TY - GEN
T1 - Cost, availability and nutritional composition comparison between gluten free and gluten containing food staples provided by food outlets and internet food delivery services between two areas of London with differing UK deprivation indices
AU - Jeanes, Yvonne
PY - 2018
Y1 - 2018
N2 - Title:
Cost, availability and nutritional composition comparison between gluten free and gluten containing food staples provided by food outlets and internet food delivery services between two areas of London with differing UK deprivation indices
Introduction / Aims:
The study aim is to compare the cost, availability and nutritional composition of manufactured gluten-free (GF) products with their gluten-containing (GC) counterparts, provided by food retailers (physical stores and online) between two areas of a London with distinctly contrasting deprivation indices.
Methods:
A cross-sectional survey of 26 food categories was conducted in May 2017, data was collected on the cost, availability and nutritional composition of GF and GC foods. Food categories included traditionally wheat based and everyday foods usually containing gluten. Fifty physical stores were surveyed (10 in each category); convenience stores, budget supermarkets, regular supermarkets, quality supermarkets and health food shops. In addition, online retailers of manufactured GF products which offered a delivery service to the areas under study were also included.
Results:
A third of all stores surveyed did not stock any traditionally wheat based manufactured GF items, this was comprised of budget supermarkets and convenience stores. The availability of GF foods across the two regions were similar, with products surveyed from the ‘everyday foods’ category found to be particularly poor. The online GF food suppliers superseded all of the physical stores in the number of manufactured GF items available. However, over half of the GF items were more expensive in online stores than in regular supermarkets. In fact, 74% of GF foods surveyed were more expensive than their GC counterparts, including food staples such as GF bread and bread rolls were 294-449% more expensive than the GC counterparts (p<0.001), plain flour 94% (p=0.006) and flaked cereals 93% more expensive (p<0.001). Nutritional composition comparison revealed higher calorie, fat and saturated fat and lesser protein content for surveyed manufactured GF products.
Summary / Conclusion:
Availability of manufactured GF products remains poor, especially in convenience stores and budget supermarkets, serving those from poor socio-economic cohorts, the elderly and physically disabled. The stores where availability has improved from previous published findings are associated with the greatest additional cost. The inferior comparative nutritional quality of manufactured GF products emphasises need for those on a medically indicated GFD to be advised and monitored by adequately trained health professionals and also provides evidence towards dispelling false claims that removing gluten from the diet has health benefits.
Acknowledgments: Funding from Coeliac UK
AB - Title:
Cost, availability and nutritional composition comparison between gluten free and gluten containing food staples provided by food outlets and internet food delivery services between two areas of London with differing UK deprivation indices
Introduction / Aims:
The study aim is to compare the cost, availability and nutritional composition of manufactured gluten-free (GF) products with their gluten-containing (GC) counterparts, provided by food retailers (physical stores and online) between two areas of a London with distinctly contrasting deprivation indices.
Methods:
A cross-sectional survey of 26 food categories was conducted in May 2017, data was collected on the cost, availability and nutritional composition of GF and GC foods. Food categories included traditionally wheat based and everyday foods usually containing gluten. Fifty physical stores were surveyed (10 in each category); convenience stores, budget supermarkets, regular supermarkets, quality supermarkets and health food shops. In addition, online retailers of manufactured GF products which offered a delivery service to the areas under study were also included.
Results:
A third of all stores surveyed did not stock any traditionally wheat based manufactured GF items, this was comprised of budget supermarkets and convenience stores. The availability of GF foods across the two regions were similar, with products surveyed from the ‘everyday foods’ category found to be particularly poor. The online GF food suppliers superseded all of the physical stores in the number of manufactured GF items available. However, over half of the GF items were more expensive in online stores than in regular supermarkets. In fact, 74% of GF foods surveyed were more expensive than their GC counterparts, including food staples such as GF bread and bread rolls were 294-449% more expensive than the GC counterparts (p<0.001), plain flour 94% (p=0.006) and flaked cereals 93% more expensive (p<0.001). Nutritional composition comparison revealed higher calorie, fat and saturated fat and lesser protein content for surveyed manufactured GF products.
Summary / Conclusion:
Availability of manufactured GF products remains poor, especially in convenience stores and budget supermarkets, serving those from poor socio-economic cohorts, the elderly and physically disabled. The stores where availability has improved from previous published findings are associated with the greatest additional cost. The inferior comparative nutritional quality of manufactured GF products emphasises need for those on a medically indicated GFD to be advised and monitored by adequately trained health professionals and also provides evidence towards dispelling false claims that removing gluten from the diet has health benefits.
Acknowledgments: Funding from Coeliac UK
M3 - Conference contribution
BT - Coeliac UK delegates brochure
ER -