Attendees at the forthcoming Free From Functional & Health Ingredients (FFF&HI) Expo will be invited to learn about the most prevelant trends impacting the industry when the event opens in Amsterdam from 22-23 November 2022.
This year’s education programme will see three streams covering Free From Retail, Vegan & Plant-Based and Supplier & Insights. Each theatre has been carefully curated to guide attendees through the latest industry insights, helping brands understand how to capitalise on market changes and respond to changing consumer demands.
What’s driving free from trends?
Among the themes topping the agenda at this year’s event, a number of industry experts will address the growth of the free-from sector, which is anticipated to continue expanding at a rate of 7.63% to 2027. Driven by rising health consciousness among consumers, along with growing rates of lactose and gluten intolerance, the free-from sector continues to undergo a transformation. Speaking about the role of free-from in 2022 and beyond, Will Cowling, Marketing Manager, FMCG Gurus will share insights into consumer attitudes and behaviours, helping attendees understand how to respond to market requirements.
Among the other speakers addressing free-from trends, Floris van Overveld, Director, Nederlandse Coeliakie Vereniging will highlight how the popularity of free-from products is impacting sales; while Rene Krebs, Head of Business Unit Cereals, Nuts & Pulses, Döhler will highlight emerging product innovations in the free from dairy category. Elsewhere Fons Blomhert, Director and Gerrit Grievink, Managing Director, Focusplaza will help attendees understand how the revised AOECS Standard and Gluten-Free Addendum will impact food business operators.
Putting more plants on plates
Appealling to vegans, vegetarians and an emerging category of casual flexitarians, the plant-based sector is ripe for growth, driving innovation in next-generation plant-based meats, eggs and dairy products. Kees Van Den Heuvel, Specialist in Plant-Based Protein, Shouten Europe will look at how consumers have grown to accept plant-based alternatives; while Marija Banovic, Associate Professor, MAPP Centre will look at evolving consumer demands and how these are informing future trends.
Fellow plant-based speakers include Merel Roes, Business Development Manager, Dawn Foods who will explore the opportunities for plant-based pastry; Marc Arcs, Founder and CEO, GreenFood50 joins to explore how locally grown quinoa can enrich plant-based products; while Mathilde Alexandre, Senior Project Manager, ProVeg International will compare plant-based with cellular agricture, raising the question if they are mutually exclusive categories or promising complementary strategies.
A 360 degree approach to sustainability
While food trends will dominate the agenda at this year’s event, speakers addressing the role of packaging in the free-from sectors will help attendees understand how to embody true circularity. Will Cowling, FMCG Gurus will return to explore the latest packaging and sustainability trends taking hold in the market, while Winfried Muehling, Director of Marketing and Communications, Pro Carton will share research into consumer perceptions to packaging, and why brands moving to environmentally-friendly, sustainable materials are gaining popularity.
Speaking about this year’s event, Ronald Holman, Event Director, said: “The fast-changing landscape in which brands operate today, requires a constant understanding of the latest trends impacting NPD and innovation in the free-from categories. Helping attendees navigate these changes and trends, we’ve gone to extra legnths this year to ensure our education programme reflects the priorities of the industry. We hope that attendees leave these sessions feeling inspired and equipped with the knowledge to add value to their business and respond to emerging consumer demands.”
Free From Functional & Health Ingredients returns to the RAI Amsterdam from 22-23 November 2022. For more information and to register to attend https://registration.gesevent.com/survey/1oxg8tmtklmfd
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