While the market for gluten-free foods has been expanding rapidly, the texture of gluten free breads and bakery items have occasionally put off consumers searching for an identical replacement to standard bread products.

But a new method of milling rice flour may soon put that issue to rest.

A team working for the Journal of Food and Science has found that pin-milled rice flour produces bakery products and puddings that are much harder to discern from the "real thing" that American consumers have been eating for years.

Why? Apparently standard rice flour isn't exactly uniform in particle size, which means a slightly uneven texture.

However rice flour that's subjected to the more aggressive pin milling process has a uniform texture that's more pleasing to the palate when added to baked goods.

This is great news, since rice based products make up a large portion of the gluten free foods on the market today.

[N.B. The gluten free foods market was estimated to be worth more than $700 million a year in past years, growing at a rate of 25% each year.]

This is good news for buyers, since the rising cost of rice has lead to a 66% increase in the first quarter of this year.

What does this mean for manufacturers and food distributors? As the market for gluten free breads and other foods increases, pin milling rice flour will certainly become more commonplace, if not the norm.

Regardless of whether it's pin-milled or not, rice flour's popularity is definitely proving itself to be be a staple for many food manufacturers both in the U.S. and abroad.

According to a study commissioned by the performance and nutrition company Volac, whey proteins could offer food distributors a new and very lucrative market.

Nearly a quarter of the 1,000 consumers polled reported that they would be interested in a product containing whey that would be consumed after exercise in order to aid the recovery of stressed muscles.

Whey protein offers fitness buffs a variety of useful tools that aid in the development of a healthy body. It enhances rehydration and helps the body to build new muscle tissue. It also offers consumers protein, and a naturally high level of amino acids.

In short, whey is a major potential lynchpin between fitness nutrition and food distribution.

Manufacturers and distributors interested in capitalizing on the popularity of this product can do so in a variety of ways. It can be offered as a whey powder supplement, or added to foods that appeal to health conscious consumers, such as protein bars.

The study itself revealed the potential market for whey added to fitness drinks, which could provide a new competitor to electrolyte loaded beverages like Gatorade.

One caveat to the study was the need for education on the many benefits of whey, insinuating that those food distributors who want to capitalize on whey proteins should also make clear the benefits of whey when they advertise their product.