How is industry responding to demand for allergen-free foods?
The range of 'free from' foods available on supermarket shelves has skyrocketed in recent years, alongside increasing incidence and diagnosis of food allergies and intolerance. In this video interview, COO of American Key Food Products (AKFP) Mel Festejo discusses the changing landscape for manufacturers of allergen-free foods and beverages.
Festejo said that one of the big challenges for manufacturers looking to remove core ingredients like eggs, wheat or dairy products has been to replicate both the taste and nutritional profile of their mainstream counterparts. In the maturing gluten-free market, he said more and more manufacturers are finding they no longer need to trade off one for the other, as new ingredients have simplified the product development process.
