Dunkin' Donuts announced on Wednesday that they will start selling gluten-free doughnuts and muffins by the end of the year.
Although the breakfast franchise is not famous for hawking health-conscious options, Dunkin' will add two new items-cinnamon-sugar doughnuts and blueberry muffins-by December 2013 to cater to customers with food allergies and dietary restrictions.
According to CNN Money, PR Director Michelle King released a statement on behalf of the chain saying that Dunkin' Donuts wants to cater to all kinds of customers.
"At Dunkin' Donuts, we recognize the importance of providing our guests with many options, including alternative choices for people with food and dietary restrictions," she wrote. "We understand that sensitivities to food ingredients such as gluten are a serious concern for certain guests."
Gluten is a protein found in many grain products, including wheat, pasta and barley. Some deli meats and packaged products also contain gluten.
About one percent of the population has a sensitivity to gluten known as celiac disease, barring them from the consumption of many bread products. Recently, however, many who are not celiac have hopped on the new diet fad, adopting gluten-free eats for good.
Most restaurants now offer gluten-free options, including Domino's, (who added a gluten-free crust choice to their pizza) and Chipotle.
Starbucks is in the midst of adding some gluten-free items to their menu as well.
Some niche eateries are nearly exclusively gluten-free, including bakery Babycakes NYC, whose goods are made with a fava bean, garbanzo bean flour that renders most items gluten-free.
Despite notions that gluten-free means less calories, eschewing wheat products for rice and bean-based wares does not connote a healthier option, Nancy Childs, food marketing professor at Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia, told Yahoo! Finance.
"The number of people who think they benefit from going gluten-free is growing," she said. "People feel that they are choosing a healthier alternative."
