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The advantage of the fad is that they have created much more demand for gluten-free food. My son has an allergy to wheat so enjoys the fact that the supermarket

The advantage of the fad is that they have created much more demand for gluten-free food. My son has an allergy to wheat so enjoys the fact that the supermarket shelves are now stacked with suitable food.

thaumasiotes 8y ago
Well, as noted elsewhere, they've created a lot more demand for food that is labeled "gluten-free". They haven't created more demand for food that is actually gluten-free, since they can't tell the difference; lots of people are willing to humor these people by giving them the label they want without going to the effort of taking the gluten out of the food. The same thing happens with "locally sourced". But unlike "locally sourced", food that has been mislabeled as "gluten-free" is dangerous for celiacs. As another side effect, the fad people do a lot of work to train everyone to believe things like "people who claim to be gluten-sensitive are stupid". I don't imagine celiacs appreciate that either.
- umanwizard 8y ago
  Anecdotally, I have a friend whose father has been gluten-free for decades, for legitimate medical reasons — he said the rise of the bullshit gluten-free fad dramatically changed his life for the better, by making it possible to find a wide variety of decent food that approximates what he was able to eat before he got sick.
- cimmanom 8y ago
  My favorite thing is how food items that obviously don't and never would have gluten are now slapped all over with labels that indicate they're gluten free. Guess what? Your dozen eggs are now gluten free! So is a gallon of (cow's) milk! And that bag of apples! And a head of fresh broccoli! And green tea! And bottled water! What's next? Advertising gluten-free toothbrushes and paper towels and smartphone cases?
  - umanwizard 8y ago
    Reminds me of the legend (maybe true, who knows) of the salmon cannery that marketed its naturally paler-than-usual stock with the slogan "Guaranteed not to turn pink in the can!"
    - justtopost 8y ago
      Almost all farmed salmon is colored by dyes in food, or processing. Skipping that step could be marketed as a somewhat legit health benefit. I have no idea if the dyes are at all harmful, but many people are bound to like their fish unaltered and 'natural'. Either way, brilliant marketing.
    - PebblesRox 8y ago
      https://xkcd.com/641/ https://xkcd.com/641/
oftenwrong 8y ago
I am still hoping for a day when lactose-free is a fad.

thaumasiotes 8y ago

Well, as noted elsewhere, they've created a lot more demand for food that is labeled "gluten-free". They haven't created more demand for food that is actually gluten-free, since they can't tell the difference; lots of people are willing to humor these people by giving them the label they want without going to the effort of taking the gluten out of the food. The same thing happens with "locally sourced". But unlike "locally sourced", food that has been mislabeled as "gluten-free" is dangerous for celiacs. As another side effect, the fad people do a lot of work to train everyone to believe things like "people who claim to be gluten-sensitive are stupid". I don't imagine celiacs appreciate that either.

umanwizard 8y ago
Anecdotally, I have a friend whose father has been gluten-free for decades, for legitimate medical reasons — he said the rise of the bullshit gluten-free fad dramatically changed his life for the better, by making it possible to find a wide variety of decent food that approximates what he was able to eat before he got sick.
cimmanom 8y ago
My favorite thing is how food items that obviously don't and never would have gluten are now slapped all over with labels that indicate they're gluten free. Guess what? Your dozen eggs are now gluten free! So is a gallon of (cow's) milk! And that bag of apples! And a head of fresh broccoli! And green tea! And bottled water! What's next? Advertising gluten-free toothbrushes and paper towels and smartphone cases?
- umanwizard 8y ago
  Reminds me of the legend (maybe true, who knows) of the salmon cannery that marketed its naturally paler-than-usual stock with the slogan "Guaranteed not to turn pink in the can!"
  - justtopost 8y ago
    Almost all farmed salmon is colored by dyes in food, or processing. Skipping that step could be marketed as a somewhat legit health benefit. I have no idea if the dyes are at all harmful, but many people are bound to like their fish unaltered and 'natural'. Either way, brilliant marketing.
  - PebblesRox 8y ago
    https://xkcd.com/641/ https://xkcd.com/641/

oftenwrong 8y ago

I am still hoping for a day when lactose-free is a fad.