"Sensitive to Stomachs"

By Jenni Mintz, Ventura County Star, Calif.

Feb. 7—For years, Brittany Cole dealt with stomach pains, felt lethargic and had trouble focusing. A 13-year-old with mild autism, she said changing her diet changed her life.

The Westlake Village resident, a bright student with a love for horses, has eaten gluten-free — no wheat, rye, or barley — for two years.

"My stomach feels better," she said. "I don't get side pains anymore. The food also helps my autism. I focus more. I feel more clear, and I think food affects a lot of what you do -- it affects how you think."

She has more food choices since her mom, Shari Cole, 46, and two partners started Gluten Free & Fabulous in 2005. After months of development, the company this year expects to roll out about 500,000 packages of three products, Karen's Krisps, Chocolate Chip Cookie Bites and Macaroni & Cheese.

Cole, vice president of marketing, works with her father, Larry Schneider, 73, chief financial officer, and her best friend, Karen Davidson, 43, chief executive. The products, created by Davidson, are manufactured in Hayward, Calif.

Gluten-free product launches climbed 86 percent in 2006, according to Mintel International Group, a Chicago marketing research firm. Companies are placing a stronger focus on allergen-free foods, which have seen significant growth into mainstream retailers, Mintel reported.

Sales of gluten-free products jumped from $770 million in 2005 to $890 million in 2006, according to SPINS Inc., an Illinois-based market research and consulting firm for the natural products industry. There were 4,541 products on the market as of Sept. 2006.

For the founders of Gluten Free & Fabulous, the fight for good nutrition is personal. Each has struggled with food issues.

For most of his life, Schneider of Scottsdale, Ariz., has had celiac disease, an autoimmune intestinal disorder in which the small intestine is damaged when gluten is ingested and prevents the absorption of food's nutrients. As a teenager, Davidson of Ventura battled anorexia but overcame it to become a food scientist. And Cole has been affected through her daughter's experiences with stomach pains and autism.

Everything but product manufacturing is generally handled by the three from their respective homes.

Their products, including the $4.99 cookies and krisps and $2.95 macaroni, started appearing on shelves at Lassen's Health Food Store and a handful of other markets throughout the country at the end of January, with a seal of approval from the Celiac Sprue Association.

Davidson continues working on several other recipes, including gluten-free butterscotch cookies, shortbread, corn bread and chicken strips — all of which are expected to launch this year.

"Things have happened so quickly," Cole said. "The three of us have been on fire. Karen's been in the kitchen constantly."

Schneider anticipates the company will achieve record growth as word spreads and demand soars. He projects first-year sales to generate from $1.5 to $5 million, and grow to $15 to $30 million in the next five years. The company so far has invested about $150,000 into product development and other start-up costs.

"We're a company to look for," Schneider said.

Melissa Riches of Westlake Village agrees. Since her 4-year-old daughter, Megan, was diagnosed with celiac at 18 months, Riches is always on the watch for gluten-free food.

It can be tough to find gluten-free food that doesn't crumble, tastes like real food and is moist, but Gluten Free & Fabulous products fit the bill, she said.

Karen's Krisps are her favorite — she went through a 3.5-ounce bag the day she purchased them.

"I think products should be available in your supermarket, your Albertsons or Vons," Riches said. "I'd like to see those stores give an aisle or part of an aisle to gluten-free foods, and they don't. You really have to dig."

Gluten Free & Fabulous founders want their products to be available in all supermarkets and in schools.

"Forty percent of our population in school is ADD, ADHD, Aperger's, autistic, dyslexic, or OCD," Cole said. "It's huge. There are more kids today with disabilities. Why is that? But after a while, you have to stop asking why. You have to treat and fix the problem."

Scientific data suggests that children with learning disorders often have food intolerances, typically related to gluten or wheat, further fueling the growth of the market.

There are many other companies that make gluten-free products, but "most of them taste terrible," Schneider said.

Schneider should know. He's eaten gluten-free ever since he was diagnosed with celiac seven years ago. At that time, the 6-foot-2 Schneider weighed 140 pounds, and looked like he was starving, Cole said. Celiac sufferers are more prone to osteoporosis, as bones become brittle when the body doesn't get needed nutrients.

There are millions of celiac sufferers in the United States, and perhaps millions more undiagnosed. As the number of cases grows, so does the need for gluten-free products.

Marcy Ginkel, a certified clinical nutritionist at Optimum Health Consulting in Camarillo, says she is seeing more and more gluten sensitivity among patients. She attributes the increase to the changing food industry, namely, an increase in refined breads, and the growing number of medications people are taking — both stress the body's digestive system.

Ginkel said her patients who switch to a gluten-free diet see a 70 percent improvement. Gluten-free can help those who have allergies, skin conditions, asthma or problems losing weight, she added.

"Brittany had very serious gastrointestinal issues, which goes hand-in-hand with autism," Cole said. "For children with autism, protein found in wheat and rye acts like morphine when it's absorbed into the body. These kids are spacey, not focused. The minute you put them on a gluten-free diet, it's like they're finally there."