It’s for real. Gluten-free baked foods have gone mainstream. These foods are no longer just the output of small entrepreneurs and startups.

Bimbo Bakeries USA, Weston Foods and Pillsbury recently jumped into the market. General Mills has been in for a while, and Udi’s has become a force in this growing market. Worldwide, gluten-free sales are expected to reach $6.2 billion in 2018, growing at a CAGR of 10.2%, according to Dallas-based MarketsandMarkets.

The fastest growth comes in Europe and North America, with North America at 59% of the total market.

“Some consumers consider gluten-free to be a miracle food,” Andrea Caremoli, president and chief executive officer, Caremoli USA, Ames, Iowa, told Baking & Snack for an upcoming article in September. “What’s driving it is that doctors are able to diagnose gluten intolerance quicker and more easily than in the past. And second, families with a gluten-intolerant member usually end up making one meal for the whole family. From a business perspective, if you have one individual forced into a gluten-free diet, you’ll change the whole family’s diet because you can’t have gluten anywhere in the kitchen.”

Are you up for the challenge?