Free-from for all
Free-from has featured in Innova’s predictions for the last few years, but Lu-Ann Williams, director of innovation at Innova Market Insights, said this trend was now entering the mainstream.
“Most consumers don’t actually need products that are free from gluten, wheat and dairy, but are demanding them anyway,” she noted.
Demonstrating how prolific free-from claims are becoming, 20% of cereal launches tracked by Innova in the first half of of 2015 carried a gluten-free claim. At the same time, the variety of ingredients being used in free-from products has expanded.
“Dairy alternatives used to be limited to soy based products, whereas now we are seeing milks made from almonds, rice and cashews,” said Williams.