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Gluten is a protein mostly found in wheat and barley. It plays an important role in baked goods as it has binding properties that give bread and cakes their characteristic elasticity and chewiness, making them fluffy as well as preventing crumbling. However, since the 1940s when it was found to cause coelic disease symptoms, it has become a major issue for many consumers, even if they don't suffer from coeliac disease. Since 2006 wheat has to be declared on food lables and in 2008 General Mills 2 marketed the first glutenfree product in the US. Since then many product lines of gluten-free baked goods and brands have appeared in the market, and many restaurants, besides declaring gluten as an ingredient in their menues, also offer gluten-free alternatives. The global market for gluten-free products is predicted to be worth over 8 billion USD by 2025. For African farmers the glutenfree market offers opportunities to export flour substitutes like cassava, maize and rice flour, or even more exotic flours like ensete and cocoyams flours.

Image source: https://www.beyondceliac.org/gluten-free-diet/baking/