“Free From” Market Grows
By George Anderson
Greater awareness on the part of medical authorities and consumers has spurred 165 percent growth in the sale of products that address food intolerance and allergies since 2000, according to research from Mintel International.
James McCoy, senior consumer analyst, Mintel said, “As well as avoiding food for food intolerance and allergies, these foods will also be avoided for other reasons as well, e.g. cheese and nuts are high in fat, consequently, these responses overplay concerns about allergies. This indicates that food intolerance and food allergies are a less common reason than healthy eating for avoiding particular foods and ingredients, but nevertheless point to a substantial market demand for specialist foods.”
Mintel estimates sales of “free from” foods will double by 2007.
Moderator’s Comment: Is medical science playing a greater
role in food product development than it has in the past? What are your thoughts
on the food intolerance and allergy market?
This story also deals with the segmentation issue.
“Free from” products offer retailers a tremendous opportunity
to add value and variety to existing categories. Store brand versions of these
items. similar to organics, can provide a retailer with a distinct point of
difference with competitors. [George
Anderson – Moderator]