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This is not the case at all.

It's done for gluten free foods. Gluten free foods have to be under 20ppm to be called GF, and there are many gluten free foods out there. Even some made on the same equipment as gluten containing foods (just cleaned thoroughly).

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Most gluten-free ingredients come from completely different crops, that are stored and processed in seperate facilities. But even if they weren't, have you checked the prices of certified allergen-free food recently? Even if a large part of the difference is a lack of scale, there would be riots if all foods had to follow those standards.

I have celiac, I buy a lot of GF foods. There are tons of foods labeled gluten free that aren't marketed as gluten free, and cost as much as normal food because they are normal food that's labeled GF. Only certain ingredients need to be handled specially like you say.

Gluten free foods are 50% more expensive, and far more restricted in availability.

This is true for gluten free subs of foods that aren't normally GF, yes. But GF mustard, for example, isn't any more expensive then non-GF mustard.

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