Gluten free foods.

In recent years there has been growing demand for gluten free (GF) products due to the
increasing prevalence of allergic reactions and intolerance, most notably celiac disease.
Celiac disease (CD) is a chronic systemic autoimmune disorder caused by a permanent
intolerance to gluten proteins in genetically susceptible individuals. Adherence to
lifelong gluten free (GF) diet remains the cornerstone treatment for celiac patients.
Foods that naturally do not contain wheat, barley, rye or their crossbred varieties as well
as foods that contain these ingredients but have been specially processed to remove
gluten are known as GF foods. Apart from diagnosed celiacs, GF diets have gained
considerable popularity amongst consumers as they are perceived to be healthier than
their gluten-containing counterparts. The objective of this review is to gain some insights
into a very special category of foods labelled as ‘gluten free’. This review summarizes
our current knowledge about celiac disease and gluten proteins, focuses on the
expanding array of GF products, discusses the advances in the analytical tools used for
detection of gluten and highlights some of the regulatory issues associated with GF
products.