GLUTEN FREE FOOD AND FOOD SERVICE?

BY JANE CLARKE

WHO ARE GFS?• UK Gluten Free R&D and/or Manufacture

• Industry Experts

• Find needs in the market and create solutions

• Own brand/contract manufacture or consultancy

• Winner Free From Food Awards 2013:

• Best Product in Food Service

WHAT IS COELIAC DISEASE?

• An autoimmune disorder: the body attacks its own healthy tissue when exposed to gluten

• Gluten = plant protein in wheat, barley, rye, oats

• It is possible to have a wheat intolerance (more common) but not be coeliac

• Coeliac Disease Cure: Gluten Free diet for life

WHEAT FREE UK STATISTICS

• 1% of UK population = Coeliac

• Per one coeliac = 5 more undiagnosed

• 20% people in UK suffer from IBS

• Of which 11% avoid wheat

• Total : 12% avoid wheat permanently because of food intolerance

• 26%-30% self diagnosed wheat avoiders

CUSTOMER OPPORTUNITY

FREE FROM STATISTICS

• 2011: £2 billion ($2.3 billion) industry globally

• 2011: UK Free From Sales hit £238,000,000

• Estimated 12,000,000 UK consumers

• Growth: 120% - last 5 years.

• 2016: Estimated UK sales £500,000.000

% PREVALENCE OF FOOD ALLERGIES 2010 *SOURCE TGI

WHY DO SO MANY BUY INTO THE FREE FROM OFFERING?

• Severe Allergy

• Food intolerance

• Life style choice eg. Victoria Beckham, Andy Murray, Jennifer Aniston, Oprah Winfrey

• Family member

FOOD SERVICE GROWTH OPPORTUNITY

• Wheat intolerant and coeliac sufferers’ needs are catered for on Free From shelves in UK supermarkets

• Generally over looked in food service

• Result: Huge Market Growth Opportunity

HOW DO COELIACS AFFECT F.S. PROFITS?

• It is well known that families with a coeliac member often ALL eat wheat free diets

• The whole family refrain from eating out together if one family member cannot be catered for

• One coeliac = up to 5 lost orders in food service

• More and more people are CHOOSING to eat wheat free as a lifestyle option

• In the UK, a food with less than 20 pp million which has been tested can be labelled gluten free

• Between 20 and 100 pp million it can be called low gluten

• For food made with no gluten containing ingredients but not certified, it may be labelled no gluten containing ingredients.

FREE FROM FOOD LABELLING

WHAT DID PIZZA HOUSES WANT?

• Base without contamination risks/hassle free

• Great crust and taste

• Supplied as a frozen raw base or a frozen par cooked base or ambient base/mix

• Base able to withstand fierce temperatures of commercial ovens without burning

• Dough which behaves, tastes and bakes the same as regular dough

• Good shelf life (ambient or frozen)

WHAT WE OFFERED

• Passionate about pizzas

• Best tasting GF Crust without compromises

• Work with accredited BRC 6 manufacturers

• R&D had already been done

• Base could be fine tuned to exact specification.

• Virtual no other ingredient allergens *not tested

• High in dietary fibre = good for overall digestion

• No xantham gum

WAYS TO AVOID CROSS CONTAMINATION

• Separate Storage

• Ensure all toppings are gluten free

• Change base shape to for clear identification

• Use colour coded pizza tins for GF

• Line with baking parchment

• Wash hands before handling bases

• Clean cutlery to apply toppings slice pizzas

• Staff education and training (* Coeliac UK)

WHERE TO ADVERTISE?

• Crossed Grain magazine

• Restaurant windows and doors

• Own Website

• Coeliac UK and Allergy/Foods Matter

• Gluten Free Solutions Website

• Health and fitness magazines

• Press Editorial & social media

• Existing Flyers and media

WHY IS FREE FROM SO EXPENSIVE?

• Gluten free food can cost 4-8 times or more than mainstream equivalents

• Ingredients are more obscure and expensive to source

• Ingredients not purchased in high volumes

• The factory they are made in has to be conform with current gluten free legislation and testing

COST TO FOOD SERVICE

• There doesn’t have to be any: Coeliacs & wheat avoiders are used to paying high prices to eat the right food

• Small supplement could cover additional costs plus set up and launch costs

• Bigger opportunities for wheat avoiders and families to eat out together which more than off sets associated expenses

RECESSION PROOF GROWTH

• Despite record supermarket sales in Free From food, no gluten free offering used to be available in national pizza chains and potential remains huge

• Q: Can Food Service afford to go gluten free?

• A: Can Food Service afford not to?