Consumers’ Acceptance, Satisfaction in Consuming Gluten-free Bread: A Market Survey Approach

Abstract

The market need for good quality gluten-free (GF) bakery products is in focus, due the increasing number of people with Celiac Disease (CD), Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity (NCGS) and the growing popularity of following GF diet as a trend. However scientific knowledge of the technically challenging GF bread making is growing, data regarding consumer market needs, opinions, trends and issues are insufficient. The present study was aimed to evaluate the consumer’s acceptance of available GF breads and their satisfaction. The data of the study reveal that approximately half of the people following GF diet have other different food related health problems parallel with CD or NCGS. The present study shows, that 70.8% of the asked consumers are dissatisfied with GF breads due their texture and taste, and for home baking consumers usually mix 2-3 or even more different GF flours, as they are displeased with the quality of the available mixes on their own. Overall, the most relevant problem for the consumers is the particularly higher price of the GF flours and breads.