No added sugars, protein and functional: which foods are winners
Light and sugar-free products are still among those most chosen by consumers
Everyone is crazy about ‘light’ and ‘sugar-free’ products: whether it is the result of increasingly unscrupulous marketing or the umpteenth trend popularized by social networks, it is a fact that Italians are increasingly sensitive to the nutritional benefits – real or presumed – indicated on labels with the adverb ‘without’. Thus, from foods ‘without added sugars’ (and richer, from time to time, in proteins, ‘good fats’ or lactic ferments) to the now usual ‘lactose-free’ and ‘gluten-free’, up to ‘egg-free’ – the real surprise of the year – the market is growing rapidly and is increasingly segmented. The data has emerged from the latest edition of the Immagino Observatory of Gs1 Italy, a non-profit organization that brings together 40,000 companies and represents a point of reference in the mass consumption sector.
In 2023, the best performance was recorded by the indication ‘no added sugars’ (+5.4% in volume and +18.5% in value compared to 2022). Of the 12 claims in the ‘rich-in’ world, all, except ‘iodine’, increased their turnover: in particular, the products with the claims ‘lactic ferments’ (+0.3%) and ‘proteins’ (+1.2%) are those that increased the volumes sold the most. Protein foods are not affected by the crisis, on the contrary: in recent years they have become real ‘superstars’ – much to the chagrin of nephrologists, who continue to warn of the risks deriving from an excessive and immoderate intake of proteins on the kidneys.
On the other hand, products designed for food intolerances are suffering the weight of inflation (+6.2% sales in value, but -3.9% in volume); those holding up better are ‘lactose-free’ (-1.3% in volume and +8.9% in value) and, although still a minority, ‘egg-free’ (+3.6% in volume, +12.8% in value).
The Gs1 Italy observatory – the only organization to monitor the average nutritional intake of packaged food products sold in large-scale retail trade – revealed that, out of 82,422 products purchased in a year, the average incidence of proteins increased and that of sugars decreased, while the share of fats and carbohydrates remained stable. The ‘gluten-free’ category continues to dominate this universe, with 8,581 products and 3.2 billion euros in sales (+5.2%), but with volumes down by -4.4%, mainly due to the downward trend of cold cuts, mayonnaise and Easter eggs. Among the labels that held up best is the ‘lactose-free’ category, which lost less volume than the average (-1.3%) and increased turnover (+8.9%), mainly thanks to ‘functional’ yogurts. The ‘egg-free’ niche is growing both in value (+12.8%) and volume (+3.6%), particularly in the world of pasta (fresh or dry) and healthy biscuits.
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