The gluten-free trend was just the beginning. Now some consumers are going against the grain, with consumer demand on the rise for grain-free offerings.1 Savvy CPG manufacturers are taking note of this interesting trend, which is likely to expand over the next year.
The label “gluten-free” applies to foods with ingredients that do not contain the protein gluten,2 commonly found in grains like wheat, barley, rye, and triticale. Some grains are inherently gluten-free, like rice, corn, and oat, as well as quinoa, spelt, sorghum, and amaranth. However, any foods that make the claim of being “gluten-free” must comply with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s standards for the claim, which require the food to contain less than 20 ppm gluten to carry the label.3
“Grain-free” takes things a bit further, referring to foods that do not contain or come from grains, such as those derived from pulses and beans – like chickpea flour, fava bean flour, and lentil flour. Grain-free ingredients like these are of increasing interest to customers, with nearly 1 in 3 consumers looking to eat pulses more often in the coming year.4
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