Nutritional and health claims are impacting the consumer market, with such labels of lactose-free, vegan, gluten free, and fat free being just some of the products positively changing the face of various brands.
Though the switch from animal products to plant-based alternatives has seen a surge of 68% globally in the past five years, companies continue to tap into the growing demand for it.
It is because of this push that it is anticipated to fuel the global lactose-free cheese market in the assessment period, which has become the dairy industry’s fastest growing segment.
There is high demand for clean label products within the United Kingdom to encourage the sale of lactose free cheese, and over the next few years the lactose free market is set to overtake the dairy cheese market.
Plant based, clean labelling, and sustainable supply chains are also set to have higher than usual demand.
For countries such as China, there are at least 40 percent more people who suffer from lactose intolerance than in a European country.
Dairy consumption continues to rise in China, despite most of the population being lactose intolerant, with statistics showing it is greater than 80 percent.
A growing awareness about health and wellbeing are predicted to boost the lactose free cheese market in the next decade.
There is a growing desire for consumers to try the alternatives as the trend of snaking becoming more and more popular, which is where the lactose free cheese market looks to find new customers.
Major companies around the world who either produce cheese, or have cheese related products, are adapting to the social change as well.
In August 2021 food company, Good Culture launched a new range of products containing pasture-raised milk, sourced directly from small family farms. In January 2022, French company Bel Group introduced a vegan version of their mini cheese range, using coconut oil and various vegan society approved ingredients.
Research and development into new products are being conducted globally by key players of the food and hospitality industry.
