Navigating the free-from maze: Is the rise of the health-conscious consumer outweighing intolerances and allergies?

28 Apr 2020 --- With health and wellness being top of mind for many consumers today, individual dietary needs are salient across many sectors in the F&B industry. Brands are hyper focused on the specific needs of a consumer, meaning they have to offer a variety of options which tick more than one box. This is apparent in the free-from sector with health and well-being concerns playing a crucial role, as well as the evolving consumer demand for plant-based alternatives and products that are free from animal-derived ingredients. FoodIngredientsFirst speaks to key suppliers in the space, who discuss hurdles in free-from and notably, how the COVID-19 pandemic could lead to a greater focus on the safety and ethics around common ingredients.

While a growing number of consumers are moving to free-from foods due to an intolerance or allergy, there is also a rising consumer base that is more health concerned. That is according to Janin Zippel, Marketing Manager Bakery, Europe at Ingredion, who says that trends such as free-from are ever-changing and what is popular one month, may be down the next. “Diets and lifestyles are constantly evolving as consumers look to balance health and indulgence.”

“Alongside growing consumer interest in health and well-being, media attention has also increased, meaning more consumers are now aware of, and informed about, allergens and their impact on the body. This has led to diets and lifestyles such as free-from becoming more mainstream,” she highlights.

Individual dietary needs will be even more important in the future.Meanwhile, Pui-Yin Tao, Marketing Specialist Sweet & Dairy at Bell Flavors & Fragrances, underscoring the impact of the COVID-19 crisis, explains: “Health and wellness are one of the major priorities consumers are nowadays setting within their lifestyle, especially when taking a look at the challenging situation within the past months.”

“Individual dietary needs will be even more important in the future. The free-from movement will therefore gain more and more attention. Brands should focus on addressing specific consumer demands, offering a variety to choose from and delivering indulgence and convenience at the same time,” she asserts. 

Betty Groen, Marketing Advisor Dutch Spices says a “focus on changing consumer behavior is needed to avoid unused ingredients in product recipes.”

“For example, consumers are looking for foods that, for example, inhibit the absorption of fat and the effects of free from ‘energy-intake’ as a trend means that many consumers do not manage to lose weight. With this, the body is burdened with nutrition, while the body does not benefit from this,” she explains. 

“Vegan alternatives and products that are free-from animal ingredients is the market where the most new products are launching,” details Dr. Dorotea Pein, Head of Product Management at Hydrosol. “‘Free-from meat’ has been on our agenda for a long time. Recently, we brought out our vegan egg patty alternative as a market innovation. It has no mung bean protein, so there are no issues with the ingredients. In fish alternatives, we offer tuna alternatives for tuna fish salads and spreads, as well as alternatives for fish filet products,” she says.

Meanwhile, Rody de Wolf, Innovation Manager at Dutch Spices also highlights the growing demand for products which are free from animal-derived ingredients. “Many are looking to avoid specific ingredients and/or allergens from an animal-origin,” he tells FoodIngredientsFirst. 

For Maria Brandt, EU Industry Leader for Food Enzymes, DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences, environmental and health concerns are playing a key role in the free-from sector, as well as the evolving consumer demand for plant-based alternatives and products that are free from animal-derived ingredients. “There is no global uniform definition of free-from,” she states. 

Free-from hurdles 
In order for manufacturers to meet the demand for free-from, the next challenge is to find an alternative ingredient which will have similar functionality and efficacy so as to maintain product and process quality. More importantly, this ingredient would be positively received by consumers also on a long-term basis, according to Brandt. 

For Zippel of Ingredion, the general challenge in the free-from category is creating foods that give the same texture, mouthfeel and taste as their counterpart products. “Manufacturers often have to balance multiple on-pack claims, with high processing conditions, while delivering a sensory profile consumers have come to expect,” she flags. 

Similarly, Dr. Pein says the biggest challenge is the idea that the product should not be at all different. “Changing the recipe always leads to changes in the product’s texture, flavor and pricing. It is our job to make these effects as undetectable as possible,” she adds. 

 The general challenge in the free-from category is creating foods that give the same texture, mouthfeel and taste as their counterpart products. Meanwhile, Tao from Bell says that reformulating successful market products is one of the major challenges in the free-from space. “Especially the ones connected to using less sugar and fat call for innovative ingredients and a need to rethink a products’ formulation,” she says. “This further appeals to the market for meat-free alternatives and non-dairy white products. Consumer expectations are quite distinct: Characteristic sensory attributes of F&B products need to be kept to gain acceptance among a broad audience. Compromises on taste and smell of a product are hardly accepted,” explains Tao. 

In the same spirit, Marie Le Beller, Product Manager at Prova, says taste standardization is key. “Preserving real and indulgent tastes of authentic ingredients, without using them, is the biggest challenge,” she highlights. “When an ingredient is removed from a famous and beloved product, people still expect to enjoy the same consumption experience with the free-from version. They want a product that has the same taste, appeal and familiarity. To reach this demanding goal, flavors are crucial.” 

As an example, Zippel adds that to achieve a texture profile in a gluten-free recipe similar to that of a wheat bread, manufacturers sometimes add in fat, sugar or other additives. “These ingredients do not meet the same nutritional value of wheat flour, therefore affecting the overall balance of the product,” she continues. “This is where formulation and sensory expertise in other ingredients such as plant-based proteins and flours can help, providing alternative solutions to build back texture with ingredients that have a more positive nutritional make-up.” 

Without gluten, dough becomes less elastic and harder to process. “Breads can become dry and crumbly, with a poor crust color, grainy flavor and shorter shelf life. Removing gluten takes out protein and other nutrients, yet consumers increasingly expect to be served with the same innovation claims as other ranges, including ‘high protein,’” explains Zippel. 

With respect to allergens, consumers rely on information on packaging from the food producer. According to de Wolf of Dutch Spices, more effort is needed to explain the differences between free from products according to the ingredients and free from products mainly according to cross-contamination. “Companies need to have the knowledge on how to deal with this topic on product specification forms and labels for consumers as there is no legislation on cross-contamination,” he notes. 

Following the COVID-19 crisis and more than ever before, consumers will grant special attention to food safety.How will COVID-19 impact the sector?
Making enough affordable food available around the world is critical, especially given the current situation around COVID-19, says Aurora Giribuola, Global Product Marketing Manager, Food & Beverages, DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences. “The high demand for long shelf life products, products with health and immunity claims, and staple foods such as bread, pasta and rice, is expected to be sustained for some time. However, we don’t expect the ‘free from’ segment to disappear as consumers will continue to drive demand in this space.” 

The lockdowns in many countries likely will drive new consumer routines and habits, which may trigger demand for new product formats in the free-from segment, adds Giribuola. 

Meanwhile, Kévin Bangratz, Marketing Researcher at Prova, expects that following the COVID-19 crisis and more than ever before, consumers will grant special attention to food safety. “This means food products need to be healthy from a biological point of view, but food safety also implies dealing with allergens. Consequently, we expect that allergen-free ingredients will grow in popularity as they contribute to meet the soaring need for safe foodstuffs,” he notes. 

Moreover, with lockdowns and isolation, many people around the world have time to question their way of life and consumption habits, Bangratz adds. “Thus, in coming months, ethical marketing will become more important. Animal welfare will also bear more importance. Even some meat-based products now declare to be made in a way that respects animals. In this context, vegan products will continue to grow,” he asserts. 

Ronald Holman, Event Director for the Free From Food Expo, adds, “The COVID-19 pandemic will make us realize that our health is the most important part of life, and food contributes to that. As a response, retailers and the food industry will offer more and more choices to follow a healthy diet.”

By Elizabeth Green