Africa's Indigenous Crops Gain Ground in Gluten-Free Market

African bakeries are increasingly featuring breads, cakes, and pastries made from naturally gluten-free ingredients such as cassava, millet, and sorghum.

The growing appetite for gluten-free foods is driven by consumer preferences rather than medical necessity. People are choosing gluten-free foods because they are sensitive to gluten and experience allergic reactions after consuming products that contain it.

Judith Moraa, a Nairobi-based nutritionist, notes that eliminating gluten is not a weight-loss strategy, and many consumers mistakenly associate wheat with weight gain when the other contributors, such as excess calories from fats and sugars added during food preparation, are to blame.

For consumers who can tolerate gluten, Moraa argues there is no medical reason to eliminate it entirely. However, she added that naturally gluten-free Indigenous crops offer valuable nutritional benefits because they are rich in dietary fiber that supports digestion.

The global gluten-free baked goods market was valued at approximately USD 2.6 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach USD 7.38 billion by 2034, according to Fortune Business Insights.

Making African Gluten-Free Ingredients Competitive

Researchers are developing technologies to make African gluten-free ingredients more competitive in the international market.

At the University of Pretoria, Food Science researcher Daddy Kgonothi has developed a patent-pending modified marama bean protein concentrate designed to improve the quality and affordability of gluten-free baked products.

Marama beans, drought-resistant and nutrient-rich legumes native to Southern Africa, are being used to tackle one of the biggest technical and commercial challenges facing gluten-free baking: Replicating the structure, elasticity and soft texture that gluten naturally provides in bread.

Transforming Potatoes into Gluten-Free Foods

South African researchers are also exploring ways to transform cosmetically rejected potatoes into premium gluten-free foods, creating new markets for produce that would otherwise go to waste.

According to Potatoes South Africa, around 140,000 tons of potatoes worth roughly 759 million South African Rand (USD 46.92 million) are rejected from the formal market each year because they fail to meet retailers’ aesthetic standards, despite being suitable for consumption.

Researchers are now investigating how those potatoes can be converted into gluten-free flour and other value-added products.

The Commercial Opportunities

Governments are also beginning to build the institutional foundations for the sector.

Nigeria recently secured approval through the Codex Alimentarius Commission to lead the development of an international standard for root and tuber flours, including cassava, yam, and sweet potato flour.

Similar developments are emerging across the continent. Cassava is increasingly being processed into gluten-free flour across West and Central Africa, while sorghum and millet are finding new applications in specialty foods in Eastern and Southern Africa.

Ethiopia’s teff is also moving beyond its traditional regional market. In February, British International Investment committed USD 5 million to Lovegrass Ethiopia to expand production of teff-based foods for domestic and export markets.

The commercial opportunity is also extending to finished consumer products. South African producer Colleen’s Handmade Sauces recently expanded into the United Arab Emirates through premium online grocery retailer Kibsons.

New product development is also accelerating. Companies such as Mugala Naturals are formulating snack bars using Indigenous ingredients, including teff and amaranth, to meet growing demand for clean-label foods made without artificial additives.

These developments in food production and research put the continent in a prime position to lead the artisanal ingredient industry in the future.

Researchers believe such innovations could create new value chains for potatoes previously treated as waste, improving farmers’ returns while supplying the expanding market for gluten-free food products.

Consumer trials found that willingness to buy the products increased significantly once shoppers learned they helped reduce food waste, suggesting sustainability is becoming an important driver of purchasing decisions alongside growing demand for convenient gluten-free foods.

The AFMASS Food Expo in Nairobi is a platform where millers, ingredient suppliers, equipment manufacturers, and food processors are dedicating growing attention to specialized flours and value-added African ingredients.

The commercial momentum is becoming increasingly visible at industry exhibitions such as the AFMASS Food Expo in Nairobi, where companies are showcasing their gluten-free products and ingredients.

The story was written by Bonface Orucho and originally published by Bird Story Agency on July 28, 2026.