"Sans": the business opportunities behind these food trends, which can be found at social media (gluten-free, lactose-free, GMO-free, meat-free, etc.).

Gluten-free, lactose-free, GMO-free... these new eating habits offer food brands the opportunity to win new market share.

Ella Woodward, star food blogger has published 3 books, opened 2 restaurants, launched the Deliciously Ella brand and amassed over a million followers on Instagram. Her credo: vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free and refined sugar-free recipes. She bears witness both to the spread of these new food trends through blogs and social media , and to the commercial opportunity they represent.

Gluten-free: an opportunity for upmarket pasta, cookies, cakes and grocery products

Gluten-free recipes and brands are increasingly visible on social media, the #GlutenFree tagline has appeared 16 million times on Instagram , in 2016, the gluten-free market already reached 40 million euros and is forecast to grow by 20% over 2 years.

Gluten-free is driving premiumization of demand for the pasta market. Barilla understood this back in 2014, when it launched its gluten-free range. It enabled the brand to record a 120% increase in value sales the following year. " In less than two years, Barilla has 50% of the gluten-free pasta market by volume," confirmed Géraldine Fiacre, marketing director for Western Europe at Barilla.

In the UK, the Knorr brand has successfully established itself in the B2B culinary segment with a gluten-free range. To convince restaurateurs to introduce gluten-free options to their menus, the brand launched an influencer marketing campaign on targeted media and Twitter. The month-long campaign generated 3.4 million impressions (three times the initial target) and 350,000 video views, and helped to increase Knorr's market share by almost 6%..

GMO-free, pesticide-free: the promising growth prospects of organic farming

Sales of organic food products exceeded 7 billion euros in 2016, with a growth rate of almost 20% growth rate. As consumers become more concerned about their food and ecological issues, more and more of them are turning to "organic" products.

Bjorg (Bonneterre et Cie group), market leader in organic groceries in supermarkets with ¼ of the market share, has invested in the delicatessen department (where organic products represent only 1.4% of total sales ) to provide an answer to consumers who are in too much of a hurry to cook fresh produce, but still want to eat organic. The brand's plant-based preparations are regularly featured by food and lifestyle influencers on social media :

The beverage segment also offers excellent prospects for organic products. The AlterFood group has understood this, marketing organic juices, sodas, coconut waters and iced teas in France. One of their main communication levers? " Influencers on Instagram, in May we had 15 publications from Lifestyle and Food influencers who tested our products. They share their experiences with their communities, who are receptive to the naturalness of our products and the sympathetic positioning of our brands. This enables us to raise our profile and develop our sales.explains Éléonore de Saint Périer, Product Manager at Alfterfood.

Coca-Cola has also invested in organic beverages, acquiring Honest Tea in 2011. To reinforce its reputation and reach new consumers, the brand relied on Influencer Marketing with the #RefreshinglyHonest campaign. Lifestyle and fitness influencers, as well as influential moms like Jessica Shy, were called upon to share their humorous views on honesty.

These refreshing testimonials enabled the brand to reach 17.2 million people, generate 320,000 interactions and maintain double-digit growth.

Meatless or almost meatless: flexitarians and vegetarians new targets in the delicatessen aisle

Ethical or ecological awareness, or even militancy: the reduction in animal protein consumption has opened the way to new markets. Carrefour and Picard have launched new "Veggie" product ranges to appeal to the 60% of French people who want to reduce their meat consumption.

Even Fleury Michon, a traditional player in the charcuterie department (consumption down 0.6% in France), has adapted to the changing market by launching "Côté Végétal", a range of animal protein-free products, in January 2017.

Animal and lactose-free: a boon for soy, legume and plant-based milks

Although they are very much in the minority, the number of vegan people who have excluded meat, fish, animal milk, eggs and all products linked to animal exploitation has risen by 350% in the UK over the last ten years, particularly among young people aged 15 to 34 (42%). They are in fact the most inclined to share on social media - particularly Instagram, and to be influenced in their daily consumption: the #vegan hashtag, for example, has been used 45 million times on Instagram, that's 13 times more than #veggie.

While vegan products are still very often produced by small brands distributed in organic stores or on targeted marketplaces, they nevertheless offer great opportunities for food manufacturers, particularly around soy-based products and plant-based milks. Sales of almond milk and rice milk, for example, doubled between 2013 and 2015.

Danone has acquired WhiteWave, the American leader in plant-based drinks and yoghurts, and owner of Alpro. With 1.7 million subscribers on Facebook, 110,000 on Instagram and a particularly active YouTube channel, the brand uses social media to win over new customers and build loyalty with quality content. Shared recipe videos regularly exceed one million views:

Today, they are developing as a result of health, ethical and ecological awareness, and offer players in the food industry new growth levers to boost their sales.

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