Allergies and Intolerances: Navigating Consumer Needs

Consumers are approaching allergies, intolerances, and digestive health from very different starting points, ranging from professionally diagnosed conditions and family dietary needs to self-diagnosed sensitivities and everyday digestive discomfort. At the same time, concerns around ingredients, additives, formulation, and food processing are influencing how products are evaluated. Brands therefore need to communicate suitability and product information clearly while avoiding messaging that oversimplifies complex conditions or encourages unnecessary concern. Unclear suitability claims, complicated product communication, or insufficient transparency can increase uncertainty in an already complex health space. Brands also need to recognize that free-from and allergen-related positioning creates expectations around ingredient control, manufacturing, traceability, and substantiation. Focusing too narrowly on avoidance may also overlook consumers whose concerns relate to digestive comfort, processing, or broader wellness rather than a formally diagnosed allergy or intolerance.

Food, beverage, and nutritional supplement manufacturers, ingredient suppliers, retailers, and marketing, innovation, R&D, technical, category, and product development professionals looking to understand changing consumer attitudes toward allergies, intolerances, digestive health, ingredients, and processing, and translate these needs into clearer and more relevant propositions.