Gluten-free trends based on word-of-mouth posted on internet sales sites for gluten-free foods

• Published in: Journal for the Integrated Study of Dietary Habits Vol. 35; no. 1; pp. 19 - 28
• Main Authors: Shobayashi, Megumi, Ogino, Ai, Sumida, Naoko, Ogura, Yuko
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: THE JAPAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE INTEGRATED STUDY OF DIETARY HABITS 2024; 日本食生活学会
• ISSN: 1346-9770; 1881-2368
• DOI: 10.2740/jisdh.35.1_19

We investigated gluten-free trends by conducting quantitative text analysis of purchase motivation, number of products, and changes over time from 2010 to 2022 in the number of word-of-mouth instances for each product category found in reviews for foods sold on internet sales sites using 'gluten-free' as a keyword. The number of word-of-mouth instances for products sold with 'gluten-free' as a keyword increased from around 2015. This coincided with the release of books in Japan claiming that a gluten-free diet, which had been popular in the United States since around 2013, would help with weight loss and general well-being. Around the same time, there was an increase in word-of-mouth for foods sold as allergy substitutes, motivating people to adopt a gluten-free lifestyle. The number of products sold with 'gluten-free' as a keyword has increased since around 2013, but only about 40% of products include words related solely to 'gluten-free' in their product names from 2018. The products are not marketed solely as 'gluten-free', but also use other words such as those associated with rice. Our findings suggest that the gluten-free trend that started around 2015 expanded in Japan in response to the gluten-free boom overseas. Sellers should have sufficient knowledge of gluten-free standards and labeling rules for specific raw materials.