Free-from and Rich-in, the new food trends

Whether gluten-free, preservative-free, sugar-free or high in fibre, protein or calcium, there’s no stopping the rise of the free-from and rich-in product trends that continue to dominate consumers’ purchasing choices and fuel a steady stream of new offerings from companies.

The growth trend is revealed by a recent analysis conducted by Allied Market Research, which shows that while in 2018 the global free-from market was valued at $90.1 billion, by 2026 it is expected to surpass $161 billion, an increase of almost 80%.

The same trend is observed in GS1 Italy’s Osservatorio Immagino, which offers an interesting overview of the Italian market. A total of 13,153 food products are declared as being free from certain nutritional components, equivalent to 18.3% of the assortment on supermarket and hypermarket shelves. These products make up a 26.6% share of sales and generate a turnover of close to €7 billion. A comparison between 2019 and 2018 reveals that the claims resulting in the highest growth in sales included “antibiotic-free” (+62%), “no added sugar” (+9.1%) and “glutamate-free” (+4.9%). 2019 also saw two new entries into the world of emerging claims, namely “yeast-free” (+1.9%) and “not fried” (+6.1%).

According to GS1 Italy’s findings, the rich-in sector is also seeing an increase in consumption. In 2019, a total of 8,015 products (11.2% of the assortment) were described on the packaging as containing or being high in certain nutrients. These products generated a turnover of more than €3 billion, 11.9% of the total. The study confirmed Italian families’ interest in products that are protein-rich or high in fibre, recording growth of 5.7% and 6.3% respectively and driving a steady increase in the range of products on offer.