Gluten-free trend set to continue in 2018
According a recent Mintel report, one in ten people avoid gluten and 15% of households avoid gluten and wheat; more than half because they believe it’s part of a healthy diet.
Sam Benjamin, brand manager for Too Good to be Gluten Free, expects a huge year for such brands with sales predicted to rise across the free from market. He says, “The free from market is rapidly growing as last year alone the market cited a 27% in sales.
“This growth has been driven both by consumers who have medical conditions that require free-from diets, but also what we refer to as free from lifestylers, a growing market of people who are choosing to cut certain ingredients from their diet for health, diet or lifestyle reasons.
“This growing market is demanding free from choices but with the focus on the taste and quality of the product.”
Statistics revealed by national charity, Coeliac UK also show every one person in a 100 are living with coeliac disease, and 13% of UK population need to avoid gluten altogether.
Too Good to be Gluten Free offers both Coeliac’s and lifestylers the perfect alternative to sweet and savoury products. With gluten-free desserts, quiches and savoury pies, Benjamin feels the gluten-free market will continue to develop this year and beyond.
He comments, “We believe you can cut gluten completely without sacrificing on taste and it’s something that can be done across the board with lots of food products and that’s how we see the market developing; basically more and more products going gluten free and there not being a noticeable taste difference.
“We are currently expanding the ranges to serve this demand which we feel is on the increase. At the moment we have a series of products in the snacking and sharing market and this is an area which we want to grow provide the consumer with a wider range to choose from but we will also be looking at other food types over the year and new sectors where we can launch tasty free from options.”