Shoppers Seek More Foods Free Of Gluten

JULIE GALLAGHER

Although gluten-free food shoppers crave the convenience of mainstream markets, most depend on multiple channels each month to find what they need, according to a recent survey of primary purchasers of gluten-free food for their households.

Assuming they could find the same items in all destinations, 71% would prefer to shop at the grocery store, 9% at independent natural food stores, 8% at Target or Wal-Mart, 7% at a natural food store chain, 5% at club stores and 0.1% at drug stores.

“Mainstream grocers don't stock as many [gluten-free foods], so people end up going to health food stores, where the price is marked up,” Cynthia Kupper, executive director of the Gluten Intolerance Group of North America, told SN. GIG commissioned the online survey in conjunction with tasteslikerealfood.com.

Shoppers are also willing to dig deeper into their pockets for often-elusive, gluten-free foods that taste good.

Sixty-eight percent of those polled agreed with the statement: “If I find gluten-free foods that are good, I don't worry very much about the price”; 71% agreed that “it's hard to find good-tasting gluten-free foods,” while 79% admitted that “I've wasted a lot of money on gluten-free foods that didn't taste good.”

In addition to sourcing or providing recipes for tasty gluten-free foods, supermarkets should provide convenient lunch, snack and dessert solutions. Respondents said that these meal occasions pose the biggest challenges.