Survey: consumers misinformed about gluten-free

6 Feb 2020

A new research report launched by safefood, the public body responsible for raising consumer awareness of issues relating to food safety and healthy eating across both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, found that while more than 1 in 5 people (23%) surveyed buy gluten-free foods, 92% of those people did not have a gluten-related disorder or had not been medically diagnosed with coeliac disease.

Among those people surveyed, there was a misperception of the health benefits of gluten-free products; more than 1 in 5 people (23%) thought that gluten-free products were lower in fat, 21% thought they were lower in sugar and 19% considered a gluten-free diet was a healthy way to lose weight.

Survey: consumers misinformed about gluten-free

The safefood research also included a snapshot survey that looked at the nutritional content of 67 gluten-free snack foods. These snack foods included nut products and savoury snacks, cereal and baked products, and confectionery. Of all the gluten-free snack products surveyed, 75% were high in fat and 69% were high in sugar, with calorie levels similar to a standard chocolate bar.

Introducing the research, Dr Catherine Conlon, Director of Human Health & Nutrition, safefood said: “For those people who have a diagnosis of coeliac disease or those with a gluten-related disorder, avoiding gluten in their daily diet is an absolute must. However, we would have a concern that some of these snack foods have an unhealthy nutritional profile for everyone, whether or not they have a gluten-related disorder. Snacking on foods such as fruit and vegetables, unsalted plain nuts and gluten-free rice cakes and cheese, are healthier options for us all.”

“We know from our survey that 92% of people buying these products do not have a gluten-related disorder or have not been diagnosed with coeliac disease and therefore have no medical reason to avoid gluten in their diet. There is no consistent evidence that a gluten-free diet will improve your health if you aren’t sensitive to gluten. Many of the gluten-free snacks we surveyed are high in fat and sugar like other treat foods.”

“Similar to recent trends we’ve seen with high-protein foods, gluten-free food is big business with an audience of people willing to purchase these products”, added Dr Conlon. “In the case of gluten-free snacks, you could end up purchasing snack foods with lots of added fat and sugar which are of no added benefit to your health.”