Wednesday 16 July 2014

FOOD ALLERGIES UPDATE: Free From’ Food Allergy Market Ripe With Opportunity

Free From’ Food Allergy Market Ripe With Opportunity
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While true food allergies are a serious and life-threating condition (and way overdiagnosed by consumers and mothers of young children), the reality is that they are fast-becoming a viable and lucrative market opportunity for food and beverage marketers in the United States and around the world.

According to a 2011 report from companiesandmarkets.com, the global food allergy and intolerance products market is projected to exceed $26 billion by 2017. The sector’s explosive growth is expected to continue due to increased diagnosis of digestive health conditions, growing interest for wheat-free and gluten-free diets, improvedlabeling regulations, and tastier and innovations in the category.

Just last year, a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found the prevalence of food allergies increased in children under age 18 years from 3.4 percent in 1997 to 5.1 percent in 2011. Skin allergies rose from 7.4 percent to 12.5 percent in the same time period; however, they decreased with age. The prevalence of respiratory allergies remained constant, at 17percent, between 1997 and 2011, although it remained the most common type of allergy affecting children.

It is clear that the “free-from sector" is set for further growth, with interest continuing to spread from those diagnosed as celiac disease, food allergies and intolerances, as well as rising interest in health and wellness. This sector is poised for continued growth due to ongoing development of a greater range of products that don’t sacrifice quality, texture or taste.

This hot topic will be discussed during the Food Product Design track of the SupplySide Education program, sponsored by BASF, Oct. 7 from 1-1:50 p.m. I invite you to join A. Elizabeth Sloan, Ph.D., president and CEO, Sloan Trends, Inc., and Catherine Adams Hutt, Ph.D., R.D., chief science and regulatory officer, Sloan Trends, Inc., who will lead the "Free-From Allergy Market" presentation.

During the session, they will present a detailed discussion of the incidence of true food allergies in children and adults, and identify and prioritize a series of up-and-coming “free-from" markets gaining steam—from lactose intolerance to dairy-free—and are of growing interest to food and beverage marketers. The regulatory and scientific basis for allergen-related claims and new product directions in the United States and abroad also will be discussed, as well as the extent of the type of claims and products that are currently be sold. Attendees also will hear recommendations as to the opportunities and pitfalls of pursing allergen-free positionings for food and beverage products.

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