What you need to know
Estimated at £934 million in 2019, the UK free-from food and drink retail market has enjoyed stellar growth over the past five years, more than doubling in value, supported by a raft of factors. The dairy-/lactose-free segment continued to outpace gluten-/wheat-free in 2019, with sales estimated to reach £517 million and £416 million respectively.
With the free-from trend now a firmly established phenomenon, growth is expected to slow. The dairy alternatives market, however, should benefit from the public focus on the environment, which looks set to endure. Meanwhile, consumer interest in free-from products supporting digestive health and those catering for special occasions as well as indulgent variants points to NPD opportunities.
Products covered in this Report
Free-from foods are defined as foods that are manufactured and targeted specifically at consumers who suffer from food intolerances and/or food allergies or who are following avoidance diets. Foods that have been specifically manufactured (eg pasta, bread) to cater for a gluten-free diet, for instance, are included within this definition.
Food targeted at intolerance and allergy sufferers includes:
Gluten-free: Gluten is found in a range of cereals, including wheat, barley, rye and spelt. Gluten-free products can contain other allergenic proteins from wheat.
Wheat-free: Wheat-free products can contain gluten from other cereals such as barley or rye.
Despite these exceptions, the majority of wheat-/gluten-free products are marketed as being both wheat- and gluten-free, as gluten is present in wheat.
Dairy-free/lactose-free: This category includes all cow’s milk alternative products, including lactose-free dairy products and non-mammalian milk alternatives (eg soya-based, rice-based and others).
