Health and wellness consumers love 'organic' and 'free from'

Foods and beverages offering health benefits are a booming market — and if they claim to be either organic or free from ingredients known to cause a reaction for people with food allergies or intolerances (or both) they are in the fastest growth market.

Consumers looking for ‘guilt-free’ purchases are driving sales in the health and wellness sector according to data recently released by Euromonitor International.

According to the research, organic properties lead to a 6.8% increase in the value of sales in 2016 (reaching US$36 billion) while free-from claims increased by 7% to reach US$32 billion.

The prime drivers in the growth of free-from are the increasing demand for lactose-free and hypoallergenic options. By 2021 this will become the fastest growing category in Asia Pacific, Latin America, Europe and North America with an average of 5.4% growth, generating an additional US$9.5 billion in sales.