An Interesting Observation About Label Reading

[tex]

Hi All,

I thought that this was interesting. According to this article, roughly two-thirds of consumers are reading labels these days, a significant increase over the past couple of years. What really grabbed my attention, though, was the information in this paragraph:

More than half (51%) of U.S. consumers always check fat content followed by 48% who always check the calories and 44% who look at the sugar content. Sodium (37%), carbohydrates (35%) and even gluten (9%) are among key concerns.

The red emphasis is mine, of course.

If the number of celiacs in this country is one out of every 133 people in the general population, (as the medical experts claim), why are approximately 12 times that many people looking for gluten on labels? Based on the percentages of people looking for certain ingredients, (such as fat, calories, etc.,), almost 20 % as many people are looking for gluten on the label, as there are people looking for fat, or calories - that's a lot of people. If I were a food manufacturer, that would send a pretty strong signal to me, if I were looking for a way to increase my market share for a product that didn't absolutely have to have gluten as an ingredient.

http://www.brandweek.com/bw/content_dis ... 12105fe153

Tex

[Polly]

WOW, Tex!

Since our type of gluten sensitivity is not picked up by celiac tests, do you think this is pointing to an increase the identification of folks like us MCers? We can only hope................then maybe we'll get more research, not to mention more GF foods available. OR, maybe the general public is becoming more aware of the fact that the U.S.D.A. food pyramid should actually be turned upside down - grains are not the health food that the industry would have us believe and should actually be only a small part of our diet. A lot of info has been in the popular press lately about the downside of grains (syndrome X with prediabetes, the fact that they contain phytates, whch are considered "antinutritional", the fact that they are no match for fruits/veggies when it comes to vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, lycopene, etc.

Love,

Polly

[tex]

Polly,

Good questions. Looking at the fact that so many of us are highly gluten sensitive, and yet the mainstream testing methods that are in use never detect that sensitivity, I have to wonder how many people in the general population are in the same boat - suspecting gluten, but unable to get a diagnosis to verify it. Still, for such a large number, (9 % of consumers), there has to be something else going on. I doubt that 9 % of the population has chronic D. As you mentioned, I suspect that it has to be a movement away from grains, or at least a shift away from wheat flour, as a lifestyle choice based on ideals, rather than a choice based on necessity.

Love,
Tex