Gluten-free products become tasty trend in health food industry

Gone are the days when a low sugar and low fat diet was enough to be considered as "healthy." From coconut oil, organic vegetable to non-genetically modified fruit, health food has become big business. At the trade fair of the 50th annual Canadian Health Food Association (CHFA) conference which ended here Sunday afternoon, Gluten-free products became people's most favorite healthy food. At the stand of Pat Libling, the middle-aged lady displayed various cookies, brownies and muffins which are all gluten-free. Libling told Xinhua that she suffered from celiac disease - an intestinal disorder caused by a reaction to eating gluten - and wasn't happy with the gluten-free products on the market. So she started to make these gluten-free food herself. Twelve years later, her business is booming. Now the founder and President of PatsyPie company, Libling said they have biscotti, cookies, brownies, muffins, pie crusts, to name a few. "Our products are different from other gluten free products. We don't bake with starches. We bake with alternative gluten-free grains. So the whole family can enjoy them." CHFA President Helen Long said the organization was founded in Vancouver in 1964, with an aim to bring together suppliers, manufacturers, and retailers interested in innovative health food products. One of the latest trends has certainly been a growing interest in gluten-free products, she added. "There has been more and more celiac disease brought to light. More and more people who seem to have intolerance, or who just prefer to cut out gluten-type products. So we are seeing more and more gluten-free products and fantastic-tasting, great gluten-free products." At the trade fair, gluten-free innovations weren't just confined to baked treats. Comensoli Foods from Montreal earned plenty of attention from potential retailers for their gluten-free pizzas. Claudia Mason, chief marketing officer for Comensoli Foods, recalled that she was tired of going to Whole Foods and trying to eat products that were gluten-free but they tasted like crap. "So we kept on trying until we got a product that we could happily serve." Mason said Comensoli's ultimate goal was to make delicious food that just happens to be gluten-free. The two-day Vancouver trade fair showcased more than 700 exhibits and drew about 3,000 visitors.