Economic burden of a gluten‐free diet

Abstract Background Coeliac disease is a common, autoimmune disorder, for which the only treatment is lifelong adherence to a gluten‐free diet. This study evaluates the economic burden of adhering to a gluten‐free diet. Methods A market basket of products identified by name brand, weight or package size for both regular wheat‐based products and gluten‐free counterparts was developed. The differences in price between purchase venues, both type of store (general grocery store, an upscale grocery store and a health food store and four internet‐based grocery sites) and region was also analysed. Results Availability of gluten‐free products varied between the different venues, regular grocery stores carried 36%, while upscale markets carried 41%, and health food stores 94%, compared with 100% availability on the internet. Overall, every gluten‐free product was more expensive than their wheat‐based counterpart ( P ≤ 0.05). Bread and pasta was twice as expensive as their wheat‐based counterparts. Cost was affected more by shopping venue than geographic location. Conclusions This study demonstrated that gluten‐free foods have poor availability and are more expensive than their gluten‐containing counterparts. The impact of these findings on dietary compliance and the quality of life needs to be addressed.