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Get your free copy13 May 2015, 11:10 AM
- The UK free-from category is now worth an estimated £365million (Mintel), having nearly doubled in the past five years, and is forecast to grow further as awareness and demand spread
Gluten-free appears to be fuelling this expansion, with a 5 per cent growth last year. Over three quarters of this comes from bakery products.
Four in 10 households contain someone avoiding a specific food or ingredient, with the largest percentage doing so aged between 25 and 34 – some of which are ‘lifestylers’, opting for a free-from diet to obtain a healthier lifestyle rather than due to an allergy.
Ronald Holman, exhibition director of the Free From Food/Ingredients trade show, taking place on 4th-5th June in Barcelona, said, “The Free From market has come far in just five years in the UK. It may not yet be at the same level as the US – but it is booming and expected to grow further. That can only be good news for those who buy and supply Free From food and ingredients.
This scenario is mirrored at Free From Food/ Ingredients 2015 which has grown in just three years. We will be at the forefront of showcasing new product development from across Europe and beyond. These are truly exciting times for the category and Free From Food/ Ingredients 2015.”
