The worldwide market for gluten-free products is set to grow by US$1.2 billion over the next five years, to a total worth of over US$4.3 billion, according to predictions by consumer analyst group Datamonitor.
Research suggests that the Australian gluten-free market will be grow to a total of US$98.6 million – one of the highest rates in the Asia-Pacific region, second only to Korea.
“There is a wider audience for a gluten-free diet, greatly outnumbering those suffering from coeliac disease. Combined with this, the numerous symptoms associated with coeliac disease have increased concern among non-coeliac sufferers, therefore further increasing the available market for gluten-free products,” says Mark Whalley, consumer analyst at Datamonitor.
The gluten-free movement has benefited from the growing number of Australians who are avoiding food and beverages because of allergies or intolerances. Datamonitor research revealed that nearly one-fifth (18%) of Australian consumers avoid certain food or drinks for allergy or intolerance reasons either ‘most of the time’ or ‘all the time’. This raised awareness of intolerances may help to explain the growing market for gluten-free products, despite only 1% of the population suffering from coeliac disease.
The article goes on about concerns that GLuten Free eating is a vogue diet. there might some fad factor for some consumers, but with the increase of diagnosis of IBS / IBD / Colitis / Crohns / MC etc it would explain the gap between demand and coeliac numbers.
Gabes Ryan
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
It irritates me when reporters and journalists say that the GF diet is vogue. This is based on the narrow view perpetuated by the medical community that only people with celiac should follow GF and the rest of us are just trying to be in style. There will surely be some people who fit that category but the vast majority are finding benefit. It's often expensive and inconvenient . . . why on earth would someone maintain a GF diet if it didn't work? I don't see the GF diet as a transitory trend. I also beleive users of the GF diet are not just limited to GI disorders. It's commonly being used for kids with autism, autoimmune disorders and neuro disoorders. If Dr. Fine's numbers are accurate, and I think they are, there's alot of people who need to be GF.
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Mary Beth
with more and more articles in natural therapy magazines about the successes of diet for all conditions, and the medical research supporting D3 for various health conditions, of course people (big pharma related) will try and taint the belief of diet management for good health
as you said, if people are finding benefit from reducing or elminating gluten from their diet they will stick with it.
the article substantiates what someone said whilst i was in france, the distributer (via the web) of gluten free and multiple intolerance type foods said he was obtaining most of his raw materials from Australia as it seems to have the largest range.
the other article about the Iphone app for toilet locations from new zealand and their statement that Crohns rate in NZ is one of the highest in the world
I wonder what it is in Australia and New Zealand that is creating this prevelance of digestion health issues.
Gabes Ryan
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
My guess is that GI issues are equally high here . . . maybe we are in more denial. I talk to many people who I KNOW have food sensitivities but they don't attribute their problems to food. Have to admit I was one of those people for a period of time.
This country is full of people in denial. Too many people are used to having things their way, and they're not interested in even considering any other way. One of my friends, who had/has diarrhea so bad that he complained to his doctor, was tested, and he was diagnosed as lactose intolerant. Do you think he stopped drinking milk? No way. His excuse - he likes it too much. Really!
I'm pretty sure that his lactose intolerance is caused by gluten-sensitivity, which i have discussed with him at length, (since he has a lot of the symptoms). Do you think that he would be willing to try even just a few days without bread, cookies, cake, pizza, etc.? Are you kidding? No way. I'm just glad that I don't have to use the bathroom after him - that would be torture of the worst kind.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Tex, I also know a number of those sorts of people, but I'm truly convinced that change is coming. I keep noticing that more and more people are becoming believers in the role of food intolerances in all sorts of health problems. For example, I was at a baby shower last weekend. The mom-to-be is gluten and dairy free. I got a bit of a smile about one of the guests, my step-niece, who recently had gone gluten-free was enthusiastically evangelicalicizing about how much better she felt now. She had been feeling really fatigued, as well as having digestive "issues" and feels so much better now. Perhaps someone at the shower saw some similarities in her life and decided to try going gluten-free as a result.......this grass-roots growing awareness will hopefully have a bandwagon affect.....we can only hope.........
The host of the party, my sister-in-law, announced that everything being served was gluten and dairy free. I got hopeful that there might be something for me to eat, but the soy tripped me up. The gluten-free pasta salad was made with mayonnaise, and of course it had soy oil. The gluten free cake had a tofu-based frosting, so that was out as well. So I just served up the lunch I brought "just in case"......
Rosie
Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time………Thomas Edison
Agreed - a lot of people are looking for relief, and they're willing to do what is needed to obtain relief. The hard-heads are probably beyond hope. LOL.
I don't hang out at any of the social networking sites, but I'll bet the word about gluten and other food intolerances gets a lot of exposure there.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
wow
what a big difference between our cultures when in other ways australia normally follows the trends of america
so maybe the answer is that us aussies and kiwi's embrace naturopath, dietician, natural therapy guidelines and treatments. (and get good outcomes from them)
and as i ponder this given our health care system is more accessible and less stressful than the american system, i wonder why this is the case.
Gabes Ryan
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
Gabes wrote:our health care system is more accessible and less stressful than the american system, i wonder why this is the case.
Hmm. I'm not sure where you got that impression. We believe that we have the best health care in the world...people are always coming here for treatment. I don't think our present health care system is inaccessible or stressful. I don't have any problems getting appointments with doctors and those without insurance get treatment at emergency rooms. If anything, our health care system will become less accessible and more stressful once the health care bill kicks in. I am not looking forward to that day, nor is the majority of Americans.
Gloria
You never know what you can do until you have to do it.
But is that not one of the problems making it more expensive that the people with no insurance go also for simple but annoying things to he ER. Would a PCP not be much cheaper? Here in the Netherlands, unless it it something really serious authorities discourage people to go the ER. For nights and weekends we have special primary care centers who we can call or go too.
It is primarily the illegal immigrants without insurance who are going to the emergency rooms for treatment. This is a very hot topic in our country at the moment and has no easy answer. There is some question as to whether the illegals will be covered under the new health care bill.
Gloria
You never know what you can do until you have to do it.
that would be the same problem here, illegals here too have no health insurance, they can't have one, you need a Dutch social security number to get a health insurance. Also we have to ID ourselves double (real ID and health care card) at any visit to hospital, pharmacy, doctor. But of course in practice, a PCP or local pharmacist will never ask for it, since they know their clients. Also in hospitals you only have to show it once at your first visit. You get a special hospital card, at any other visit you only have to bring that card.
No way. His excuse - he likes it too much. 
Really!
