Nutritional content and quality of processed gluten-free products

Abstract

The present work aimed to compare the macro- and micronutrient contents of gluten-free (GF) and gluten-containing (GC) products from a wide range of stores in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. A case-control study was conducted. Twelve major supermarkets in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia were visited, and the nutritional information labels of 92 GF and 46 GC products were compared. Results showed that GF products were significantly lower in protein (p = 0.004), total sugar (p = 0.01), calcium (p = 0.02), iron (p = 0.002), and vitamin D (p = 0.01) than GC products. Furthermore, GF breads, flours, and pastas had significantly lower amounts of protein than their GC counterparts (p < 0.001, p = 0.03, and p < 0.001, respectively). Fibre was significantly higher in GF than GC biscuits and breads (p = 0.04 and p = 0.01, respectively). However, GF pastas had significantly lower content of fibre per 100 g than GC pastas (p = 0.02). Overall, the nutritional quality of GF products was not significantly different from GC products. Although GF and GC biscuits and cookies were considered low nutritional value products, the nutritional quality scores of GF biscuits and cookies were significantly higher than their GC counterparts. GF products were lower in protein, total sugar, vitamin D, calcium, and iron than GC products. The nutritional quality of GF products did not differ from GC products. Food manufacturers should pay more attention to the nutritional content of GF products. Future studies are needed for the nutritional assessment of GF products, and how nutritional content may influence the diet quality of individuals with celiac disease who follow gluten-free diets.