Where Food Comes From, Inc., a source verification company for food products, says 32 percent of gluten-free labeled food in restaurants contained gluten.
Recent research published in a scientific journal found the worst offenders were pizza and pasta, with gluten discovered in 53 percent of pizza samples and 51 percent of the pasta tested.
The detection rates were higher on dinner menus, at 34 percent, compared to breakfast menus, at 27 percent.
Where Food Comes From, Inc. used the data in its announcement of the Gluten-Free by WFCF standard.
The announcement is simply a move of branding to the Where Food Comes From organization.
CEO John Saunders says because of the move, the standard should “enjoy a higher profile among consumers and potential customers.”
The U.S. gluten-free food products market is estimated at $2.7 billion annually.
With increasing occurrences of celiac disease and growing awareness that it is preventable, that market is expected to double by 2025.
