Magazine: Gluten-free products have the potential to generate two-digit sales growth

In the last few years consumer demand increased for gluten-free products. In part this is the result of more and more consumers suffering from gluten intolerance, but the number of healthy people following a gluten-free diet for some other reason is on the rise, too. Bernadett Kiss-Tóth, a dietitian with Nestlé talked to our magazine about how a part of the population doesn’t consume enough micronutrients (e.g. calcium, vitamin D). This problem can be solved by eating special-composition food – fortified food such as breakfast cereals enriched with the necessary micronutrients. She also mentioned the problem of eating too much fat or salt, to which the solution can be consuming foods with a reduced salt or fat content.

More and more people suffer from some kind of food intolerance or allergy these days. Krisztina Bódi, marketing director of Kometa ’99 ZRt. told us that Kométa’s ‘free from’ products (all of the foods they make, with the exception of cheese Bologna) don’t contain added gluten, glutamate, soy, lactose and milk protein. In addition to this, they are also characterised by exceptionally high meat content. Erzsébet Szalayné Szilvágyi, sales manager of Sága Foods Zrt. informed us that more people suffer from food intolerance and allergy than before, and the so-called ‘free from’ products make life easier for them. Renáta Kamocsai, marketing manager of Ed.Haas Hungaria Kft. added that the market of these products is expanding dynamically and the company’s sales are developing well, too. Imre Forgács, sales director of Abonett Kft. revealed that since the launch of their gluten-free products volume sales have been growing by two-digit numbers.

At the moment functional foods are available at higher prices than ordinary products. Manufacturers’ goal is to offer these products at lower prices and to make them taste just like the standard version. As of 20 July 2016 the category of ‘food product for special dietary needs’ isn’t used any more in Hungary. This also means that in addition to the formerly used ‘gluten-free’ and ‘very low gluten content’ markings, new expressions can also be used on product packaging. For many years Sága has been paying special attention to follow dietary trends and to shape their portfolio in accordance with these. In the cooked category they have been offering gluten-free products for 3 years. In their future innovation work they will focus on developing free-from products, so that consumers living with food intolerance or allergy can also enjoy a wide range of Sága products.

Kometa ’99 Zrt.’s product innovation also concentrates on developing products that can contribute to healthy eating. In their messages they call consumer attention to the importance of a healthy lifestyle – and eating Kométa products can form a part of this.

For Nestlé not only improving the quality of their products is important: they also keep an eye on how consumer taste changes and they make sure to offer lots of information about how to eat healthy. Klaudia Takács, associate marketing manager of Nestlé’s breakfast cereal business line told our magazine that since May the gluten-free Nestlé CORN FLAKES product line has available in shops in three versions: after the plain and honey nut versions, chocolate CORN FLAKES can now also be bought. This was an important step as the chocolate and cocoa flavours dominate in the breakfast cereal market. The 21g gluten-free Nesquik chocolate bar debuted in the autumn of 2015.

Abonett Kft.’s gluten-free products are also free from artificial additives and preservatives, plus they are characterised by a low calorie and salt content. The gluten-free versions of Abonett’s extruded breads are available at the same price as the standard versions. Abonett also does its best to be present on the shelves of shops in small towns and villages too, making sure that this functional food is available to those gluten-sensitive consumers who don’t have access to the stores of multinational retail chains. Products can also be bought in the company’s online shop.

Naponta Kft.’s Cerbona gluten-free product range was launched in the autumn of 2015 and it consists of 4 products (muesli bar in 2 flavours, muesli in a cup, nut pillow). Gyöngyi Andrásné Györkös told that their intention was to introduce products that can easily be consumed anytime and anywhere. Naponta Kft. is now working on reducing the sugar content of their products. The company’s gluten-free muesli has been named one of the most innovative products by the SIAL Paris jury.

In their innovation work, the main objective of Ed.Haas Hungaria Kft. is to produce allergen-free products that offer the same consumption experience as the standard version. They also think that a product shouldn’t cost more just because it is lactose- or gluten-free. Biopont Kft.’s emblematic product is extruded millet balls, but this year they also put extruded rice balls on the market. Erika Balogh told that the product packaging now features the ‘gluten-free’ marking. In the case of their organic products, being gluten-free is an extra feature. /