Gluten-Free Options Go Mainstream with Burger King

The demand for gluten-free options has been rising in response to various consumer health conditions and concerns. Now even Burger King has announced a new list of gluten-free menu items, all made without wheat, barley, oats or rye.

Gluten causes problems for those with celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder triggered by a gluten protein, but it's also been associated with a wide range of other illnesses from repetitive strain injury to attention deficit disorder. There may not be evidence supporting all of these links, but science tends to have little impact on fear-based trends.

This is great news for those who actually do need gluten-free options to stay healthy -- companies have been introducing new gluten-free options, removing gluten from old products, and adding "gluten-free" labels to products that never had gluten in the first place.

A Burger King marketing executive said its own gluten-free initiative was "part of our 'Have It Your Way' brand promise."

Related Stories on BNET Food: Companies Expand Gluten-Free Offerings