Rethinking free-from: How is the category changing shape?

The free-from category is changing shape as more and more people follow restricted diets. These days consumers are not only turning away from common allergens gluten and shellfish, but also other widely used ingredients from soy to nuts and dairy.

As an increasing number of people eliminate popular ingredients from their diets, what opportunities are opening up in the free-from space?

At FoodNavigator’s upcoming digital summit Positive Nutrition​ 2024, we’ll seek to answer this and more…

14 March: Free-From​15:00 CET ​Fireside chat

Free-from: Who is avoiding what foods, and why?​

A considerable proportion of adults actively cut out certain food types and ingredients from their diet, with data suggesting this trend is far from abating. Understanding which foods are off the table for consumers is essential to food and beverage innovation, so who is avoiding what and why?

Speaker: Nathan Ward​, business unit director, Kantar​

15:20 ​Presentation

Creating the ultimate eating experience from free-from products​

We’ve all heard the saying, “we eat with our eyes first”, but what does that mean? Everyone knows taste is important in the eating experience, but what about the subconscious cues that begin the process by first creating a taste expectation and enticing consumers to choose your product above the competition on the shelf? How about those cues that support as the experience goes on? Join Lycored as they share the importance of the entire sensory journey from first sight to last bite, and introduce you to a suite of ingredients that work together to create an unforgettably delicious eating and drinking experience while also providing the clean label appeal and free from support your consumers desire.

Speaker:

Jennifer Elegbede​, global food & health applications manager Lycored​15:40 ​Panel discussion

The free-from innovation catering to allergies and intolerances​

As allergies and intolerances to foods increase, so too do opportunities for manufacturers to cater to this growing cohort of consumers. The opportunity could be greater still amidst growing appetite for specialist diets, from carb- to grain-free. We examine the evolving free-from aisle and ask how consumer demand is driving NPD.

Speakers:

Mike Adams​, head of product innovation, Campden BRI​Kirsty Dingwall​, founder & CEO, Angelic Free From​Harri Kallioinen​, senior vice president, research & development, Valio​Jennifer Elegbede​, global food & health applications manager, Ingredion​Positive Nutrition: Healthy Innovation for the Mass Market 12-14 March​Over three days and six sessions, the interactive broadcast series ​will ask how industry can leverage innovation to produce healthier food and drink.

Food and beverage manufacturers are under more pressure than ever to deliver nutritious food for the mass market. At the same time, the concept of ‘healthy’ is changing. Where once shoppers were laser focused on low fat, salt and sugar, today’s consumer wants that and more.

Which better-for-you trends are resonating most with consumers? And how can manufacturers best align this new future of wellness to mainstream categories, from snacking to drinks and convenience food?  

Positive Nutrition ​will be broadcast over three days 12-14 March 2024​. Each day the morning session will start at 11am CET ​and the afternoon session from 3pm CET​.

For more information on the programme, speakers, or to register, visit the Positive Nutrition homepage​.

12 March 2024​11am CET – Reformulation & Fortification: Changing Trends in Healthier Foods​

‘Unhealthy’ foods are in the spotlight, with shoppers wanting better-for-you alternatives. With these same consumers unwilling to compromise on taste, food manufacturers have a challenge on their hands: how can ‘baddies’ best be removed, and beneficial ingredients added, with positive nutrition in mind?

3pm CET – Plant-Based Under the Microscope​

The plant-based market has boomed in the last decade, with projections it will double in value by 2030. But the recent dramatic slowdown suggests the category is not hitting the mark with shoppers. With health a major driver behind decisions to reduce meat and dairy intake, is the plant-based category’s associations with overprocessing and ‘unclean’ ingredients muddying its reputation? How can manufacturers improve the nutritional credentials of plant-based milk and dairy?

13 March 2024​11am CET – Food as Medicine​

Today’s consumers are not turning to food and drink for energy alone. A more nuanced understanding of the relationship between diet and health is coming to shape consumer attitudes to food. So which ingredients offer greatest potential in health and wellness? We ask how the latest nutritional science is informing functional food and beverage trends.

3pm CET – Personalised Nutrition: Tapping into Data for Healthier Diets​

Developments in personalised nutrition – whereby individualised dietary advice is offered based on genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors – continue apace. The market is forecast to grow to over $16bn by 2027. From measuring blood sugar responses to microbiome diversity, how is this novel sector expected to evolve? Can personalisation ever prove a boon for the masses?

14 March 2024​11am CET – Food for Kids​

Europe continues to struggle with high levels of childhood obesity. But as understanding around the importance of early years nutrition grows, so too does the opportunity for manufacturers to meet demands for health and functionality. How can industry best support carers and babies in the first 1,000 days, and help set kids up for a healthy future?

3pm CET – Free-From​

The free-from category is changing shape as more and more people follow restricted diets. These days consumers are not only turning away from common allergens gluten and shellfish, but also other widely used ingredients from soy to nuts and dairy. As an increasing number of people eliminate popular ingredients from their diets, what opportunities are opening up in the free-from space?