Free-from food: Formulators eye functionality and texture amid diversifying consumer demands

19 Jun 2024 --- The “free-from” food segment has gradually moved from being a niche category limited to consumers with food allergies to now appealing to a much broader base of consumers. This includes a rising interest in alternative protein sources pushing forward free-from foods that align with flexitarian diets. 

The trend is driving F&B companies to channel their scientific expertise toward perfecting the taste, texture and nutritional quality of free-from ingredients like lactose-free, gluten-free and sugar-free.

Food Ingredients First speaks to Valio, dsm-firmenich and ADM to navigate the free-from-food space’s formulation challenges and how manufacturers are creating products that satisfy consumer palates with an added “health halo.”

According to Dennis Van der Veer, head of sales, Customer Development at Valio, many consumers perceive free-from foods as healthier alternatives to conventional products, particularly those with food allergies, intolerances or digestive sensitivities.

Consumers also choose free-from foods as part of their dietary lifestyles. “These diets often exclude certain food groups and ingredients, leading consumers to seek out “free from” options that align with their dietary preferences.”

Meanwhile, Melanie Luangrath, director for New Business Development, Plant-Based Platform, at dsm-firmenich, points out that over the past ten years, free-from foods have gone from being relatively niche products to “distinctive and delicious ranges” in their own right.

Perceptions of what is good for you are continuously shifting, which can be seen in different beliefs related to diets and ingredients, says Van der Veer (Image credit: Valio).“While the increase in new free-from product launches is in part down to the industry supporting the growing number of people with food allergies, appetite is growing among people without allergens.”

One example of this trend is the rise of plant-based food and drink among vegans, vegetarians and flexitarians. This change in consumer behavior has also led to more innovations in the realm of “dairy and egg-free formulations, particularly in beverages and baked goods,” Luangrath highlights.

Beyond allergy concerns
Free-from food can also encompass sugar- and fat- and salt-free products, appealing to health-conscious consumers, explains Bastian Hörmann, global marketing director, Sweet Goods, Dairy & Specialized Nutrition at ADM.

“Sugar reduction is a top factor for the majority of consumers, with eight in ten US and EU adults actively trying to reduce sugar in their diets. As consumers think about their short-term and long-term health goals, they will continue to seek out these specific “free-from” offerings.”

The sector also includes foods consumers perceive as “natural” and clean label, while steering toward non-GMO ingredients and away from ingredients deemed “unnatural.”

“Globally, 73% of consumers are seeking out food and drink products that contain recognizable ingredients, 73% are looking for “natural” products and 74% state that they check ingredient lists.”

Valio’s Van der Veer agrees that as diets become individualized, people also long for the “good old days,” driving the demand for natural foods. 

“There is a lot of health information that enables personalized diets, aided by health trackers. For example, nutrient awareness varies, with some prioritizing nutrient density, avoiding harmful elements or seeking beneficial nutrients.”

Valio’s lactose-free milk technology eliminates the need for hefty investment in advanced equipment (Image credit: Valio).“Overall, people are seeking products that address their specific health concerns, such as digestive wellness, protein intake or stress management,” he adds.

“Free-from” claims in food launches saw an average annual growth rate of 5% between April 2019 and March 2024, indicates Innova Market Insights’ data. Bakery launches (16%) led the category, followed by sauces & seasonings (10%) and snacks (10%), with gluten-free claims (45%) being the most shared during the April 2023 – March 2024 period.

Barriers to lactose-free
Lactose-free is an important free-from food category that targets digestive wellness, with one-third of global consumers struggling with digestive issues. The segment is also seeing a rising interest toward fresh, natural and more sustainable dietary choices, continues Van der Veer.

He views lactose-free milk as an “untapped market” that requires dairies to invest in product development and lactose-filtering equipment, which presents certain challenges for manufacturers.

“They need the tools and know-how to properly process the removed residue lactose. Such technical and financial barriers make it impossible for some to enter the lucrative lactose-free milk market.” 

Valio’s lactose-free milk technology eliminates the need for heavy investments in advanced equipment and the company can help customers “streamline” their product development, optimize manufacturing processes and develop an effective go-to-market strategy, he underscores.

Free-from food consumers increasingly look for options with an added "health halo" (Image credit: dsm-firmenich).Meanwhile, dsm-firmenich tackles lactose malabsorption with impacts around 68% of consumers globally, through its Maxilact Next ingredient, which is the “fastest pure lactase on the market. The product allows manufacturers to achieve an “additional 25% reduction in hydrolysis time — all without affecting the taste of lactose-free milk products,” highlights Luangrath.

Tapping into ancient grains for texture 
Functionality and sensory attributes are typical challenges when formulating gluten-free, egg-free, lactose-free, sugar-free and other “free-from” foods, explains Hörmann.

For instance, in gluten-free bakery products, the absence of gluten can cause issues with dough rise. ADM combines ancient grains, plant proteins and starches to help ensure products achieve the desired texture.

“Bringing together our resistant tapioca starch and plant proteins can help create gluten-free pillowy breads and buns, or crispy flatbreads. Resistant tapioca starch also provides added fiber and offers low net-carbs.”

“Our most recent introduction is HarvestEdge Gold Gluten Free Flour, crafted by our experts for manufacturers to solve flavor and texture challenges when formulating gluten-free products,” he adds. ADM’s NutriSystem line of high-quality beans and pulse flours also supports gluten-free and grain-free foods.

He further points to the importance of soy and pea proteins in achieving the “smooth, rich and creamy mouthfeel” in lactose-free products that consumers associate with traditional dairy products.

“Our [ADM’s] soy and pea proteins are clean-tasting, which lessens the impact from potential off-notes.”

ADM combines ancient grains, plant proteins and starches to help gluten-free baked products achieve the desired texture (Image credit: ADM).dsm-firmenich also taps into a “unique blend of pea and canola proteins” for its Vertis CanolaPRO ingredient, which can be used in high-protein, gluten-free pasta to meet consumer demands, Luangrath tells us. The ingredient ticks many of the boxes free-from consumers want to see “with an added health halo.”

Rebalancing sweet flavors
Consumers increasingly lean toward healthy F&B to enhance overall health, driving the demand for better-for-you products like high-protein and reduced-sugar products.

“Valio provides solutions to manufacture better-for-you products for active lifestyle or healthy aging with various benefits combining lactose-free with high protein, less sugar or low carbohydrates. Products can have a marvelous benefit bundle connecting lactose-free to many popular food trends.”

Hörmann, meanwhile, points out the importance of replacing sugar in such products, an ingredient that contributes to food’s shelf life and mouthfeel.

“From beverages to sauces, baked goods, snacks and more, sugar provides multiple functional components beyond a sweet taste. To make sure sensory goals are met in low- and no-sugar applications, we use a comprehensive Replace Rebalance Rebuild method, which replaces sweetness, rebalances flavor and rebuilds functionality.”

ADM couples this approach with its high-quality sweetening solutions and dietary fiber to meet sugar reduction targets and clean label goals while still maintaining a good sensory experience.

The rise of plant-based F&B has led to more innovations in dairy- and egg-free formulations for beverages and baked goods, observes Luangrath (Image credit: dsm-firmenich).“For example, solutions like our Fruit Up deliver naturally sourced sweetness, offering an alternative to sucrose and functioning as a binder in various applications. We may pair this sweetening solution with ADM/Matsutani LLC’s Fibersol, a soluble prebiotic dietary fiber, which builds back integrity through structural and binding qualities that can be lost when reducing sugar in formulations, while also bringing in added fiber.”

Looking ahead
As consumer tastes evolve, great-tasting, healthy, lactose-free options are needed, asserts Van der Veer. These include enabling everyone to enjoy their dairy favorites like yogurt, flavored milk, RTD products, desserts, fresh cheeses, and ice cream.

For Hörmann, the free-from space will significantly focus on improving upon taste and texture to capture mainstream consumer audiences.

“Consumers are expecting their product choices to not only fit their dietary needs but also live up to their sensory expectations and interest in exciting formats and flavors, in addition to meeting demands regarding sustainability and clean labels.”

He also expects innovations in ready meals with free-from options, as consumers get inspired by global cuisines in convenient formats to help “expand flavor horizons.”

“We also anticipate free-from food to expand to offer added benefits from highly sought-after functional ingredients, including fiber, biotics and high protein content sources, as consumers look for health and wellness attributes as a baseline across their F&B purchases,” he concludes.

By Insha Naureen