New celiac disorder research coincides with gluten-free food bounty

Crave's Cameo Edwards makes gluten-free treats

For Bay Area shoppers with celiac disease, every trip to the market reveals a bounty of new gluten-free products, and recent research may explain the wisdom of grocers now catering to one of the fastest growing packaged food markets.

Celiac disease, once considered rare outside Europe, is 100 times more common than researchers originally thought, according to a report in the August issue of Scientific American. Why so many more? A simple blood test now can diagnose celiac disease faster and easier than invasive biopsy or by nonspecific attempts to eliminate gluten from the diet - the only other diagnostic methods. An aberrant immune response to the gluten protein causes celiac disease. The blood test was developed in 2003 after researchers discovered specific antibody molecules attacking these proteins are targeted to an enzyme called tissue transgluteminase, which leaks out of damaged cells in inflamed areas of the small intestine and gets into the blood stream, according to the report. The study, conducted by Alessio Fasano, director of the Center for Celiac Research at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, reveals clues to other auto-immune disorders. 

A diet free of the gluten protein - found in wheat, barley, and rye and other grains - is the only treatment for celiac disease, and because gluten-free meals can be difficult to prepare, many households make a wholesale switch to gluten-free diets, leading to a higher demand for packaged foods. (Interestingly, non-celiac family members can often experience less gastrointestinal distress, signaling sensitivity to gluten may be more prevalent.) Given the magnitude of celiac diagnoses in the last 10 years, it's no wonder market analysts expect the gluten-free packaged food market to grow by 15 to 20 percent annually over the next few years, according to market research firm Mintel.

Because gluten is the "glue" that binds flour-based ingredients, a gluten-free diet eliminates many favorite foods, such as pasta, bread, cereal, and snacks. Gluten-free alternatives challenge shoppers, but baked goods are the hardest to find or make from scratch. Luckily, specialty gluten-free bakeries are showing up in the Bay Area. Crave, a San Francisco bakery, stands out with its line of eye-catching confections, such as lemon tarts, cupcakes, cakes, and cookies. Aunti Glutens Bakery in LIvermore delivers its specialty cakes and cupcakes. Let Them Eat Cake, in Milpitas, is known for its wide range of products free of other allergens besides gluten, including many varieties of cookies, cakes, pan dulce - a Mexican sweetbread, and a "cheese" cake. Great news for brides, they also offer custom-made wedding cakes, as does Crave Bakery. 

Costs of gluten-free products, oftentimes 25 percent or more than similar non-gluten-free products, makes them more popular at high-end specialty markets. According to Cameo Edwards, owner of Crave, the more obscure gluten-free ingredients like almond meal, tapicoa flour, garbanzo bean flour, xantham gum, are more expensive, but as the market grows, she expects costs to come down.  Also, gluten-free baked goods have a shorter shelf-life, which requires special handling and smaller batch preparations, according to Edwards. This also explains why many that aim for fresh-baked qualities are found in the freezer section.