The current global market of gluten free foods account for $3.73 billion, and that amount is expected to grow over the next five years, potentially reaching $6.43 billion, according to Statista. Other reports estimate that the amount could reach $8.1 billion by 2023.
Eating foods that don't contain gluten is a necessity for individuals with celiac disease, an immune disease which doesn't allow gluten to be digested properly. On average, 1 in 133 people suffer from the disease. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley.
Because wheat is so widespread and foundational in the food world, the gluten free market includes foods such as pizza, pasta, cereal, snacks, condiments, and desserts.
For non-celiacs who don't eat gluten, the choice is one more of lifestyle than necessity. Going gluten free can be a popular diet choice, and many do find benefits to their health when they eliminate gluten. Based on a 2017 survey, 31% of gluten free bread consumers choose not to eat gluten for lifestyle reasons, not celiac disease.
Whole Foods Market (NASDAQ: WFM) has taken gluten free consumer trends into account in their 2020 food predictions, as well as other reasons behind the growing popularity in flour alternatives. "2020 will bring more interesting fruit and vegetable flours (like banana!) into home pantries, with products with cauliflower in bulk and baking aisles, rather than already baked into crusts and snack products," Whole Foods said. "Consumer packaged goods are getting in on the trend by replacing traditional alternative flours with tigernut flour in chips and snack foods, and tasty pastries made with seed flour blends."
A few other leading companies in the gluten free sphere are Kraft Heinz Company (NASDAQ: KHC), General Mills Inc. (NYSE: GIS), and Kellogg Company (NYSE: K). At the moment in the U.S., according to Market Watch, there are more than 2 thousand gluten free food options available.