A few days late.original post Jun2, 2010
via Ancient Roman gluten death seen
The gluten-free food market was worth almost $1.6bn last year, according to Packaged Facts, and saw a compound annual growth rate of 28 per cent over four years.
Sufferers of celiac disease have to avoid all gluten in their diet, but diagnosis is not the only factor. Other sectors of the population, such as those who have self-diagnosed wheat or gluten intolerance or who believe gluten-free to be a healthier way of eating, are strong drivers.
But against this backdrop of popularity, there have been concerns that some gluten-free products on the market made with rice, corn and potato flour and xanthan or guar gum to improve texture have sub-optimal levels of essential nutrients.
ConAgra Mills set out to develop flour that has good nutritional properties by tapping its portfolio of naturally gluten-free ancient grains, like amaranth, quinoa, sorghum, millet and teff.
A spokesperson told FoodNavigator-USA.com at IFT in Anaheim last week that the individual ancient grain flours can be used to make gluten-free products, but the product quality tends to be lower.
The company therefore developed a proprietary blend of grains and tapioca starch, intended to provide both good nutrition and good product characteristics.
The result, called Eagle Mills gluten-free all-purpose multigrain flour, was launched at IFT. Also containing tapioca starch, it can be used in products including pan bread, tortillas, muffins, snacks, coatings and extruded cereals.
Ancientfoods 