2022
9
UK Free-From Foods Market Report 2022
2022-04-29T04:08:20+01:00
REP57973471_E2AD_4716_88E5_31FB56777F35
2195
150900
[{"name":"Food","url":"https:\/\/store.mintel.com\/industries\/food"}]
Report
en_GB
“As concerns about inflation and the rising cost of living intensify, free-from products face growing pressure to justify their presence in consumers’ shopping baskets. Messaging around the environment remains a…
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  6. UK Free-From Foods Market Report 2022

UK Free-From Foods Market Report 2022

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The UK Free-From Foods Market Report identifies consumers’ attitudes towards free-from foods, the impact of the cost-of-living crisis and future innovations in the free-from foods market. This report covers the free-from food market size, market forecast, market segmentation and industry trends for the UK free-from food market.

Free From Market – Current Landscape 

The COVID-19 outbreak gave the free-from food market a boost in 2020, a pattern seen across various food and drink retail markets. However, the rising cost of living presents a challenge for the free-from food market in 2022. As many consumers rein in spending, including on groceries, free-from products will face growing scrutiny. Half of UK consumers say they cut back on free-from products when money is tight.

Free From Market Share and Key Industry Statistics

Across the free-from food market, products that taste better and are more nutritional than standard equivalents are the top enticements that would win over non-users. However, that only around a fifth of non-users would be won over by this in each category poses a significant challenge for the free-from food market, indicating a key hurdle by catering primarily to allergy sufferers instead of expanding the user base.

As the income squeeze eases, environmentalism will regain focus, seeing dairy substitutes regain momentum. Product development will play a role in the dynamism of growth in the free-from food market size.

  • 26% of UK households avoid dairy products.
  • 18% of UK adults have bought dairy substitutes in the past 12 months.
  • 70% of free-from consumers believe that improving gut health is a good way to improve immune health.
  • 40% of free-from consumers agree that they are more likely to buy products made with sustainably sourced ingredients.

Future Trends in the UK Free-From Foods Market

The dairy-free sector has an opportunity to increase its free-from foods market share as consumers continue to look for ways to reduce their environmental impact. The dairy-free sector can tap into these current free-from industry trends by providing easy-to-understand and tangible explanations of how dairy-free products can help consumers reduce their environmental footprint.

Read on to discover more details or take a look at all of our UK Food Market Research.

Quickly Understand

  • Impact of cost of living and inflation on the free-from food market size.
  • Post COVID-19 free-from food market recovery.
  • Consumers’ habits around food, ingredients and buying free-from products.
  • Consumer behaviour surrounding and attitudes towards free-from food and drink.
  • Explores the free-from food market share and size.

 

Covered in this Report

Products: Gluten-free, wheat-free and dairy-free products.

Brands:  Alpro (Danone, This is Not Milk), Oatly, Lactofree (Arla), Nairn’s, Dr Schär, Nakd, Genius, Warburtons, Violife, The Coconut Collaborative, MOMA Foods, Bute Island Foods, Britvic, Aldi (Plant Menu), Sainsbury’s (Plant Pioneers), Tesco, M&S, Asda, Yoplait, Lilk, Meadow Foods, Dug, Sharoham Park, Wunda, Flora, Bel UK (Babybel, Nurishh), Boursin, Mondelēz (Philadelphia), Sheese, Holland & Barrett, White Rabbit, One Planet.

 

Expert Analysis from a Specialist in the Field

This report, written by Angharad Goode, a leading analyst in the Food and Drink sector, delivers in-depth commentary and analysis to highlight current trends and add expert context to the numbers.

“As concerns about inflation and the rising cost of living intensify, free-from products face growing pressure to justify their presence in consumers’ shopping baskets. Messaging around the environment remains a key one for operators even amidst these pressures given the long term expected greater emphasis on this area.”

Angharad Goode - Research AnalystAngharad Goode
Research Analyst

 

Collapse All
  1. Overview

    • Key issues covered in this Report
    • Market context
    • Products covered in this Report
  2. Executive Summary

    • The five-year outlook for free-from
      • Figure 1: Category outlook, 2022-27
    • The market
    • Market size and forecast
      • Figure 2: Market forecast for UK retail value sales of free-from food and drink, 2021-26
    • COVID-19 adds to the focus on sustainability and health
    • Companies and brands
    • Free-from claims hold steady in 2021
      • Figure 3: Share of food^ product launches with free-from claims, by claim, 2017-22
    • Adspend on free-from food bounces back in 2021
    • The consumer
    • Health becomes a bigger driver for avoidance
      • Figure 4: Avoidance of foods/ingredients in the household, by reason, 2020-21
    • Dairy remains most avoided food
      • Figure 5: Avoidance of foods/ingredients in the household, by type, 2021
    • Almost half buy or use free-from
      • Figure 6: Overall buying and usage of free-from food and drink, 2021
    • Dairy substitutes are the most bought and used type
      • Figure 7: Buying and usage of free-from food and drink, by type, 2021
    • Free-from products are at risk of cutbacks in 2022
      • Figure 8: Users’ behaviours related to free-from food/drink, 2021
    • Sustainability-forward products could gain users
      • Figure 9: Free-from product concepts of interest, 2021
    • Taste is top enticement for non-users
      • Figure 10: Factors to encourage usage of free-from products, 2021
  3. Issues and Insights

    • Concerns over inflation put free-from at risk of cutbacks
    • Keen spotlight on the environment
    • Short ingredient lists would win over a third
  4. Market Size, Performance and Segmentation

    • Growth slowed in 2021 as COVID boost weakened
      • Figure 11: UK retail value sales of free-from food and drink, by segment, 2016-21
  5. Market Forecast

    • Pressures on household finances to dampen growth
      • Figure 12: Category outlook, 2022-27
    • Inflation will see muted growth in free-from in 2022
      • Figure 13: Market forecast for UK retail value sales of free-from food and drink, 2021-26
    • Market drivers and assumptions
      • Figure 14: Key drivers affecting Mintel’s market forecast, 2016-26
    • Forecast methodology
  6. Market Drivers

    • Natasha’s Law comes into force
    • Heightened focus on health
    • Keen spotlight on the environment
    • COVID-19 adds to the focus on sustainability
    • The conflict in Ukraine will hurt the UK economy
    • GDP reached pre-pandemic levels in November 2021 …
    • … but the post-COVID-19 bounce-back will be followed by a period of slower growth
    • Inflation is the key concern for 2022 for consumers, brands and the economy
    • Consumers’ financial wellbeing has slipped from its recent high point …
      • Figure 15: Household financial wellbeing index, 2016-2022
    • … and concerns over inflation are coming to the fore
      • Figure 16: Consumer concerns about household finances, 2021-22
  7. Market Share

    • Alpro retains position as market leader
      • Figure 17: Leading brands’ sales and shares in the UK free-from market, by value, 2019-21
    • Oatly and Warburtons Gluten Free post strong growth
    • Soft drinks groups move into plant milks
  8. Launch Activity and Innovation

    • Free-from claims hold steady
      • Figure 18: Share of food^ product launches with free-from claims, by claim, 2017-2022
    • Supermarkets refresh and expand free-from offerings
      • Figure 19: Aldi and Sainsbury’s own-label free-from product launches, 2021
    • Snack bars remain the most active in gluten-free NPD
      • Figure 20: Share of product launches in the breakfast cereals, bakery, pasta and snack/cereal/energy bar markets carrying a gluten-free claim, by sub-category (sorted by 2021), 2018-2022
    • Gluten-free cake from Warburton’s
    • Vegan claims remain top, plant-based gaining ground in dairy categories
      • Figure 21: Share of dairy category launches carrying dairy-free and vegan/no animal ingredients claims, 2018-2022
    • Yoplait debuts new plant-based yogurts, The Collective revamps
      • Figure 22: Dairy-free yogurt launches, 2022
    • Alpro expands plant ‘milk’ offerings, new players enter
      • Figure 23: Milk alternative product launches, 2022
    • Vegan spreads, blocks and creams gain activity
      • Figure 24: Flora B+tter and Violife expanded plant-based ranges, 2020-21
    • Leading dairy cheese brands move into vegan
      • Figure 25: Cheese product launches with a vegan claim, 2021-22
    • ‘Cheese’ pushes melting capabilities
      • Figure 26: Cheese alternative launches with claims about melting, 2021
    • More activity in free-from pizza, pasta and pies
    • Holland & Barrett launches egg replacements
      • Figure 27: Holland and Barrett egg replacement product launches, 2021
  9. Advertising and Marketing Activity

    • Adspend on free-from food bounces back in 2021
      • Figure 28: Total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on free-from foods, by brand, 2020-February 2022, sorted by 2021
    • Arla Foods focuses on out-of-home marketing for Jörd
    • Arla recruits Ricky Wilson to promote Lactofree’s ‘planet-friendlier’ carton
    • Alpro shares the secret to helping the planet
    • Violife explores a vegan BBQ …
    • … and encourages people to Change Your Cheese
    • Coconut Collaborative highlights temptation
    • Nestlé supports new Wunda milk with TV advert
    • Oatly launches biggest campaign to date
    • Nielsen Ad Intel coverage
  10. Avoidance of Food/Ingredients

    • Health becomes a bigger driver for avoidance
      • Figure 29: Avoidance of foods/ingredients in the household, by reason, 2020-21
    • Dairy remains most avoided food
      • Figure 30: Avoidance of foods/ingredients in the household, by type, 2021
  11. Types of Free-from Products Bought/Eaten

    • Almost half buy or use free-from
      • Figure 31: Overall buying and usage of free-from food and drink, 2021
    • Dairy substitutes are the most bought and used type
      • Figure 32: Buying and usage of free-from food and drink, by type, 2021
  12. Behaviours Related to Free-from Food/Drink

    • Half of users cut back when money is tight
    • Free-from products are at risk of cutbacks in 2022
    • Own-labels can steal a march amidst economising mindset
      • Figure 33: Users’ behaviours related to free-from food/drink, 2021
  13. Free-from Product Concepts of Interest

    • Sustainability-forward products could gain users
    • Sustainably-sourced ingredients appeal widely
    • Scope to spotlight dairy alternatives’ green credentials
      • Figure 34: Free-from product concepts of interest, 2021
    • Transparency on environmental impact could tempt buyers
    • Various brands spell out carbon footprint, Mighty M.lkology spotlights water and soil
      • Figure 35: Mighty M.lkology drink with “eco impact” details, 2021
    • Short ingredient lists would win over a third
    • ‘Simple ingredients’ claims remain rare
    • Scope to spotlight processes and ‘natural’ fortification
      • Figure 36: Free-from products calling out their natural proposition, 2021-2
  14. Factors to Encourage Usage of Free-from Products

    • Taste is top prompt for non-users
      • Figure 37: Factors to encourage usage of free-from products, 2021
    • Competitive pricing could tempt more users
  15. Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information

    • Abbreviations
    • Consumer research methodology
  16. Appendix: Forecast Methodology

    • Market forecast and prediction intervals
      • Figure 38: UK retail value sales of free-from food and drink, 2016-26
      • Figure 39: UK retail value sales of free-from food and drink, best- and worst-case forecast, 2021-26
    • Market drivers and assumptions
    • Forecast methodology
  17. Appendix – Launch Activity and Innovation

      • Figure 40: Food^ product launches with gluten-and dairy-free claims, by launch type, 2018-22

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