What about gluten‐free products? An insight on celiac consumers' opinions and expectations

• Published in: Journal of sensory studies Vol. 36; no. 4
• Main Authors: Alencar, Natália Manzatti Machado, Araújo, Vitoria Alves, Faggian, Letícia, Silveira Araújo, Marielle Batista, Capriles, Vanessa Dias
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken, USA John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.08.2021; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Autoimmune diseases; Bread; Celiac disease; Consumers; Food industry; Gluten; Sentence completion tests; Taste
• ISSN: 0887-8250; 1745-459X
• DOI: 10.1111/joss.12664

As a result of increased research and development, people suffering from celiac disease have more options for gluten‐free (GF) products; but we still lack information about celiac consumer's opinions on GF food and whether their requirements are met by currently available products. In this study, we analyzed celiac consumers' opinions and perceptions on commercially available GF products—particularly bread—and provided insights for food scientists and producers. To this end, we applied projective techniques of sentence completion task, word association, free listing, and open‐ended questions. A total of 205 celiac consumers completed the online survey. Despite the rise of the GF market, celiac patients are dissatisfied with the taste, texture, price, and availability of GF products. Bread is a staple GF product, consumed daily by 93% of the participants. Results show that consumers expect improvements that result in the production of soft, moist, and tasty GF bread, with lower price and better availability. Practical Applications This study provides understanding about the celiac consumers' opinions, expectations and perceptions about gluten free products using projective techniques. Its results will help: (a) define strategies to improve sensory aspects, especially taste, texture and price of gluten‐free breads; (b) increase awareness and understanding of the food industry with information on perceptions that can be used when developing or enhancing commercially available products on the market. This study shows the effectiveness of projective techniques in obtaining consumer opinions on quality aspects of gluten‐free bread.