The meteoric rise of gluten-free is set to continue for at least three years before starting to plateau.
The prediction comes from Greg Woodhead, project development manager at British Bakels, who also told British Baker that growth in gluten-free is growing by at least 10% each year.
He said: “Growth in gluten-free is speeding up. It is at least maintaining 10% growth and as the market increases that number is quite considerable. There is more in it - I think it will continue to grow quite aggressively for the next three years and then start to plateau. It’s not just a fad.”
This comes as gluten-free brand Genius has come under fire, after it recalled 25 of its own and own-label supermarket products from the shelves, when they were found to contain gluten.
He added, that the wider trend is for natural and clean label products as an ever greater emphasis is placed on health by consumers. He said that 30% of new product launches are now marketed as ‘natural’, while 17% are tagged as ‘clean label’.
In keeping with the trends, British Bakels plans to increase gluten-free NPD while also looking at reducing sugar in its products.
Sticking with the health trend, Woodhead said the company is adapting following the rise in the perception that white bread is bad for you. “People think that white bread is bad for you and I don’t think that perception is going to change,” he said. “White bread is still a massive part of the diet and it always will be, but people are looking for something new and different.”
Listen to our podcast with British Baker associate editor Lesley Foottit interviewing Greg Woodhead for more on the decline of white bread and the challenges of allergen control in a factory environment.
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