Hy-Vee launches gluten-free store brand

Midwestern grocer Hy-Vee has expanded its own-brand roster with a gluten-free label called Good Graces.

West Des Moines, Iowa-based Hy-Vee said Thursday that Good Graces marks the chain’s first full-range line of gluten-free products. So far, a selection of 30-plus Good Graces items have been rolled out to Hy-Vee’s more than 285 stores, and another 60 SKUs remain in development, according to the food and drug retailer.

Positioned as “budget friendly,” Good Graces items now in stores include frozen foods such as pizza, breaded chicken nuggets and pasta entrees and pantry essentials like pasta, soup, oatmeal, pretzels, white cheddar puffs and granola, Hy-Vee said.

Plans call for six baking mixes and products such as almond flour, coconut flour and coconut sugar to start hitting store shelves in mid-November, in time for holiday baking season, the company added. The gluten-free brand also will include holiday staples like stuffing, French fried onions and condensed soups.

“The demand for gluten-free products continues to rise, and Good Graces provides a high-quality and affordable selection of products,” Darren Baty, executive vice president and chief merchandising officer at Hy-Vee, said in a statement. “This expansive product line ensures gluten-free options are accessible for everyone.”

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More Good Graces products are slated to become available at stores in the coming months, Hy-Vee added. Good Graces-brand items also are sold at Hy-Vee HealthMarket stores and through the Hy-Vee Aisles Online service.

Hy-Vee also supports customers on gluten-free diets through its team of registered dietitians. Last month, for example, the grocer hosted a range of free events for shoppers following gluten-free lifestyles. They included gluten-free health fairs at over 100 Hy-Vee stores, dietitian-led virtual store tours focusing on the basics of gluten-free eating, and a 30-minute virtual cooking class on how to create a charcuterie board with gluten- and dairy-free products.

Good Graces joins Hy-Vee’s lineup of about three dozen private brands, including Baking Stone Bread, Beaconsfield Bread Co., Char King, Crav’n Flavor, Culinary Tours, Fish Market, Full Circle, Gustare Vita, It’s Your Churn, Nori Sushi, Over The Top, Overjoy Ice Cream, Paws, Pure Harmony, Simply Done, Soiree, Sweet P’s, That’s Smart!, Til The Cows Come Home, Tippy Toes, TopCare, Wide Awake and Zöet. Within the portfolio are about a dozen Hy-Vee labels, led by the eponymous Hy-Vee brand and including Hy-Vee Health Market, Angus Reserve, Choice Reserve, Energy Edge, Hickory House, Mealtime, One Step, Prime Reserve, Select, Short Cuts and True, as well as Hy-Chi Frozen.

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