The gluten-free basic food basket: a problem of availability, cost and nutritional composition

• Published in: European journal of clinical nutrition Vol. 70; no. 10; pp. 1215 - 1217
• Main Authors: Estévez, V, Ayala, J, Vespa, C, Araya, M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01.10.2016; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 692/699; 692/699/249/1313/1357; Availability; Celiac disease; Celiac Disease - diet therapy; Chile; Clinical Nutrition; Composition; Costs; Costs and Cost Analysis; Diet therapy; Diet, Gluten-Free - economics; Epidemiology; Food; Food composition; Food consumption; Foods, Specialized; Gluten; Humans; Internal Medicine; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Metabolic Diseases; Nutrient content; Nutrition; Nutritional Requirements; Nutritional status; Nutritive Value; Product/Service Evaluations; Public Health; Quality of life; Requirements; short-communication; Chile
• ISSN: 0954-3007; 1476-5640
• DOI: 10.1038/ejcn.2016.139

The basic food basket (BFB), formed by the more economical products available, is used by less-affluent countries to establish the minimum daily food consumption to satisfy nutritional requirements in less-privileged individuals. There is no information about groups that depend on the BFB and in addition follow gluten-free diet (GF/BFB). We measured availability, cost, main ingredients and nutritional composition of GF/BFB. Data were collected in the area that was first in the social priority list in the capital city, matching BFB components with gluten-free equivalents (GF/BFB). GF/BFB characterized by being 42% less available, three times more costly (>500% higher for bread), with up to 69% lower protein content and with no fortifications, leaving at nutritional risk celiac individuals that depend on GF/BFB. Results raise concerns on the capacity of the GF/BFB to encourage adherence, maintain adequate nutritional status and quality of life in celiac patients.