IFE 2019: The free-from market expands and diversifies, while fiber could overtake protein in NPD

21 Mar 2019 --- Innovation in the realms of plant-based foods, the “free-from” movement and beverages was on full display at the International Food & Drink Event (IFE) show in London, March 17-20. “Good for the gut” offerings were also prominent, with fermented foods such as kombucha and kefir standing out among the stands. NutritionInsight spoke to some notable companies and start-ups present at the show about navigating these interesting spaces, albeit amid Brexit uncertainties.

Plant-based offerings were extremely widespread, ranging from snack applications to frozen meals, desserts and beverages. However, amid a bustling vegan marketplace, some companies were going “one step further” and pushing the “free-from allergens” status of their food as a real differentiator. These products were free of all, or some, of the official 14 allergens. This includes cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, peanuts, soybeans, milk, nuts, celery, mustard, sesame seeds, sulfur dioxide and sulfites, lupin and molluscs.

Free-from foods have gone far beyond the niche in recent years and this dynamic has not really slowed. Innova Market Insights reports a 16 percent CAGR in food & beverage launches with a free-from claim in recent years (Global, 2013-2017). These products accounted for 24 percent of food & beverage launches reported in 2017. 

An International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation survey also highlighted that 2019 is set to bring a broader focus on the food journey and greater attention to food safety and allergens, among other drivers. 

Creative Nature Superfoods stand at the show.Free-from surge?
Recent headline-grabbing incidents have drawn attention to the risk many people with allergies face when eating out or purchasing snacks. 

Research from the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA), in partnership with Allergy UK (AUK) and the Anaphylaxis Campaign (AC), last year also noted that over half of young people with a food allergy or intolerance have avoided eating out in the last six months due to their condition. This highlights the shift needed in the industry to cater to such consumers.

Speaking to NutritionInsight, Julianne Ponan, Founder of Creative Nature Superfoods and speaker on issues facing people with allergies, notes the growing business potential in the free-from market. This increasingly lively space is set to be worth 899 million by 2021, she notes at the show.

The demand for transparent and trustworthy free-from products is also increasing. Ponan describes the 10.2 million school children who are not allowed to bring nuts into schools as an example.

Creative Nature Superfoods’ ranges include super foods, bars and premade baking mixes which are free of the 14 official allergens.

Speaking on how the free-from market can improve as it continues to grow, Ponan notes that both the taste element and consumer trust need to improve.

“There is still room for innovation. The taste is still not there for some free-from products, for example. But we are constantly innovating. We are finding the ingredients that have the best tastes from around the world and trying to bring thoseEssential to the launch of Qwrkee's pea M'lk is the product's allergen-free status.global tastes into the UK is a big focus for us. One to watch is mangosteen and also lotus seeds,” Ponan notes.

To improve consumer trust and transparency in allergen-free products, companies can work with laboratories to receive adequate scientific backing. By doing so, products can meticulously be tested for allergens, she explains.

Under current rules, food prepared on premises in which it is sold is not required to display allergen information on the package – but rules proposed by the UK government in January could go as far as seeing full ingredients labeling required by law. This move is fully supported by Ponan.

Also in this space, UK start-up Qwrkee launched its pea-based M’lk at the show. Essential to this launch is the product's allergen-free status, Vishal Madhu, Founder of Qwrkee Foods Ltd, tells NutritionInsight.

“One of the most important parts of this product is that it is allergen free. There is no allergen in this product and it has no nuts, no lactose no dairy and no soy. It clearly says it on the pack. This is also the point of difference – we also wanted to deliver high on protein, but without using soy because its an allergen,” Madhu explains.

Among the healthy snack launches, one particular ingredient popped up numerous times – lotus seeds. 

Among the healthy snack launches, one particular ingredient popped up numerous times – lotus seeds. Lotus seeds were also pegged by Ponan as an ingredient to watch in allergen-free NPD. The Indian seeds are touted as being gluten-free and suitable for people with nut allergies, as well as boasting wide micronutrient profile.

At IFE, a number of companies were exhibiting lotus seed based products, such as Guruji who launched their range of popped lotus seed snacks. For founder Akhil Kumar, lotus seeds were a reliable alternative to nut-based snacks for him as a child, due to his nut allergy. 

Move over protein; fiber is here
Many of the launches and significant products at the show fell within plant-based, free-from and functional beverage categories.

An interesting variation within these categories was a gradual shift from protein towards fiber. 

Within the beverages space, brand new start-up Eaulabs were launching its waters with added benefits. One launch that Founder Sean Moran wished to particularly highlight was its fiber water.

“The idea came from the fact that the bottled water sector has been pitching hydration for about 40 years, and for the last ten years the latest innovations have been lemon and lime flavored water in plastic bottles. We looked and thought that we can do better,” he told NutritionInsight at the show.

“In the beverage sector at large you see function everywhere and people are expecting function from their beverages. So, we bring natural, plant-based functionalities to our water. From boosting immunity, to a clean energy boost to a fiber injection,” he says.

Moran notes that gut and digestive health are hot topics, yet most consumers do not get enough daily fiber.Fiber has been predicted to be a mammoth trend for the year, and this prediction appears to be accurate.

“We now need to tackle getting fiber into our guts healthily and easily,” he says.

In the snacking space, Jorge Longman, Sales Manager Natural Balance Foods – supplier of Nakd and Trek bars – also notes there has been a shift away from protein in the snack bar space. This shift is evident when looking around IFE at the trending products, he explains.

“The protein market has boomed, but we have seen less this year than last year. There are more low-sugar and fiber offers now. In this show, in particular, I see low-sugar, high-fiber, wheat-free, dairy-free and gluten-free offerings, as well as functional water.”

Fiber has been predicted to be a mammoth trend for the year, and this prediction appears to be accurate.

Innova Market Insights has tipped “A Fresh Look at Fiber” within its top 2019 trends. According to a consumer survey (2018) conducted by Innova Market Insights, 44 percent of US consumer are increasing their consumption of fiber, with 33 percent of UK consumers doing so. At the same time, 21 percent average annual growth has been reported in new product launches carrying a fiber claim.

The suppliers at IFE exhibited the innovation present in the UK food and beverage scene and how thriving the start-up space is. However, these are uncertain times for the UK and the EU as the state of Brexit fluctuates daily and the industry is left uncertain of its future. According to Ian Wright, CEO of the Food and Drink Federation (FDF), who spoke to NutritionInsight at the show, UK business has failed to make its case in the Brexit process, which could have a detrimental impact on the thriving start-up atmosphere in the UK. 

By Laxmi Haigh