Insights

Free From Food & Health Ingredients, Europe’s leading innovation platform for the free from, organic, vegan, functional and healthy ingredient food industries, consolidates their 2023 editions for the most dynamic show yet at RAI, Amsterdam.

What’s the state of the gluten-free market in Europe?
It is still a growing market. Market research indicates that sales of gluten-free products have been growing at around 6% per year from 2015-2020. Competition in the market also seems to be increasing. When looking at our own database on products labelled with the Crossed Grain Symbol it has increased by 4% (CAGR) over the last three years.

La era del COVID ha incrementado la demanda de estilos de vida saludables y productos alternativos, ya que cada vez más personas practican deporte. Estas personas y las que ya han intentado seguir una dieta sana quieren una variedad de alimentos a precios asequibles. Las aguas vitaminadas VIWA ofrecen una solución ideal para consumir las vitaminas esenciales en cantidades óptimas durante todo el año y proporcionan una cómoda frescura.

La marca VIWA ya es líder de su categoría en Europa Central y ha aumentado constantemente el número de clientes y distribuidores satisfechos en la Península Ibérica durante el último año. Actualmente contamos con más de 1.500 puntos de venta (entre otros El Corte Inglés, DIA...) y, dado el volumen de negocio de nuestros productos, creemos que las tiendas de impulso también pueden ser óptimas distribuidoras. Podemos ofrecer precios convenientes y apoyo a los distribuidores locales y/o regionales. 

Innova Market Insights’ global consumer research shows that wellbeing is the second most important value associated with food and beverages after affordability. Revealingly, mental health is as much a priority as physical health, showing that holistic wellbeing is a major goal for consumers. Coupled with the strong desire to improve emotional wellbeing, there has been an emergence of a trinity of wellness: body, mind and spirit.

Los días 7 y 8 de junio Barcelo - na acogerá una edición renovada de la Free From Food & Health Ingre- dients Expo en la que productores, investigadores, profesionales de la alimentación y dietistas podrán des - cubrir y aprovechar las nuevas ten - dencias y oportunidades en materia de productos y complementos ali- menticios ecológicos, veganos, sin lactosa, sin gluten, sin carne y libres de alérgenos.

What is fructose intolerance?
One of the least known food intolerances is fructose intolerance, which occurs when your digestive system does not absorb or even digest fructose properly.

Are there different types of fructose intolerance?
There are two, which differ greatly in cause and symptoms. Type 1, the most common, is dietary fructose intolerance. This is when the intestine does not absorb fructose as it should. Symptoms include stomach ache, gas, bloating and diarrhea. Type 2, hereditary fructose intolerance (HFI), is a genetic condition in which people are born without an enzyme that breaks down fructose. HFI can cause serious illness because undigested fructose can build up in the body, damaging the liver and kidneys.

What is The Packaging Cluster and its objectives?

The Packaging Cluster is a non-profit association that promotes the competitiveness of the packaging sector in Catalonia. The Cluster was born in 2012 and has grown to be one of the biggest associations in the packaging industry in the south of Europe. We now have more than 120 associate members and an international visibility. We work with three different strategies: networking activities, R&D collaboration projects, and training & consulting services. Currently we are working on 15 projects, eight of which are related to sustainability.

What challenges are you facing to achieve your aim of reducing global consumption of animals by 50% by 2040?

The appetite for alternative proteins and plant-based food products is growing, with animal-free protein increasingly viewed as the healthier choice. However, the plant-based sector and plant-based products face three major obstacles: taste, texture, and price. As such, plant-based foods must effectively imitate the familiar flavours of their conventional counterparts, whether meat, seafood, dairy, or eggs. Plant-based alternatives should also look and feel the same as their animal-based equivalents. And, finally, price is crucial – plant-based foods are often more expensive than animal-based products despite the fact they are often far cheaper to produce. At the moment, the prices – and costs – of plant-based options are still too high.

Maria Diet, a European manufacturer of organic food and food supplements, recently introduced two new doughnut-shaped chocolate bakery products. Mr Sane Organic is an organic certified product; all ingredients come from organic agriculture and are 100% natural. Mr Sane No Added Sugar is a sugar-free, low-fat product.

What’s driving consumer demand for plant-based eating and alternative proteins?

When consumers are asked for the reasons why they are considering plant-based alternatives, personal health is still the over-riding answer. However, what changed in 2021 is that the second reason (up from third in 2020) is now “it is better for the planet”. The message is therefore clear: plant-based is seen as healthier for people and the planet.

Free From Food & Health Ingredients Expo volverá a Barcelona en
2022. La novena edición de esta feria internacional de referencia de los de productos ‘Libres de’, ecológicos, veganos, funcionales y de ingredientes tendrá lugar los días 7 y 8 de junio en el recinto Gran Vía Fira de Barcelona.

Albert Heijn will be expanding its range of vegetarian and vegan products significantly this autumn. The Dutch supermarket chain is thus responding to the increasing demand for plant-based products.

Oriol Sans of ADILAC shares his insights on the well-known but limitedly catered to intolerance of lactose. Approximately 65 percent of the population is lactose intolerant, and although the supply in dairy alternatives is growing, there is still a lot to be gained. More transparency and healthy substitutes are just some of the desires of this group.

Read all about it!

Simona Bernatonyte is Food and Nutrition market research analyst at Euromonitor International. She coordinates research projects within food industry in several Eastern Europe countries and monitors key consumer trends and market developments, with a particular interest in health and wellness categories. She also produced multiple country analyses on income and expenditure patterns globally.

Read the whole article here.

Lately, vegetarian and vegan products have gone beyond expectations in terms of hype and media coverage. This put them in the spotlight of not just the consumers, but many food manufacturers and market researchers as well. We at Euromonitor International have been working hard to develop new ways of measuring the impact and online market penetration of products with specific claims or labels, such as vegetarian or vegan.