“Welcome to my aisle” is a phrase I have been known to announce while grocery shopping for gluten-free items in my local Chicago Jewel. You may have heard the phrase “gluten-free,” seen it on packaging, read about it in the news, or know someone who has gluten intolerance. But what is gluten? Gluten is the protein found in wheat, barley, rye and some processed oats, and has recently become a popular topic because of the growing number of American consumers who cannot tolerate it in their diets. The market for gluten-free products is ripe: According to The Nielsen Company, the sales of gluten-free products increased 74% from 2004 to 2009. Does labeling a product “gluten-free” really help sell it, and why are more and more CPG companies going through the painstaking process of modifying their foods to be gluten-free? Is the marketing benefit worth the cost?
