'Tegen alle verwachtingen in een kwalitatief zeer goede en sfeervolle expo’

Ondanks de aangescherpte maatregelen als gevolg van de toenemende coronabesmettingen, opende Free From Food Expo 2021 op 23 november toch haar deuren in de Amsterdamse RAI. De tweedaagse foodexpo kreeg desondanks het vertrouwen van zo’n vierduizend internationale foodprofessionals, die de vakbeurs beschrijven als ‘sfeervol, inspirerend en van hoge kwaliteit’. De volgende Amsterdam-editie staat dan ook al gepland voor najaar 2022.

 

Verantwoord en duurzaam moet wél daadwerkelijk smaken en smoelen

Voedingstrends die zo’n anderhalf jaar geleden nog voorzichtig in opkomst waren, zijn nu groter dan ooit. Gezonde en duurzame voeding is prioriteit geworden en dit brengt een hogere standaard in kwaliteit, smaak en textuur met zich mee. Om hieraan te kunnen voldoen, is samenwerking in alle lagen van de voedingsbranche essentieel.

 

De afgelopen achttien maanden zijn we meer en meer na gaan denken over ons voedsel en waar dit vandaan komt. Het uitbreken van de pandemie heeft consumenten in versneld tempo bewust gemaakt van het belang van de eigen gezondheid en die van de planeet. Een ‘schapje verantwoorde voeding hier en daar’ voldoet dan ook allang niet meer. Ook in de reguliere schappen worden producten met zo min mogelijk bewerkingen en kunstmatige toevoegingen steeds meer mainstream.

The trend towards all-natural food and ingredients is not new, but is becoming a “must-have” for food companies, like food safety. Plant-based is another trend. TOP started 15 years ago with plant-based food – particularly plant proteins – combined with a low sugar, low carbohydrate approach. It’s now accelerating through the entire food chain. Convenience is becoming an ever stronger part of retail, especially in mainland Europe. We work with our clients to ensure the optimum balance between productive operations, an efficient supply chain, and an adequate product shelf life, which in reality means 2-3 weeks.

Sustainability, naturalness and mindful nutrition. In practice the latter means non-animal, low caloric, ethical and climate-friendly. There is an increased level of environmental and health consciousness amongst consumers. Plant-based products, produced and processed in a sustainable manner, as well as those with health-promoting benefits, are the main focus here.

In the aftermath of “plant-based” becoming a household phrase, what space does a vegan positioning have and how to we expect the claim to be utilized in future?

The Zero Carb Company of Wageningen in The Netherlands claims to have produced the world’s first bread containing zero carbohydrates and zero gluten. And this is just the first step on their journey: a full range of zero-carb gluten-free bakery products is just around the corner.

‘Supermarktkanaal inmiddels belangrijkste afzetpunt’

De totale omzet in glutenvrije voeding is de afgelopen vijf jaar meer dan verdubbeld. Glutenvrij is daarmee één van de sterkst stijgende categorieën binnen het supermarktkanaal. Het Italiaanse merk Schär is internationaal én in Nederland marktleider in glutenvrije voeding, en wil ook de komende jaren de drijvende kracht zijn in de categorie.

Free From Functional & Health Ingredients is supporter of the Dutch National Campaign: ‘De Week Zonder Vlees’. This Dutch initiative 'De Week Zonder Vlees' (March 8 - 14, 2021) believes that eating meat every day is outdated and wants to promote a flexitarian diet, in which meat and fish are alternated with vegetarian or vegetable dishes. More often, not eating meat or fish for a day is a small effort with a huge positive impact on people, animals and the environment.

Albert Heijn will be expanding its range of vegetarian and vegan products significantly this autumn. The Dutch supermarket chain is thus responding to the increasing demand for plant-based products.

Oriol Sans of ADILAC shares his insights on the well-known but limitedly catered to intolerance of lactose. Approximately 65 percent of the population is lactose intolerant, and although the supply in dairy alternatives is growing, there is still a lot to be gained. More transparency and healthy substitutes are just some of the desires of this group.

Read all about it!

Simona Bernatonyte is Food and Nutrition market research analyst at Euromonitor International. She coordinates research projects within food industry in several Eastern Europe countries and monitors key consumer trends and market developments, with a particular interest in health and wellness categories. She also produced multiple country analyses on income and expenditure patterns globally.

Read the whole article here.

Lately, vegetarian and vegan products have gone beyond expectations in terms of hype and media coverage. This put them in the spotlight of not just the consumers, but many food manufacturers and market researchers as well. We at Euromonitor International have been working hard to develop new ways of measuring the impact and online market penetration of products with specific claims or labels, such as vegetarian or vegan.

A sustainable world starts with good food. De Smaakspecialist has made it their mission to create innovative and highly valued quality products, that are available and created for the customers and therefore take the responsibility to take good care of the earth. With unique products such as RawBars and vegan Honee, they cater to the customer that shares their mission. To explain their concept further we interviewed Pieter Priem, marketing manager at de Smaakspecialist.

This year Dawn Foods makes its entrance to the Free From Functional & Health Ingredients Expo. The international bakery supplier, with its origin in the United States, provides tailor-made solutions for artisanal bakeries, foodservices and manufacturers for more than 100 years already. Dawn's unique approach? Developing innovative ingredients and creating inspiring and tasty concepts, based on customer and consumer trends and insights - helping Dawn's customers to make the special moments in life, truly special and sweet. Read the full interview with Merel van Zon, Marketing Manager BENELUX, Dawn Foods..

It’s growing, and in our opinion, will continue to grow in the coming years, thanks to new diagnoses, the increasing attention being given to gluten sensitivity, and the growing interest that the non-celiac public is showing towards gluten-free pasta. Moreover, in Italy there are an estimated 400,000 undiagnosed coeliacs. However, we anticipate that growth will be at lower rates than in the past.

What are the most important new trends? We expect beans and ancient gluten-free cereals to increase in importance. The selection of natural ingredients will then be key.

In general, the most important trend in free-from categories is going beyond intolerance. Many consumers identify these products as healthier for them than the regular offerings even if they do not have any medical condition that prevents them from consuming lactose or gluten. More and more free-from products are considered to be easier to digest, and people feel better consuming them, which boosts growth of free-from ranges. Sustainability also appears to be an important reason to choose free-from meat or dairy alternatives. In this context, plant-based products are being promoted as more natural and sustainable alternatives as they produce a lower carbon footprint than dairy and meat.

Trust in gluten-free and broader free-from foods and brands is critical. Therefore, brands need to be very transparent about what goes into their products and who they are as a business. Clear and transparent labelling in particular is important, not only on retail packs but also on foods produced in-store or on foods bought and consumed out and about. This means working with trusted, certified brands and partners in the supply chain like ‘FREEE by Doves Farm’.

As an athlete with a number of allergies, I have always been aware of the importance of the correct food on my health and fitness levels. I was also aware that a lot of the snacks available are full of artificial flavours and preservatives, with too high levels of bad fats, added sugar and salt. After moving on from skating I decided to look into making my own healthy snack bars.

“The challenge is always to improve gluten-free recipes and the flavour and taste of gluten-free products so that they become ever closer to regular products and recipes made with gluten. Many Proceli products have already attained this level of flavour and taste. They are traditionally made, using a gradual fermentation process and a slow baking process that brings out all their inherent flavours.”

How is business going for Proceli

“Very well. In 2018 we constructed an additional 2,000 square metres of factory space, taking the area dedicated exclusively to gluten-free manufacturing to 6,000 square metres

Plant-based, clean-label dosage forms are a vital component to support claims on supplement labels and ultimately meet consumer preferences for more-natural products. The demand for food supplements continues to grow, and consumers are becoming increasingly interested in the quality and origin of their food supplements, which in turn is increasing the demand for animal-free or vegetarian supplements. Consumer surveys indicate that when choosing a supplement, 4 out of 5 consumers need to know the source of ingredients; 46% want the vegetarian option; and 34% are looking for gluten-free. Of course, for a product to be vegan or organic certified, it’s not just the ingredients that have to be Clean Label but the complete, finished product, which includes the capsule in which the supplement is administered. Historically, capsules were manufactured from animal sources such as gelatine, but of course these do not meet the requirements of vegans at all.

“The free-from market has been consistently growing at a rate of 20-30% year on year for a number of years now, and I don’t see any sign of the market declining. What’s interesting is that as sales continue to improve and retailers give free-from products more shelf space, so companies are making increasing efforts to raise the bar in terms of flavour, provenance, variety and innovation. It’s a virtuous circle that is now well embedded. “The free-from market has been consistently growing at a rate of 20-30% year on year for a number of years now, and I don’t see any sign of the market declining. What’s interesting is that as sales continue to improve and retailers give free-from products more shelf space, so companies are making increasing efforts to raise the bar in terms of flavour, provenance, variety and innovation. It’s a virtuous circle that is now well embedded.

Plamil Foods is the oldest vegan company in Europe. We might be the original manufacturer of free-from food! Plamil created Europe’s first milk alternative back in the 1950s and has been vegan and free-from food pioneers and innovators ever since.

The free-from market is driven by factors such as greater consumer sensitivity to health and the increase of scientific-medical evidence of the relationship between food and health. Faced with this scenario, I anticipate this market will continue to grow. In addition, increased consumer adoption of free-from products drives companies to innovate further, which in turn contributes to the growth of this market.