Think of this a viewpoint from 30,000 feet. Actually, that's literally the case because I'm writing this on the plane home from the 2012 Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, Calif.
Sometimes a lack of big news during a year is actually good news. Bakery companies that remember the Atkins Diet and its characterization of carbohydrates as the devil incarnate can breathe a sigh of relief that 2011 did not bring about any such black swans. Still, 2011 will go down as a slightly off year for baked goods, with declines in some categories outweighing gains in other categories.
A gluten-free, casein-free diet may lead to improvements in behavior and physiological symptoms in some children diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), according to researchers at Penn State.
Menu items with descriptions that reference gluten, cholesterol, sugar and other health-related topics are expanding on restaurant menus as more operators recognize an increasing number of Americans adhere to special diets.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of children with food allergies jumped 18% between 1997-2007, and researchers at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago found 8% of U.S. children under the age of 18 have at least one food allergy.
SK Food International recently added Identity Preserved Certified Organic and Conventional Non-GMO precooked bean, pea and lentil powders and flakes to its extensive line of ingredients.
The troubled economy has brought about a number of changes in the way people shop for food. Companies that engage the whole family in shopping; recognize the growing number of shoppers with food allergies; and use innovative marketing methods are most likely to meet with success.
Food labels like gluten-free and dairy-free are experiencing "meteoric growth" in the U.K., with more consumers saying they have developed food intolerances or have made changes to their diet, reports a market research group.
