FLOUR POWER: Africa’s ancient grains find new favour with gluten-free foodies

Drought-resistant and locally sourced, they are sustainable alternatives to wheat and the market for them is growing.

As health-conscious consumers increasingly look beyond wheat, Africa’s indigenous crops are finding new commercial value. Growing demand for gluten-free foods is encouraging bakeries, researchers and food manufacturers to transform traditional staples such as cassava, millet, sorghum and teff into premium products for domestic and export markets.

Wheat has long dominated Africa’s bakeries. But at Nairobi’s Kirsten Bakery, shelves increasingly feature breads, cakes and pastries made from naturally gluten-free ingredients such as cassava, millet and sorghum.

It’s one example of a broader shift unfolding across Africa, where changing consumer preferences are creating new commercial opportunities for entrepreneurs, food scientists and manufacturers to transform indigenous crops into premium food products.

“Nowadays, people are choosing gluten-free foods not only because they have coeliac disease, but also because they are sensitive to gluten and experience allergic reactions after consuming products that contain it,” said Nairobi nutritionist Judith Moraa.

There is no medical reason to stop eating gluten if you can tolerate it, she says, but naturally gluten-free indigenous crops offer valuable nutritional benefits. They are rich in dietary fibre that supports digestion.

These changing dietary preferences are increasingly translating into commercial opportunity. The global gluten-free bakery products market was valued at about $2.6-billion last year and is projected to reach $7.38-billion by 2034, according to Fortune Business Insights.

Although Europe and North America dominate the market, African businesses are increasingly positioning indigenous crops as locally sourced alternatives capable of supplying both domestic consumers and international markets.

For many African food manufacturers, indigenous crops offer advantages beyond nutrition. Cassava, millet and sorghum can often be sourced locally, reducing dependence on imported wheat while strengthening domestic agricultural value chains. Many of these crops are also more resilient to drought and changing climatic conditions, making them increasingly attractive as governments pursue food security.

Researchers are developing technologies that could make African gluten-free ingredients more competitive. At the University of Pretoria, food science PhD 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 are drought-resistant and nutrient-rich legumes native to southern Africa. They 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.

“A growing number of consumers with coeliac disease are unable to consume gluten-­containing foods such as bread and therefore rely on alternative gluten-free products,” Kgonothi said.