American Italian Pasta Introduces Gluten-Free Pasta Line

For those who follow gluten-free diets, ordering a plate of spaghetti and meatballs in a restaurant has meant dialing back flavor expectations and settling for sticky, tasteless pasta – if gluten-free pastas were on the menu at all. Kansas City, Mo.-based American Italian Pasta Co.  now, offers a delicious alternative for gluten-free dieters, and allows foodservice entities to offer great-tasting, gluten-free pasta as a menu staple.
 
AIPC created gluten-free pasta that, for the first time, matches the color, texture and flavor of traditional pasta through the use of a yellow corn/white rice blend. Sold under the Heartland brand, the product is available in three shapes: Spaghetti, Penne and Fusilli, and is also egg-free and dairy-free.
 
Foodservice outlets can capitalize on the burgeoning trend toward gluten-free eating. In fact, gluten-free pasta sales are up 40 percent over a year ago, according Nielsen Co.'s report for the week ending March 13, 2010. Most consumers who require gluten-free diets suffer from celiac disease, which, according to a recent Mayo Clinic study, is four times more prevalent today than it was 50 years ago. A gluten-free diet often is recommended, as well, for individuals with autism or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, two other growing conditions in the U.S.
 
Foodservice outlets can leverage this trend – and build customer loyalty and boost sales – by offering Heartland pasta to their patrons. Heartland pasta is more affordable than competing gluten-free pastas, allowing foodservice retailers to offer gluten-free pasta for about $.50 per serving.

Company Information

Website: www.HeartlandPasta.com