Being gluten–free could be emptying out your wallet, according to a new study.
A recent study, published in the Dietitians Association of Australia’s journal Nutrition & Dietetics, has shown that families could be paying up to 17 per cent more if they need to eat a gluten-free diet with single gluten-free items potentially costing as much as 500 per cent more.
University of Wollongong researchers Kelly Lambert and Caitlin Ficken compared the cost of a basket of gluten-free foods, with a traditional healthy food basket, among four different family types. “A gluten-free diet is unaffordable for the majority of family types we studied,” Lambert says.
The purchase price of a basket of gluten-free foods was up to 17 per cent higher than the equivalent gluten-containing foods. They also found a hefty mark-up for gluten-free staples, such as bread and flour, compared with regular foods.