Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- The issues
- Strong preferences by age limit broad appeal
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- Figure 1: Free-from food claims of importance, by age, April 2019
- Price and trust barriers limit growth of free-from foods
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- Figure 2: Select attitudes toward free-from foods, April 2019
- Some consumers simply apathetic toward ingredients
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- Figure 3: Select attitudes toward free-from foods, April 2019
- The opportunities
- Healthy lifestyle is the mainstream hook
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- Figure 4: Reasons for avoiding certain food/ingredients (net), April 2019
- Overarching label claims can cover diverse needs
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- Figure 5: Allergy-friendly and paleo/vegan examples, Enjoy Life and Hu
- Parents have multiple reasons for seeking free from
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- Figure 6: Shopping behavior changes over one year ago, by parental status, April 2019
- What it means
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- Growing market leads to crowded labels
- Free-from sought across the aisles
- High prices cause roadblocks
- Allergies/intolerances continue to drive free-from market
- Special dieters most prone to avoid grains
- Consumers concerned with ingredients
Market Perspective
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- Purchase locations are diversifying
- Consumers seek free-from across the aisles
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- Figure 7: Categories where free-from claims are sought, April 2019
- Price remains an obstacle
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- Figure 8: Free-from foods are too expensive, by total, age and parental status, April 2019
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- Figure 9: Population aged 18 or older, by age, 2013-23
Market Factors
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- Allergies/intolerances continue to drive free-from market
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- Figure 10: Select food/ingredients avoided due to allergy/intolerance, April 2019
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- Figure 11: Importance of allergy-friendly claim (any rank – net) by age of children in household, April 2019
- Grains top ingredients avoided due to special diet
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- Figure 12: Select food/ingredients avoided due to special diet, April 2019
- Consumers buying more ingredient specific foods
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- Figure 13: Shopping behavior changes over one year ago, April 2019
Key Players – What You Need to Know
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- Free-from claims continue to rise; major players see value in the market
- Allergy-friendly brands compete for niche audience; innovative alternative provides boost
- Legacy brands struggle with increased competition
- Claims under scrutiny; overprocessed is undesirable
- Clean label claims on the rise
- FODMAP free gaining traction
What’s Working?
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- Free-from labels continue to rise
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- Figure 14: Percent of food and drink product launches with select free-from claims, 2014 and 2018
- Key players investing in free from
- Acquisitions/investments
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- Figure 15: Primal Kitchen and Hu Products product examples
- New product lines
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- Figure 16: New free-from product lines from Birds Eye, Barilla and Breyers
- Free-from menu items
- Funding for smaller free-from brands
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- Figure 17: Siete Foods grain free and dairy free products
- Gluten-free, allergy-friendly brands compete for niche audience
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- Figure 18: Multi-outlet sales of select allergy-friendly and gluten-free products, by companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2018 and 2019
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- Figure 19: Allergy-friendly products, Enjoy Life and MadeGood
- Cauliflower brings nutrient density to free-from products
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- Figure 20: Select examples of cauliflower pizza crusts
What’s Struggling?
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- Legacy brands struggle in the face of increased competition
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- Figure 21: Multi-outlet sales of select allergy-friendly and gluten-free products, by companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2018 and 2019
- Figure 22: Gluten-free product examples, Glutino and Udi’s
- Claims under scrutiny
- Overprocessed is undesirable
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- Figure 23: Food and beverage claim importance, April 2019
What’s Next?
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- Clean label claims get a boost from free from
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- Figure 24: Select products with clean label claims
- FODMAP free gaining traction
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- Figure 25: Select FODMAP friendly products
- Figure 26: Interest in FODMAP-free claim, by attitudinal segmentation, April 2019
- Cluster Analysis
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Majority of consumers avoid an ingredient
- Healthy lifestyle top reason for avoiding certain ingredients
- Artificial ingredients, sugar, preservatives cause most concern
- Free-from sought across departments
- Hormones, antibiotics, nitrates/nitrites not desirable
- Free-from purchases increasing
- Desire for transparency drives interest in free from
Ingredients Avoided
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- Most consumers avoid an ingredient
- Ingredients with unhealthy reputation outweigh common allergens
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- Figure 27: Food/ingredients avoided, April 2019
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- Figure 28: Repertoire of foods/ingredients avoided, April 2019
- Younger adults a key consumer for free-from brands
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- Figure 29: Repertoire of foods/ingredients avoided, by age, April 2019
Reasons for Avoiding Ingredients
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- Healthy lifestyle broad motive for avoiding ingredients
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- Figure 30: Reasons for avoiding certain food/ingredients (net), April 2019
- Age and gender influence reasons for avoidance
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- Figure 31: Reasons for avoiding certain food/ingredients (net), by age and gender, April 2019
- The usual suspects seen as obstacles to healthy lifestyle
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- Figure 32: Food/ingredients avoided and why, April 2019
Importance of Prevalent Free-from Claims
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- Artificial ingredients, sugar, preservatives cause most concern
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- Figure 33: Free-from food claims of importance, April 2019
- Consumers’ age guides attitudes
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- Figure 34: Free-from food claims of importance, by age, April 2019
Importance of Free-from Claims by Product Categories
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- Free from sought across departments, meat a top priority
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- Figure 35: Categories where free-from claims are sought, April 2019
- Women more reliant on free from
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- Figure 36: Categories where free-from claims are sought, by gender, April 2019
- Those who seek free-from snacks have specific concerns
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- Figure 37: Select label claims of importance for those who seek free-from claims in snacks, April 2019
Other Free-from Claims of Interest
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- Consumers intrigued with a wide spectrum of claims
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- Figure 38: Other free-from claims of interest, April 2019
- Hormones, antibiotics, nitrates/nitrites concern for meat eaters
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- Figure 39: Select other claims of interest for those who seek free-from claims in meat products, April 2019
- More claims broadens the appeal
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- Figure 40: TURF analysis – Other free-from claims of interest, April 2019
- Women are a key target for free-from brands
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- Figure 41: Select free-from claims of interest, by gender, April 2019
Shopping Behavior Changes
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- Consumers more concerned with what’s in food than what’s not
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- Figure 42: Shopping behavior changes over one year ago, April 2019
- Parents show more change to free-from shopping
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- Figure 43: Shopping behavior changes over one year ago, by parental status, April 2019
- Younger adults buying more free-from, organic
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- Figure 44: Shopping behavior changes over one year ago, by age, April 2019
Attitudes toward Free-from Foods
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- Consumers feelings are mixed when it comes to free-from
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- Figure 45: Attitudes toward free-from foods, April 2019
- Women show openness where men express doubts
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- Figure 46: Select attitudes toward free-from foods, by gender, April 2019
- Parents purchase more free-from foods, but also more critical
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- Figure 47: Select attitudes toward free-from foods, by parental status, April 2019
- Price remains an obstacle for most consumers
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- Figure 48: Free-from foods are too expensive, by age, April 2019
Free-from Foods Attitudinal Segments
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- Cluster Analysis
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- Figure 49: Segmentation by attitudes toward free-from foods, April 2019
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- Figure 50: Attitudinal segmentation profiles, by gender, April 2019
- Figure 51: Select ingredients avoided, by attitudinal segmentation, April 2019
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- Figure 52: Select shopping behavior changes, by attitudinal segmentation, April 2019
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- Figure 53: Select attitudinal statements, by attitudinal segmentation, April 2019
Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
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- Data sources
- Sales data
- Consumer survey data
- Consumer qualitative research
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
Appendix – The Consumer
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- Figure 54: Correspondence Analysis – Symmetrical map – Food/ingredients avoided, April 2019
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