New market data from Irish food board, Bord Bia has suggested that there are significant export opportunities for Irish producers of gluten-free foods, particularly in the growing UK, Sweden, Spain and Russia markets.
At an event held today (29 April) at Bord Bia’s Dublin offices, research was presented by Bord Bia, Kantar Worldpanel and YouGov for these key target markets.
Orla Donohoe, Bord Bia’s Bakery Sector Manager, commented, "Products catering for food intolerances are becoming increasingly mainstream. Health for many people is now more about a natural and balanced food, intake rather than “diets” and calorie control, and this is driving market growth.
"The wider free-from market is one of the few categories growing at this pace across Europe, and where the branded route to market is as viable an option as private label."
Some of the key findings included in the presentations were that the UK’s gluten-free market is now valued at £438 million (approximately €562 million), and that a quarter of households in the region are affected by food sensitivities.
In Sweden, one in ten people avoid gluten, which has helped the market for gluten-free baked products increase by 23 per cent since 2014. The Swedish market also stands out for its development of innovative solutions in supplying gluten-free options, with several retailers offering home deliveries of gluten-free only products.
Meanwhile, in Russia, a rising demand for healthy and premium products is driving interest in free-from offering, leading to a gluten-free market worth €82 million.
In Spain, where one in 150 people are thought to suffer from coeliac disease, gluten-free sales have exceeded expectations in growing to €78 million, despite the economic recession.
This summer, Bord Bia and seven Irish food companies will take part in the Free From Food Expo in Amsterdam for the first time, an event known as Europe's leading health trade show.
© 2016 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Jenny Whelan. To subscribe to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine, click here.
