The holiday for those sensitive to gluten: what to buy at the supermarket?

"And there shall be no fear left for you in all your borders for seven days."

Passover is characterized by significant changes in consumption patterns, with the change starting between two weeks and a month before the eve of the holiday. These changes do not affect only the ultra-orthodox or religious sector, but concern all citizens of the State of Israel.

In the past, the usual matzah with chocolate or butter spread was the classic and common combination during Passover. But over the years, the world of unleavened bread underwent a radical change and was renewed impressively. Today we find in the market oat, spelled and even enriched matzos with different flavors, which allows the consumer to choose from a wider variety of options. This variety is not limited to matzahs. In the market today you can find cakes, cookies, various pastries, borax, sweets and even different types of bread, all adapted to the kosher rules for Passover.

These innovations indicate that the food industry makes great efforts to meet the preferences and needs of the public that consumes its products, while combining innovation and creativity. This development allows everyone to enjoy their preferred choice, even at a time when culinary options seem limited. This is not only an improvement in taste and quality, but also in the general supply that responds to various dietary requirements and the desire for an enriching and enjoyable eating experience during the holiday.

Passover offers those avoiding gluten and celiac disease a reason to celebrate. At this time of the year, the market is flooded with a wide variety of gluten-free products, many of which are also adapted for kosher for Passover. However, despite constant growth in the market for gluten-free products, the supply still remains relatively low and the prices for consumers are high. Unlike the majority of the public who focuses on purchasing kosher products for Passover only before and during the holiday, celiac patients and those avoiding gluten expand their consumption of these products even after the holiday.

This is a time when they can more easily find products that match their nutritional requirements, so they tend to buy and store them in bulk to use throughout the year. Following the high and constant demand, gestures of support are created for this community, when special product delivery points are activated after the holiday, allowing celiac patients to continue enjoying gluten-free products throughout the year.

These gestures indicate recognition of the need to support this public and make available to them healthy and suitable products, which will allow them to maintain a gluten-free lifestyle easily and comfortably even outside the holiday period. The production processes of Passover products, especially gluten-free products, may be significantly more expensive than normal production, and this is for understandable reasons. The process requires the training of specific production lines for Passover and the production of gluten-free products, while maintaining strict kosher and quality regulations. In addition, since some products do not enjoy continuous demand throughout the year, the investment in their preparation does not always receive an appropriate financial response after the holiday.

The high cost of these processes translates into high prices for the consumer, which exacerbates the cost of living problem. The gap between the needs of the public and the high prices does not reflect the market properly and requires a new way of thinking about the production and marketing of these products.

Following this situation, it is essential to look for innovative and tasty solutions that can compete with the traditional options such as matzah with chocolate spread, but will also be more accessible in terms of price. The producers must think of ways to optimize processes, reduce costs and increase the supply in a way that will allow everyone to enjoy quality products without compromising on taste or kosher.

During the Passover period, households in Israel face a significant increase in expenses. Unlike other holidays, where purchases are mainly completed, on Pesach a complete renewal of the pantry and refrigerator is required to ensure the kosherness of the products according to Halacha. This requirement causes an increased consumption of new products and the throwing away of products that are not kosher for Passover, which leads to a significant waste of food. The consequences are twofold: first, there is a significant increase in the amount of discarded food, which burdens the existing waste treatment infrastructure and may cause environmental damage. Second, the increase in household expenses is also due to the high prices of Passover products and this is due to the strict requirements for kosher. In order to reduce waste and expenses, it is important to prepare for Passover in a more efficient way. It is always important to be calculated and make purchases according to proper planning and management for the household.

The question of justifying the high prices is complex. On the one hand, the high costs are justified by the large investment in strict processes of product preparation according to the strict requirements of the holiday and gluten-free standards. On the other hand, there is a concern that some of the price increases do not stem from process commitment but rather from taking advantage of the opportunity for extremely high profits while taking advantage of the consumer distress. Therefore, it is important to examine the price policy of the food companies and allow greater transparency in the production and pricing processes.

Also, consideration should be given to implementing regulation or government incentives that balance the need to maintain high standards of kosher and quality and protecting the consumer from unfairly high prices. The comparisons we made point to an important issue that affects not only during the holiday but also throughout the year for the gluten-free community. These consumers regularly face high prices, as gluten-free products are generally sold at higher prices than their regular counterparts. This reality is even more complex during Passover when all products, especially those required to be kosher for Passover, become more expensive.

The problem with the high prices lies not only in the burden of the economic price but also in the social and emotional impact on consumers who are limited in their nutritional choices due to a health need. When food prices are significantly high, this may lead to more limited dietary choices and exceed the economic limits of households.