market is competitive in nature having a large number of domestic and multinational players competing for market share. Emphasis is given on the merger, expansion, acquisition, and partnership of the companies along with new product development as strategic approaches adopted by the leading companies to boost their brand presence among consumers. Key players dominating the market include PepsiCo Inc., General Mills Inc., Kellogg Company, The Hain Celestial Group Inc., Mondelez International, and H. J. Heinz Company, among others.

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• The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format
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