Frito-Lay offering more gluten-free options to consumers
Following a recent American FDA ruling on the description of ‘gluten free’ as 20 parts per million, more companies are jumping on the gluten free bandwagon. Known as Smiths in Australia, PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay division, which sells such products as Lay’s Classic potato chips, Fritos Original corn chips and Tostitos Scoops! Tortilla chips, is promoting its gluten free recipes with its gluten free products.
Gluten free products have been a strong growth segment for numerous food companies. By way of illustration Australian Food News reported that Australian food giant Goodman Fielder had also reported strong growth of its ‘gluten free’ categories.
Consumers with Coeliac disease or gluten sensitivities are now able to choose from more snacking options on the Frito-Lay’s website and PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay division has released a new recipe section on the company’s website teamed with a selection of Frito-Lay gluten-free snacks.
It may be said that promoting any potato or corn product as gluten free is interesting, given that potato and corn are naturally gluten free. The suggested food snack companions to the new recipe options are all based on potato and corn based foods, being potato chips, corn chips and tortilla chips. However, unless a gluten free production line is utilised, it is potentially possible for flavourings, additives and preservatives that contain traces of gluten to be introduced in the line.
As part of the US National Celiac Disease Awareness Month last May, Frito-Lay sponsored Recipe ReDux in a week-long recipe challenge to develop a number of gluten free versions of typical appetisers and meals usually not available to those with Celiac disease or gluten sensitivities.
This will have no impact in Australia. To be labelled gluten-free, products must have been tested to be less than 5 parts of gluten per million, much less than the 20 ppm in the US.