Families with children on special diets pay up to 67 per cent more for their shopping.
Research by The Allergy Team monitored the average prices of common family foods. The items included bread, pasta, milk and cheese, and their alternatives.
The group is an online community supporting people with allergies.
The research is also applicable to autistic children because research shows they are more vulnerable to gut complaints and many families treat this with a gluten-free and casein-free diet.
The Allergy Team’s findings showed that gluten-free penne pasta at Morrisons increased by 125 per cent in a year. The rise was from 60p in January 2022 to £1.35 last month.
Casein-free price rises
A casein-free diet can mean using plant-based types of milk, cheese and yoghurt as important sources of calcium and Vitamin D.
At Sainsbury’s, Nurishh Vegan Cheddar Style Slices increased by 67 per cent, from £1.50 to £2.50, without promotions.
In Asda, Alpro Growing Up Soya Milk increased by 27 per cent, from £1.50 to £1.90.
Sarah Knight says families with children on restricted diets have been paying more for food for years
Gap with non-dietary food is narrowing
Though families still pay considerably more for restricted diets, the research shows that the gap with the cost of non-dietary food is closing.
In 2022, the cost of the free-from ranges at Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons was, on average, 99 per cent higher than non-dietary food.
But by last month this had closed to 67 per cent. This was because all food prices have risen rapidly over the past year.
More sympathy?
Sarah Knight is the founder of The Allergy Team.
She said with the gap between the cost of restricted diet food and non-dietary products getting smaller, perhaps there will be “more sympathy with those of us who’ve been paying more for years because of our children’s condition”.
Biomedical charity Thinking Autism said gluten-free food is available on prescription to those with coeliac disease.
The UK Government should consider extending the prescriptions to those with autism who benefit from a gluten-free diet, says the charity.
Andrew Opie is the director of food at the British Retail Consortium.
He said retailers are “investing significantly in lowering costs for the future”.
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Published: 11 February 2023
