Nobody would expect Sacramento would have one of the first gluten-free specialty markets in California. Gluten-free products are becoming more common in stores, but sometimes there is a limited selection of products and it can be expensive for a college student.

The Gluten Free Specialty Market is one of the best places in Sacramento for gluten-free consumers. Shoppers can get gluten-free and allergy-free products. Inside the store, there are shelves of products catering to all allergy-free needs.

The Gluten Free Specialty Market is owned by Melanie Weir and located in midtown Sacramento. Weir is a Sacramento State alumna and said she has been gluten-free for about a decade and dairy-free for a few years.

“I understand what it’s like to live with allergies and I work hard to offer safe food options to the Sacramento community,” Weir said.

Weir said the gluten-free label had never been regulated in the United States and she learned this the hard way. After completing an elimination diet, which is when someone removes certain foods from his or her diet, she started to add products she thought were gluten-free into her diet. It took her almost three to four years to realize the reactions she could not figure out were coming from foods either appearing gluten-free or labeled gluten-free.

“I’ve spent the last six years creating a database of gluten-free products I can eat and gluten-free products I can’t eat,” Weir said. “My need for safe options and desire to try new things led me to start a buying club that quickly turned into the first Gluten Free Specialty Market in California.”

The Gluten Free Specialty Market offers breads, croissants and pizza crusts. Its shelves are filled with items like flours, chips, crackers, baking mixes, frozen lunch and dinner items, pastas, dried fruits, candy and more.

“We currently have more than 10,000 items available by special order and between 6,000 and 7,000 gluten-free items rotating on our shelves,” Weir said.

It carries dairy-free, peanut-free, corn-free, nut-free, tree nut-free, soy-free and yeast-free products at its store, and it caters to vegetarian and vegan diets. Students should check out the Gluten Free Specialty Market if they have certain foodallergies and want to have a variety of choices.

Weir said she likes to support Sac State students. If students shop on the third Sunday of the month and show their student ID, they can save 10 percent off their purchases.

“We try to make living gluten-free both accessible and affordable,” Weir said.

The Gluten Free Specialty Market offers classes for gluten-free beginners, hosts vendors and local events advertised in its weekly newsletters. Besides having a newsletter, the Gluten Free Specialty Market keeps its customers updated with news, discounts and specials on Twitter and Facebook.

Gluten Free Speciality Market uses all of its profits to purchase new gluten-free products and to support the local Sacramento community.

Jana Greenberg, an employee of Gluten Free Specialty Market, said she believes what makes the Gluten Free Specialty Market special from other stores is it is a neighborhood specialty market and caters to people with food allergies.

“We care about you and your personal needs and we have experience with specialty diets and multiple allergens,” Weir said. “Additionally, when you shop with us you help to determine the availability of gluten-free products throughout Sacramento.”

Brittany Lambert can be reached at [email protected]