Free-from and the major retailers Laura Lebetkin Marketing Director - Foods Matter

Logos

Patricia Wheway with George Foods Matter bi-monthly newsletter February 2002

Foods Matter bi-monthly newsletter - September 2002 Foods Matter bi-monthly newsletter August 2002

Asda launches its range Foods Matter Magazine March 2003

Tesco launches own label range - Foods Matter magazine - November 2003

Branded goods Dietary Specials Trufree Barkat Doves Farm Meridian Plamil Eat Natual OK Foods Mrs Crimbles Alpro Life Free from Oatly Biona

General features of own label ranges Predominantly ambient and gluten free: Ambient goods - easier to handle in store than frozen or chilled Gluten free - harnessing themselves to the defined and easily accessible coeliac market. Dairy-free market already well catered for by special diet and vegetarian/vegan products

How many ‘frees’ - and what about nutritional content? Initially most just gluten free or milk free. Increasingly aiming for gluten, wheat and milk free. Egg allergy rarely catered for and not flagged on packs even when egg free.

Nutritional Content Because most products are cakes and biscuits they are often high in both fat and sugar – although a great deal better than they used to be. Hydrogenated and transfats seem to have been more or less banished.

Morrisons Around 30 own label products All baked goods, breads or pasta Many gluten, wheat and dairy free

Morrisons own label products include: 2 pastas 6 breads, baguettes and bagels 1 naan 4 Scones, pancakes, sponge puddings 2 tarts (Cherry Bakewell & Fruits of forest) 5 cakes 10 sweet cookies/biscuits

Morrisons ingredients information Flag ‘freefrom’ on front of pack only. No logos Clear allergy ‘advice’ Comprehensive ingredients list with E numbers of pack.

Asda Around 30 own label products All baked goods, breads or pasta - and 3 beers! Many gluten, wheat and dairy free

Asda’s own label products include: 3 pastas 7 breads, baguettes and bagels 3 cereal bars 2 savoury crackers 9 cakes 3 beers 4 soya milks

Asda’s ingredients information Flag ‘freefrom’ on front of pack only. No logos Clear allergy ‘advice’ Comprehensive ingredients list - no E numbers of pack.

Says Asda’s ‘freefrom’ buyer, Richard Storrie ‘Asda always strives to provide customers with the range they want. We constantlylisten to customer feedback and introduce ranges accordingly. Free From has been no exception. We are regularly updating our Free From range with new and innovative products. Currently we have 240 ambient products in our biggest store offer. In response to customer feedback, going forwards we will focus on gluten, wheat and dairy free range. We also carry and will continue to develop a frozen offer and a number of chilled lines to give a complete offer to the customer. Own label has been instrumental in our success this year. We will continue to develop Asda Brand lines but I recognise the importance of balancing the proportion of own label with branded product. For a supplier to secure a new listing in Asda's Free From range, the product must be innovative, taste great and have clear labelling.’

Sainsbury Around 40 own label products Mainly baked goods, breads or pasta - but significant range of frozen ‘main courses’ aimed at children Many gluten, wheat and dairy free

Sainsbury own label products include: 8 frozen products including fish fingers, chicken nuggets, chicken Kievs, shepherd’s pie and ‘ice cream’ 5 cakes 8 cookies/biscuits 6 breads or scones/muffins 2 sweet pies 2 pastas muesli and porridge chocolate bars and boxes vanilla custard cereal bars

Sainsbury ingredients information Flag ‘freefrom’ on front of pack only. Use logos which could be slightly confusing Allergy ‘advice’ comprehensive Comprehensive ingredients list - no E numbers of pack.

Tesco Around 60 own label products Mainly baked goods, breads or pasta - pioneers of interesting baked goods Many gluten, wheat and dairy free

Tesco ingredients information Flag ‘freefrom’ on front of pack only. No logos Allergy ‘advice’ very compre- hensive altho’ do not repeat main ’freefroms’ on back of pack Comprehensive ingredients list - no E numbers of pack.

Says Tesco ‘freefrom’ buyer, Nicki Clowes There was a Free From range review last week where a number of new and reformulated lines were launched. These launches were the result of months of dedicated work from an experienced technical and development team demonstrating our continued commitment to range. We currently offer 60 own label products. The majority of the range falls within the bakery, impulse and grocery categories with only one Frozen (Fish Fingers) and one Meat line (Sausages). We do however believe there to be further opportunities within the fresh areas and this something we are looking at.

The ambient range (bakery, impulse & grocery) is merchandised together and acts as a 'destination' for the Free From customer. Our customers continue to tell us this is what they want and we therefore have no plans to move away from this. We are however talking to customers and trialling various options relating to where this range is best located within our stores. As you know we currently offer both Tesco own label and branded products within our Free From range. We intend to maintain a branded offer to ensure the widest choice for customers. We are continually developing and improving our offer within this sector. At a time when a growing number of people in the UK are suffering from food allergies and intolerances we remain committed to offering our customers even greater support and choice.

Waitrose No own label - as yet Very compre- hensive range of branded goods

Supplying supermarkets All the supermarkets are open to interesting suggestions If you are looking for volume, you need supermarkets But, supplying to supermarkets has its own disciplines. Viz: –Come up with a product that they want –Prove that you have got all contamination issues under control –Supply a product with a sufficiently long shelf life –Be prepared to work to short lead times –Supply in pallet loads –Deliver to the places (all over the country) that they need it And remember - if your product does not sell in sufficient quantity, it will be dropped, quite possibly with no warning!

Free-from and the major retailers Laura Lebetkin Marketing Director - Foods Matter