Italians love gluten-free foods, lactose and other “free from”. In the first half of 2016, the entire 'free from' food sector recorded almost two billion euros in revenue, marking an increase of 5.7% compared to the same period in 2015. A sign of constant research for foods suitable for a healthy diet and compatible with allergies and food intolerances.
According to the Coop report, the ranking of the best-selling foods in this category opens with the “fat-free” or “light” (+1.6%, for a total value of 1,150 million € in all organized large-scale retail, Gdo). Followed by “lactose-free” (+20.3%, 379 million €) and “gluten-free” foods (+20.6%, 159 million € turnover) marked with the crossed-ear emblem of the Aic association, specifically dedicated to celiacs, but increasingly sought after by consumers without a celiac disease diagnosis convinced that it is beneficial to avoidgluten.
Good also the “GMO-free” and other “free from” foods: with sales of 247 million euros they record an increase of 0.3%. Slight decline only for the “salt-free” (-2.8%), which still represent a purchase share of 61 million euros.
