Baking Industry Responds To Need For Satisfying Gluten-Free Products

The Institute of Food Technologists has issued a statement touting the food industry’s response to the increased awareness of celiac disease, a painful sensitivity to the protein gluten found in wheat, barley and rye. Gluten gives baked goods their texture, strength and crumb structure. So gluten-free bakery products tend to have reduced volume and a dry, crumbly, grainy texture that consumers find unsatisfactory. To solve the problem, commercial bakers have begun using flours made from ancient grains like amaranth, millet, quinoa, sorghum, and teff, as well as brown rice, corn and tapioca starch.