Survey and comparison of Celiac Food Products with similar foods in Zahedan 2019

Celiac disease is one of the most common gastrointestinal diseases. Due to the wide variety of symptoms and complications and also the lack of sufficient food sources, Celiac disease causes a decrease in the quality of life in patients, and thus it is essential to identify the relevant food sources and its quality. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the types of food products offered in the distribution centers of food products for celiac patients and compare them with similar food products in Zahedan city.

In this descriptive-analytical study, the energy and micronutrients of 60 food products, including 30 products of celiac and gluten-free patients and 30 similar food products, were investigated and evaluated. Chi-square and Mann-Whitney tests were used to compare the data.

The average energy and fiber per 100 grams of celiac products were significantly lower than non-celiac products. It was also found that the abundance of starch in potatoes, whey powder and rice flour in celiac products is significantly higher than in non-celiac products. On the other hand, wheat flour was significantly higher in non-celiac products.

The findings of this research showed that the nutritional value of gluten-free products is lower than gluten-containing products in such a way that their dietary fiber and energy are less. Also, the price of these products is three times that of similar products, which requires proper management regarding the increase of gluten-free products in the city.