Nutritional characteristics of gluten-free products marketed in Serbia

Gluten-free products, primarily intended for people with gluten-related disorders, have become increasingly popular among healthy consumers. Despite reformulation efforts through the last decades, some concerns remain about the nutritional profile of gluten-free products. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the nutritional characteristics of gluten-free and gluten-containing food products within the same category in the Serbian market. A total of 175 gluten-free and 344 gluten-containing equivalent food products classified into six categories were compared based on labeled nutritional information. The gluten-free fine bakery products and snacks had less, but gluten-free bread, pastries, and pasta had significantly higher energy values than the gluten-containing products. While gluten-free pasta had a higher protein content, gluten-free flour had a higher content of saturated fatty acids than their gluten-containing equivalents. Glutenfree breakfast cereals contain less sugar compared to regular products. The salt content in gluten-free food products was also lower than that of equivalent products. However, the total fiber content was not statistically different between the groups. Overall, the results indicated differences between the nutritional characteristics of gluten-free and glutencontaining food products, which should be considered for implementing a well-balanced gluten-free diet.