The Good Flour Co. taps into growing demand for allergen-free, nutrition for children

10-Apr-2023 - Last updated on 10-Apr-2023 at 16:08 GMT

Image Credit: The Good Flour Co.

From adults to children, gluten- and allergen-free foods are increasingly becoming a part of living a better-for-you lifestyle, which is growing the gluten-free market and providing The Good Flour Co. opportunities to innovate for the youngest of consumers, brand CEO Matthew Clayton told FoodNavigator-USA.

“We see ourselves in the better-for-you category; it just happens to be gluten-free. So, we're seeing an uptake in the consumers who, yes, gluten may be an issue for them, but it's also looking at other allergens and what those allergens could be doing to their overall health.”

Gluten-free become more about better-for-you

Over the last decade, the gluten-free category has grown and become a key aspect of the better-for-you trend, Clayton said. The global gluten-free food market was worth $6.7bn in 2022, and it is expected to reach $14bn by 2032, due to demand from health-conscious consumers and the celiac community, according to Statista.

“The bottom line is that this category grows every year,” Clayton said. “It's become more than just gluten-free. ... We're talking about allergen-free products that you can cook and bake with. And so, gluten is just one of those allergens, so companies have been forced to become more creative, more comprehensive [on] the type of products they're producing.”

The Good Flour Co.’s line of products, including an all-purpose baking flour, fish batter mix, fried chicken mix, waffle mix, and others, are free from gluten and the top 14 allergens, Clayton said.

However, consumers today aren't only looking for free-from products, but they are also looking for products that deliver nutrients and flavor, Clayton explained. When it came to developing gluten-free products, food brands were more concerned with simply removing the gluten and often forgot about the nutritional aspects that were getting removed alongside it, he added.

"The products have to evolve, and people are demanding more from the products they're purchasing. And I think that you're seeing that across multiple segments now where the consumer is saying they care about ingredients. The problem with gluten-free over the past 20 years was most of the companies that wanted a gluten-free SKU simply removed the wheat protein, and then they didn't put any of the goodness or the nutritional aspects back into the product."

Delivering on functionality for children

The brand is also looking to deliver functionality with its Patty Cakes pancake mix for children, released earlier this year. In addition to being dairy- and gluten-free, Patty Cakes is formulated with 23 grams of potato protein and "works well with liquids at both high temperature and low temperature," Clayton said.

An estimated 8% of children, or one in 13 children, are affected by a food allergy, according to research published in Pediatrics. The Good Flour Co. developed Patty Cakes to address this need, Clayton said, adding that he had first-hand experience with children's food allergies with his youngest son who is allergic to milk and eggs.

Beyond addressing food allergies, proper nutrition and a healthy breakfast are crucial for the overall health of children and their cognitive development, Clayton said. Children who eat a healthy breakfast have improved cognitive function and moods and tend to have fewer absentees from school, according to the CDC.

“We know early nutrition for children is imperative for brain function and how they develop into adulthood. It's very, very important. And there's a lot of kids facing allergies, ... and it's becoming a problem for parents to find things, especially on the protein side.”