Why are specialist gluten-free foods more expensive than normal foods?
Specialist substitute gluten-free foods, such as bread, pasta etc, are specially formulated from ingredients that suit the special dietary requirements of the individuals they are intended for. This results in higher raw ingredient costs due to the additional processing required. To ensure that these specialist gluten-free foods are suitable for gluten-intolerant individuals the foods are manufactured in facilities dedicated to dietary foods. Additional processing and testing procedures, for example gluten analysis, are undertaken to ensure the foods meet strict compositional criteria. In some instances, some staple products are also fortified with key nutrients for these individuals, for example fibre, calcium.
