"free From" Market

[Tim-n-VA]

The Jun 8 issue of the washington post has an article about the growing market for food products for people with allergies or celiac.

The link to the story is below but you might have to go thru the free registration process:

Open Original Shared Link

[Jestgar]

good article. thanks for posting it.

[ravenwoodglass]

Thanks for posting, it was a good article at least until I got to this

"Increasingly, their customers don't necessarily have food allergies or celiac. They just think they do. "As much as 28 percent of U.S. citizens believe they are intolerant to some foods," said Mintel spokeswoman Joanna Peot."

Unfortunately this thinking leads to responses like one I saw recently where a company wanted a doctors letter from a consumer before they would bother to check the gluten statis of their product. My evil side wishes this woman has to one day walk in my shoes.

[ShayFL]

I posted this in another thread a few days ago, I agree that it was good until I got to "lifestyle" choice. Who on earth would choose this lifestyle?

[Tim-n-VA]

I have a sister-in-law who read one of those diet books that tell you what to eat based on your blood type. For her blood type, she was told to avoid wheat so she looks for gluten-free foods. Not saying that was a good decision but that was a lifestyle choice to go gluten-free.

Well, that was over a year ago so she probably has moved on to another fad diet.

[ShayFL]

I agree that "fad diet" is different than "lifestyle" which denotes a permanent change. I guess food manufacturers will have to keep up with the "fad diets" to produce foods for people that are "choosing" for whatever reason. And we all benefit. Especially if more diet book authors shun wheat/dairy/gluten. Let's hope so!!

[home-based-mom]

I guess food manufacturers will have to keep up with the "fad diets" to produce foods for people that are "choosing" for whatever reason.

Food fads in general. A few years ago Teriyaki was all the rage. Everything was teriyaki this and teriyaki that. Now it's chipotle this and chipotle that.

Let's hope that when they shout "Gluten Free!" from the rooftops, it lasts longer than teriyaki or chipotle!

[Tim-n-VA]

Except that few people decide to try a fad diet. They think they are making a lifestyle change. The fad part is usually only evident in retrospect, at least to the participants.

[ShayFL]

I hope so too Home Based Mom.

I remember when avocados were the good fat, then they were bad, now they are good again......LOL

Hopefully no researcher or diet author will ever come up with a "gluten is good for you" diet. All it takes is one skewed study and some will run with it.

[Lisa]

Here is additional comments from another thread.

Open Original Shared Link

[melmak5]

While I was delighted to see an article about the subject, I found that their lack of discussion of "cost" and "access" a major problem.

In both the cases of allergies and intolerances one can only get better/heal and remain safe if they have the access to the knowledge about what things are called/labeled and the time to make all of these phone calls as well as access to "free from" foods... which many people do not.

Maybe I am on my soapbox here, but I think it is absolutely disgusting that this is a money-making opportunity. Granted, I am very grateful to be able to find, purchase and consume foods that are gluten-free, but I also acknowledge that I am in a place of extreme privilege to be able to be a person who has access to the internet and the ability to check, call and RECHECK again to ensure my food is ok.

I don't think that safe food should be a privilege of those with the time and access to information, rather a right.

*stepping down from my soapbox now before I get a nosebleed*

[lpellegr]

Regarding a gluten-free lifestyle as a fad or a choice: when I was first diagnosed the first thing I did was go to a bookstore to find every cookbook and guide I could find. As I was standing in line, a lady looked over my shoulder and said, "Gluten-free diet - maybe I should try that". I just had to stare for a few minutes, then decided ignorace of celiac was to be expected and told her that I was sick and this was a drastic diet to cure me. She didn't say anything else, but kept eyeing my books while we waited in line. I'll bet if she did try it it didn't last long!

A co-worker sent me a link to an article in some paper about celiac disease because he had heard me talk about it. The article was fine, the usual brief discussion, but what floored me was the one comment that had been posted to it online. The commenter claimed that it if you followed that diet for a few years you could go back to eating gluten, and I thought well, either this person has celiac and is in for a big surprise, or is just plain ignorant. There's a lot of it out there.

[SacGFGirl]

I find it very upsetting that someone would say being gluten free is a lifestyle. That makes it sound like it's a choice, and it's not!

[psawyer]

I find it very upsetting that someone would say being gluten free is a lifestyle. That makes it sound like it's a choice, and it's not!

For us, it certainly is not a choice.

But there are some people who have chosen it without being forced to, and for those people, it is a lifestyle choice. It is most unfortunate for those of us who have no choice when the issue becomes blurred. But, as we have said here many times and to many people, you don't need a diagnosis of celiac to decide to eat gluten-free. If you feel better gluten-free, then that is all you need to know, isn't it?

I agree that it undermines the seriousness of being gluten-free for those of us who absolutely must stay gluten-free for medical reasons when it is described as a lifestyle choice. :angry:

[Lisa]

Here is additional comments from another thread.

Open Original Shared Link

EDIT.. Here ARE additional comments from another thread.

SCOTT, PLEASE BRING BACK THE EDIT BUTTON!!

[luvs2eat]

People embracing a gluten free diet as a choice opens up a WHOLE new market for gluten-free processed foods. When I was diagnosed, there were little or NO processed foods available. You have to cook!! REAL FOOD!! Check out even non-specialized grocery stores now... you can find gluten-free TV dinners, frozen pot pies and hot pockets kind of crap that people shouldn't eat... gluten-free or not!!

Look at the low carb craze... a super marketing opportunity!! Newly diagnosed celiacs won't have to learn to cook w/ the ingredients we use... cause they'll be able to buy processed food already cooked!

I don't mean to scoff at people who don't like to cook and are looking for easy transitions to a gluten-free lifestyle... but when you learn to use different ingredients in your cooking... a whole 'nother world opens up. Changing one processed lifestyle for another processed lifestyle isn't so healthy.

[Jestgar]

I find it very upsetting that someone would say being gluten free is a lifestyle. That makes it sound like it's a choice, and it's not!

It is a choice, a choice between healthy and sick. There are a lot of people who choose to eat gluten, knowing full well the resulting pain/discomfort/damage/etc.

This is (I believe) the same point luvs2eat is making. You can choose to be healthy and gluten-free, or just gluten-free.