Abstract
The awareness and complexity of food allergies and intolerance are undoubtedly rising rapidly in the UK. Is the free-from foods market rising to this new challenge or adding to the issues?
Food and drink targeted at consumers with specific food intolerances or allergies is referred to in this report as free-from food. It is a small but burgeoning sector; aided by increased space on supermarket shelves; it has left the medical domain and has become relevant to a wider consumer base. Dairy alternatives, such as soya milk, have found particular resonance with consumers.
This report examines the UK retail market for foods that are manufactured and targeted specifically at consumers who suffer from food intolerance and/or food allergies or who are following avoidance diets.
A food allergy is the immune system' s reaction to proteins in food products. Thus only foods with proteins can evoke an allergy. This is more immediate.
Food intolerance does not involve the immune system, and is a delayed response, sometimes up to days, thus is more difficult to diagnose and could be a combination of foods.
The general term to cover food allergy and food intolerance is food hypersensitivity.
Table of Contents
- Issues in the MarketDefinitions
- Free-from foods
- Excluded
- Key themes
- Market in Brief
- Healthy growth
- Confusion and mis-diagnosis reigns...
- ... but this is helping the market
- A playing field for all
- The future
- Internal Market Environment
- Key Points
- Growing awareness
- Food intolerance and allergies
- Figure 1: Percentage of Hypersensitivity sufferers, 2007
- Rising awareness is key factor
- Product labelling
- Figure 2: Agreement with selected lifestyle statements, 2005-07
- Growing media interest equals increased awareness
- Raising awareness = greater propensity to self-diagnose
- The new way to diet
- Figure 3: Adults who are trying to slim, 2002-06
- Healthy eating and nutrition
- Figure 4: Agreement with selected lifestyle statements 2003-07
- Ethical issues
- Figure 5: Agreement with selected lifestyle statements 2003-07
- In-store fixtures
- Championing food intolerance and allergy
- Broader Market Environment
- Key Points
- Demographic changes
- AB socio-economic status growing
- Figure 6: Changes in socio-economic status, 2002-2012
- Ageing population
- Figure 7: Changes in UK population by age, 2002-2012
- Children are more pre-disposed to food hypersensitivity
- Figure 8: Hypersensitivities split by adults and children
- Ethnic diversity a boon to growth
- Figure 9: Ethnic population, 2001
- Increased intolerances
- Figure 10: Types of intolerances, 2007
- Food labelling
- Greater importance of food labelling
- More stringent...
- Figure 11: Major allergenic foods for which there is mandatory labelling in the EU directive *, November 2005
- .... and wider in scope
- And tighter
- Competitive Context
- Key Points
- Abstinence
- Figure 12: The Abstinence options for a gluten-free diet, 2007
- Traditional versus trendy dieting
- Prescription sales
- Strengths and Weaknesses
- Strengths
- Weaknesses
- Market Value and Forecast
- Key Points
- Figure 13: Estimated UK retail sales* of gluten-free, dairy-free and other free-from foods, by value, 2002-07
- Market growth....
- ...but price pressure is rising
- No premium options
- Lack of chilled options
- Segment Performance
- Key Points
- Growth abounds
- Figure 14: Estimated value of UK retail sales of free-from foods, by sector, 2004-07
- Dairy-free is booming
- Consumer going dairy-free
- Mammalian -- sourced dairy-free milk
- Non-mammalian sourced dairy-free milk
- Figure 15: Dairy-free market, allergens and permissible free from foods, 2007
- Soya market growth from mainstream
- Soya = Alpro
- Soya-free remains niche
- Wheat-free and gluten-free
- Wheat-free
- Gluten-free
- Cereals are growing
- Pasta and bread on prescription
- Others
- Nut-free
- Egg-free
- The future
- Growing trend for self diagnosis
- Compromise of avoidance diet
- More product differentiation and branding
- Forecast
- Continued growth
- Figure 16: Forecast of the gluten-free, dairy-free and other free-from foods, by value, at current and constant prices, 2002-12
- Free-from foods growth fuelled by a growing AB population
- More individuals swapping into free-from foods
- Factors used in the forecast
- Market Share
- Key Points
- Figure 17: Estimated value of UK brands in the free-from sector, 2005-07
- The key players come to the fore-front
- Producers are carving out their own section
- Wheat/gluten-free -- when two becomes one
- Own label making a significant impact
- Specialist category producers move into the market
- Product Positioning
- Key Points
- Figure 18: Price comparisons of free-from foods to rest of market offerings, September 2007
- Companies and Products
- Key Points
- Figure 19: Brand positioning -- free-from foods, June 2007
- Company profiles
- Alpro
- So Good International
- Nutrition Point
- Dietary Specials
- Trufree
- Orgran
- Gluten Free Foods
- Kallo Foods
- General Dietary (Ener-G)
- Doves Farm
- The Village Bakery
- St Helens Farm
- Yorkshire Farm Bakery
- Others
- Own label
- Brand Communication and Promotion
- Key Points
- Figure 20: Main monitored media adspend on free-from foods, 2003-07
- Alpro dominates
- Figure 21: Main monitored media ad spend by brand on free-from foods, 2003-07
- A healthy start...
- Endorsement
- Expertise
- Channels to Market
- Key Points
- Figure 22: Retail channels of distribution for free-from food, 2005-07*
- Grocery multiples own the market
- Health food shops stunted
- Increase the convenience
- Consumer 1 -- Who -- Usage and Frequency?
- Key Points
- Allergy alert
- Figure 23: Food intolerance and allergies, August 2007
- Four in ten are affected
- Consumers don' t take risks with children
- Avoiding peanuts is most common amongst whole families
- Non sufferers
- Figure 24: Agreement with statement food intolerance or allergies do not affect me/my family, by gender, age and socio-economic status, August 2007
- Consumer 2 -- Purchasing Behaviour
- Key Points
- Health not hypersensitivity
- Figure 25: Purchase of food for allergy intolerances, August 2007
- A healthy choice
- ABs are the key target market
- A lower price offering
- Figure 26: Purchasing habits of free from foods by gender, socio-economic status and age, August 2007
- Targeting children
- Figure 27: Agreement with statement I do not buy these products by presence of children in household, August 2007
- Supermarket correlation
- Figure 28: Correlation of supermarket usage by free from purchasing habits, August 2007
- Appendix
- Abbreviations
- Internal market environment
- Cultural factors
- Increased focus on the management of food hypersensitivity
- Figure 31: Agreement with selected lifestyle statements, by demographic sub-group, 2007
- Figure 32: Agreement with selected attitude statements and adults who are trying to slim, by demographic sub-group, 2006
- Broader market environment
- Figure 33: Population changes, 2002-12
- Consumer 1 -- Detailed demographics
- Figure 35: Food intolernaces and allergies, August 2007
- Consumer 2 -- Detailed demographics
- Figure 36: Purchase of food for allergy/intolerances, August 2007
- Consumer 3 -- Attitudes towards foods for food intolerances
- Figure 37: Frequency of purchase and attitudes to food for food intolerances/allergies, August 2007
- Figure 38: Food allergies and intolerances by attitudes to foods for intolerances and allergies, August 2007
- Figure 39: Motivations for purchasing foods for allergies and intolerances by attitudes and frequency of purchase, August 2007
- Figure 40: Motivations for purchasing foods for allergies and intolerances by attitudes and frequency of purchase, August 2007
- Figure 41: Food allergies and intolerances by frequency of purchase and attitudes to foods for intolerances and allergies, August 2007
- Figure 42: Food allergies and intolerances by attitudes to foods for intolerances and allergies, August 2007
- Figure 43: Cross-tabs of attitudes to free-from foods by attitudes to free-from foods, August 2007
- Figure 44: Cross-tabs of attitudes to free from foods by attitudes to free from foods, august 2007
