Dunkin’ Donuts to introduce gluten-free pastries in stores across US

Dunkin' Donuts is set to emerge the first to introduce gluten-free pastries across the US, ahead of McDonald's Corp and Starbucks Corp, Bloomberg reports.

The coffee and breakfast chain owned by Dunkin' Brands Group Inc would sell gluten-free cinnamon-sugar doughnuts and blueberry muffins across its US stores this year, according to Stan Frankenthaler, the company's executive chef.

He said in an e-mail, ''We recognize the importance of providing our guests with many options, including alternative choices for people with food and dietary restrictions.''

The pastries, to be sold through participating shops, would be packaged separately to avoid contamination from other foods containing wheat flour.

According to commentators, gluten-free foods may be the next trend for restaurant chains and coffee shops in their bid to attract customers and increase sales with healthier items -- even though wheat-free did not necessarily mean fewer calories.

Domino's Pizza Inc offered gluten-free crusts, while Starbucks, the world's largest coffee-shop operator, was considering introducing some gluten-free items after it bought a bakery that sold organic breads last year, according to Linda Mills, a spokeswoman for the Seattle-based company.

Bloomberg quoted, Nancy Childs, a food marketing professor at Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia, as saying in a telephone interview that the number of people who thought they would benefit from going gluten-free was growing. She added, gluten-free foods were not only consumed by people with celiac disease.

She said people felt they were choosing a healthier alternative when they bought gluten-free fare.

It was no surprise that Dunkin' Donuts had decided to launch its gluten-free treats nationwide, according to commentators. The company was not the only fast food chain to jump on the wheat-free bandwagon.

The chain's  first attempt at testing gluten-free snacks in a few locations in Florida and Massachusetts last year, was met with enthusiastic response.

In December, a gluten-free support group in Florida described the fare as ''dangerously delicious,'' according to the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness.

However, though delicious as they might be for all, consumers who are not gluten-intolerant would hardly be worse off keeping snacking on the conventional stuff, according to experts.