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SPECIAL FOCUS

Nowadays, the word “gluten-free food products” is

nothing new to many people, while some may have
even experienced the illness from consuming food
containing gluten already. Gluten is a protein found
in certain grains such as wheat, rye, barley, and
oats, and it is an allergen which causes abnormal
symptoms in some consumers. Gluten intolerance
is caused by the inability of small intestine to absorb
gluten causing some symptoms such as flatulence,
bloat, diarrhea, limbs anaesthetize. In some cases,

hypersensitive consumers may suffer from abnormal
digestion and celiac disease. Nonetheless, gluten
intolerance is subjective and not related to body’s
immune system. Currently, numbers of gluten
intolerance consumers are increasing, especially
in the United States, Canada, the European Union,
Australia, and New Zealand.

gluten-free food products

A chance of Thai rice in food industry

In the food processing industries, gluten grains are used as the European Union, Germany, Canada, and Asia. In 2015, the market
ingredients for various kinds of food, for instance, bakery, cereals, growth for gluten-free food is cumulatively at 10.4% per year from
beverages, and snacks. Therefore, gluten-sensitive consumers are USD 4.60 billion to USD 7.59 billion in 2020. It is also forecast that in
at high risks from receiving gluten from processed food selling in the the next 7 years (2018 – 2025), market for gluten-free food will grow
market. Codex and many countries like the United States, the continuously, with prominent products such as bakery, alternative
European Union, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South milk, desserts and ice-cream, and pasta.
Korea, Hong Kong, and Thailand, regulate food producers to show From the food manufacturer perspective, the increasing numbers
label indicating the use of gluten grains or contamination of gluten of gluten-sensitive consumers and the growth for gluten-free food
grains on its food to protect consumers. Nowadays, the production create a great opportunity for Thailand. Rice is one of the gluten-free
and sale of gluten-free foods, which replace gluten grains with gluten- ingredient, and Thailand is a world’s major rice producer and exporter.
free grains such as corn, rice, soybean, potato, and quinoa, are offered Various Thai rice both local and developed varieties are planted in
as choices for gluten-intolerance consumers. every region in Thailand, and they possess difference physical and
A report reveals that in 2013, market value for gluten-free food chemical characteristics. Thus, producing gluten-free food using Thai
reached USD 4.21 billion, with main consumers in the United States, rice as the main ingredient will be challengingly interesting for SMEs

34 FOOD FOCUS THAILAND SEP 2018