The demand for bakery products free from common food allergens is on the rise, and statistics indicate the trend will only continue to grow. More than 12 million Americans, about one in 25, suffer from food allergies and/or intolerances, according to the Fairfax, Virginia-based Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that four out of every 100 children have a food allergy, and that number increased by 18 percent from 1997 to 2007 alone.

But allergies aren't the only food-related conditions afflicting Americans. The Cleveland Clinic says that lactose intolerance, the inability to digest one of the sugars found in milk, affects one in 10 people in the United States. One in 133 people suffers from celiac disease, which is triggered by the ingestion of gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye or barley, according to the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University in New York.

Reactions in sensitive individuals can range from mild — stomach aches or hives — to severe — respiratory and/or digestive system distress — to death in the most extreme cases. For some, even a trace amount of an allergen can set off a severe reaction.

According to the Food and Drug Association (FDA), eight foods account for 90 percent of food allergies. Of these, five — milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts and wheat — are key ingredients used in bakery products. As a result, businesses ranging from Betty Crocker to boutique bakeries are offering a wide range of “free-from” products to safely satisfy the cravings of allergic Americans.

Gluten-free

During the first quarter of this year, the number of foods introduced in the United States with gluten-free claims rose by more than 13 percent, said Tom Vierhile, director of product launch analytics for international research firm Datamonitor. The increase of products introduced in this category was more than 10 percent for all of last year.

Cookies, breads and rolls are among the top 10 food categories that have experienced this growth spike.

In 2008, James Morse decided to make his Little Rae’s Bakery completely peanut-free. He developed his own protocol to ensure all trace elements of the allergen were eliminated from his bakery.

“The numbers show that the gluten-free trend is in a class all by itself,” Vierhile says. “To be honest, I was kind of shocked to see the percentage of new food products launched thus far in 2010 that have made a no-gluten claim.”

When Patty Furey Crane, founder of Mariposa Baking Co., Oakland, Calif., began producing gluten-free biscotti and brownies out of her home for a handful of wholesale customers in 2004, “most people didn't know much about celiac disease or what gluten-free meant,” says Dana Neufeld, director of sales and marketing. That included most store buyers who saw no financial benefit in stocking the items when there was little or no shopper demand for them.

In 2006, Mariposa had grown large enough to move into a dedicated commercial facility and shifted its focus to retail. Today, bread and sweetgood sales from its Oakland production/retail site and San Francisco shop account for about two thirds of the company's revenues.

Celiac sufferer Pedro Arroba had not eaten bread in 20 years until he and partner, Bruce Bassman, developed a gluten-free formula after hearing a presentation by the chief dietitian of the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University. Six years later, their Everybody Eats Bakery, Brooklyn, N.Y., sells its breads, rolls, bagels, cakes and pastries wholesale to health food stores in about 10 East Coast states. It also retails via the company's website and pre-ordered pick-up at its production facility.

Because some gluten-free flours are gritty, crumbly and have a strange aftertaste, Arroba and Bassman mix their own flour blends from corn, tapioca, brown rice and other natural ingredients. They also have to boost their formulas with other ingredients, such as egg whites, non-fat dry milk and gelatin, to achieve the crust and crumb characteristic of breads made with protein- and fiber-rich gluten.

“As a result of our special ingredient needs and the fact that we make all of our products by hand, we have to price them higher than conventional versions,” Arroba says. “For instance, a conventional baguette can retail for as little as $1, while ours have to be priced at around $4.”

Mariposa, which goes organic whenever possible, faces similar ingredient sourcing and resulting product pricing challenges. Like Arroba, Crane mixes her own flour blends.

Dairy-free

Dairy-free products also are on the rise. In the first quarter of this year, the introduction of new foods in the United States claiming to contain no dairy jumped by 4.5 percent compared with 3.1 percent for all of 2009, Vierhile says. Among the top 10 growth “no dairy” categories (excluding beverages) are cookies, breads and rolls, and cakes and pastries.

Everybody Eats offers five dairy-free items, including deli rolls and fudge brownies, which must be produced on specific, dedicated dairy-free days to prevent cross-contamination. Cake In the Box Bakery, Duluth, Ga., gives customers the option of ordering cupcakes without eggs, milk and/or gluten. At A & J Bakery, Cranston, R.I., egg- and dairy-free cakes, cookies and cupcakes are available upon customer request.

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