The health food market - France (2024)

1.2 Strong growth in the global health and wellness food market

The global health and wellness food market is in continuous expansion. It is valued at nearly $***.** billion in **** and is expected to reach a value of $*,***.** billion by ****, with a CAGR of *.**% during the forecast period from **** to ****, according to the Data bridge report

This market encompasses all products that contribute positively to the overall health and well-being of its consumer. It can help prevent or treat certain pathologies (***).

As we can see from the graph below, this is a growing market, which is set to evolve considerably over the next few years in the face of ever-changing consumer trends worldwide, as well as consumers' environmental and health concerns.

Size of the global health and wellness food market World, **** - ****, in billion USD Source: ****

Analysis of regional market trends

According to Data Bridge,North America currently dominates the health and wellness foodmarket, mainly due to growing demand from American consumers for nutritional and fortified products.

However, the Asia-Pacific region is expected to be the fastest-growing over the next few years, due to an increasing trend towards healthy foods and products.

Major global players

As mentioned above,North America is the most dynamic region in the market, and is therefore seeing the ...

1.3 Recent growth in diet foods in France

Insee provides the size of the market in ****, as well as theannual sales index for the "fabrication of homogenized and dietetic foods" (***).

Category **.**Z (***) includes : the manufacture of foodstuffs for special dietary uses: homogenized preparations for children low-energy or reduced-energy foods for weight control purposes dietetic foods for special medical purposes low-sodium foods, including low-sodium and sodium-free dietary salts gluten-free foods foods for people with disturbed carbohydrate metabolism (***) foods adapted to intense muscular effort, particularly for athletes However, only the sub-categoryhomogenized preparations adapted for children" is excluded from this study, although its share is present in the market size proposed below.

This market size amounted to *.*** billion euros in ****. This figure makes it possible to estimate the size of the diet food market in France in ****, by multiplying it by the sales index for the year **** also indicated by theinseethen divided by the sales index for ****.

This formula gives: *.*** billion * ***.*/*** = *.** billion euros, for the year ****. The same applies to other years:

Diet food market size France, ****-****, in billion euros Source: ****

The previous graph shows that the health food market grew slightly between **** and **** (***), rising from *.** billion to *.** billion, and really exploded in **** and ****, passing the * billion euro mark.

The chart ...

2.1 Demand demographics: food-related health problems on the rise

Obesity and overweight

Obesity and overweight are a global public health problem whose incidence continues to rise. Since ****, the WHO states that the number of obese people in the world has tripled.

In France, the proportion of the population affected by obesity or overweight rose by *% between **** and ****(***), from **.*% to **.*%. In France, almost **% of adults are overweight or obese. [***]

In detail, the proportion of overweight people has changed little over the period (***) and it has been multiplied by * for people suffering from massive obesity. [***]

trends in obesity in the French population France, **** - ****, in Source: ****

The following map and table show the prevalence of obesity by region. Overall, the northern part of France is more affected by obesity than the south. Île de France is the region with the lowest obesity rate (***). The national average is **%.

Regions Obesity rate (***) Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes **.* % Bourgogne-Franche-Comté **.*% Bretagne **.*% Centre-Val de Loire **.*% Eastern France **.*% Hauts-de-France **.*% Île-de-France **.*% Normandy **.*% Nouvelle-Aquitaine **.*% Occitanie **.*% Pays de la Loire **.*% Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur **.*%

Source: ****

The gap between obesity rates for men and women in France is small and stable. However, men are slightly less affected than women by obesity (***).

Trends in obesity in the population by gender France, ****-****, in % Source: ****

The following graph ...

2.2 Focus on demand for gluten-free products

Worldwide, the size of the gluten-free food market has been estimated at nearly $**.* billion in ****, and is expected to grow by **.*% between **** and **** , according to Global Market Insights.

In France, according to the Ministry of the Economy, it is estimated that around **% of "conventional" food products contain gluten.

Given this figure, the gluten-free market has been growing steadily by around **% over the past five years. [***] It is estimated that nearly ** million people consume gluten-free foods on a regular basis in France.

This market represents almost a third of total sales in the French dietetics sector.

According to Because Gus, nearly *% of the French population eats gluten-free, and these consumers fall into two distinct groups:

People with celiac disease, who suffer from permanent intolerance; People allergic to wheat or gluten;

from this target clientele, the gluten-free market has expanded to include two related consumer segments:

Those "affected by ricochet", i.e. those close to gluten intolerant and allergic people, who are obliged to follow the gluten-free diet (***) Fad followers", i.e. non-compulsory consumers of gluten-free products.

Reason for gluten-free food consumption France, ****, in Source : Because Gus The "fashion followers" category sees gluten-free as a healthy dietary practice. However, this proportion represents only ...

2.3 French people's keen interest in health, diet and nutrition

According to the survey below,the French are particularly concerned (***) about the effects of food on their health. about the effects of food on their health, which could be behind their desire to consume diet products.

Concerns about the effects of food on health France, ****, in Source: ****

To maintain or improve health, eating healthily is the most popular habit (***). These rates are significantly higher than those for regular visits to the doctor.

Effectiveness of healthier lifestyle habits France, ****, in Source: ****

In parallel with the growing interest in healthy eating, a number of new eating habits have been emerging and developing for several years.

French special diets France, ****, in Source: ****

Nearlyone in two French people will be trying to lose weight in ****. Of these, **% are planning to go on a diet to achieve this goal. Men are less inclined to plan a diet than women (***). [***]

In order to lose weight, the French are considering a number of measures, such as rebalancing their diet (***), which is the most popular.

Measures taken to lose weight: "Have you ever tried or not tried each of the following things in order to lose weight?" France, ****, in % Source: ****

2.4 Consumers suspicious and demanding about product quality and origin

Where the product comes from is the first piece of information most consumers notice when buying their products (***). This is followed by information such as "no additives", "***% natural origin", brand name and nutri-score. This shows that consumers are particularly interested in quality information , i.e. product composition and origin.

Most important criterion for the French when buying a product France, ****, in Source: ****

Consumer confidence also seems to be shifting towards products perceived as high quality and of local or national origin. Indeed, consumers have a high level of confidence in products from small producers (***). However, major brands, plant-based proteins and GMO-free products seem to arouse consumers' mistrust. Consumer confidence in labels, brands or guarantees France, ****, in Source: ****

2.5 Major trends in food market demand

According to a study carried out byAgence Bio in ****, over the past * years, the French have made significant changes to their purchasing habits and eating habits. On average, **% have made changes. The following chart shows the main changes:

Changes in purchasing habits and eating habits France, ****, in Source: ****

In addition, several underlying trends seem to be impacting consumer demand for healthier, more dietetic foods:

Organic products

Organic products have been increasingly consumed in France since ****. After a sharp rise between **** and ****, consumption of organic products at least once a month has remained stable since then, at around **%. This increase in consumption testifies to consumers' desire to consume more responsibly, both for the environment and for their health, since these two aspects are perceived as the main benefits of organic food. [***]

evolution of organic food sales France, ****-****, in M€ Source: ****

it should be noted that the consumption of organic products is highly dependent on the household's standard of living. In fact, according to the graph below, the higher the household standard of living, the higher the consumption of organic products. It increases with household income.

Consumption of organic products at least once a week according to household standard of living France, ...

3.1 Strong indirect competition

The French population is increasingly aware of the need to eat better, and while some people are turning to diet foods to control their diet, they are not the only alternative for eating better. Numerous alternative products to diet foods exist, indirectly competing with diet foods.

In fact, according to the graph below, when asked"Are organic products better for your health?", nearly **% of French people agree, confirming a correlation between eating organic and being in good health.

Organic products - better for your health? France, ****, in Source: ****

3.2 Two categories of players structure the market

The health food market is largely concentrated around two types of player.

The first is made up of the traditional players in the health food sector, who are positioned exclusively or almost exclusively on health foods, and the start-ups who propose the development of innovative products. The second is made up of the food giants, whose offer is highly diversified.

The following table lists several players in these two categories:

The strategies and challenges of these categories of players differ:

Focus on the major food groups

The food giants are expanding their product ranges to meet the needs of all their consumers. For this category, it's a question of developing new growth levers, since entering these new markets can enable them both to increase their sales volumes, and also because the prices charged on these markets are generally higher (***).

With dedicated research and development teams, these companies are at the forefront of innovation and product development. To expand their offerings, these major groups may also seek not to develop their own brands, but to acquire other companies. In ****, for example, Danone announced the acquisition of Earth Island, owner of the Follow Your Heart brand, which offers a range of plant-based products. ...

3.3 Production that expands with consumer trends

The production of dieteticfoods can be classified under NAF code **.**Z. Category **.**Z (***) includes :

the manufacture of foodstuffs intended for particular nutritional uses: homogenized preparations for children low-energy or reduced-energy foods for weight control purposes dietetic foods for special medical purposes low-sodium foods, including low-sodium and sodium-free dietary salts gluten-free foods foods for people with disturbed carbohydrate metabolism (***) foods adapted to intense muscular effort, particularly for athletes

The following graph shows thatthe number of establishments registered under this activity code remained stable over the period from **** to ****. Since ****, there has been a slight increase in the number of establishments, followed by a slight decrease in ****. This increase testifies to the dynamic nature of the sector and the rise in production, all the more so as specialized players are not hesitating to buy each other out (***) are not necessarily registered under this NAF code.

establishments registered under activity **.**Z France, **** - ****, in number of establishments Source: ****

The number of employees, stable between **** and ****, rose sharply between **** and **** (***), also reflecting the dynamism ofhealth food manufacturing.

Workforce registered under activity **.**Z France, ****-****, in number of people Source: ****

3.4 Distribution channels for diet products

There are four main sales channels for diet products:

Supermarkets: Système U, Carrefour, Auchan, Leclerc, Intermarché... Thespecialty storessuch as Naturalia or Biocenter Pharmacies and parapharmacies [***] Online stores, such as bienmanger.com, webecologie tout-sans-gluten.com or noglutenshop.com. Some brands also have their own online stores, such as Eurodiet or Nutisense.

Here, too, the strategies for selecting a particular distribution channel on the part of major groups or specialized players (***) differ.

The major food groups prefer to distribute their diet foods via supermarkets and hypermarkets, taking advantage of already-established networks and existing partnerships between themselves and supermarkets. They are sometimes also available in pharmacies, as is the case with Nutricia, a subsidiary of the Danone group.

Specialized players, on the other hand,focus mainly on specialized stores, although they are also present in large and medium-sized supermarkets. This distribution strategy enables them to reach a wider audience, as well as more committed consumers.

Distribution channels can also be segmented according to the health food products sold.

For example, the dietary supplements market is very keen on distribution through pharmacies (***), since these products require a certain degree of medical follow-up, and can be dispensed by pharmacists.

Distribution channels for the dietary supplements ...

4.1 Significant price increases for diet foods

The three main dimensions of the Dietetic Sector are slimming, gluten-free and sports products.We propose here a price comparison of a basic basket between dietetic products and their "classic" equivalents. We can see from the following table thatthe prices of diet products, whatever the category, are generally much higher than those of so-called "classic" products. In fact, a basic basket of diet products shows that prices per kilogram are up to eight times higher for some products. Categories Type of product examples of diet products (***) classic" food equivalents (***) Slimming foods Tagliatelle (***) Barilla (***) Sugar-free jam Nutrisens (***) Bonne Maman (***) Carrefour brand (***) Sugar-free cookie Vecteur Santé (***) Pléniday (***) Lu (***) Sugar-free cookies Hauser (***) Granola (***) Chocolate cream Gerlinéa (***) Danette (***) No sugar added spread Bovetti (***) Bonne Maman (***) Nutella (***) Gluten-free foods Toast bread Gerblé (***) Schar (***) Harrys (***) Carrefour brand (***) Puff pastry No Gluten (***) Marie (***) Spaghetti ValpiBio (***) Barilla (***) Barilla (***) Rusks Gerblé (***) Schar (***) Heudebert (***) Sports food Protein bars Overstim's (***) Max Sport (***) Eafit (***) Grany (***) Kellog's (***) Protein powder Purasana (***) Protinut (***) Bio Shine (***) Powder for energy and isotonic drinks Overstim's (***) No equivalent Energy gels Overstim's (***) Mulebar (***) Source: ****

This higher price for health foods is one of the reasons why consumers don't buy these products. Indeed, thanks to Opinion Way's **** survey, we can ...

4.2 Supply trends: foodservice enters the segment

The foodservice sector has particularly invested in the health food segment.

The healthy offer

Firstly, the range of "healthy" restaurants is growing rapidly in France. This trend concerns all types of restaurants, even gourmet ones, with nearly **% of them offering a vegetarian menu. [***]

Secondly, many brands offer home delivery of diet and slimming meals. These include Eatology, Cheef, MyCuistot, Kitchendietand Comme J'aime. Thalasso institutes are also very numerous in proposing dietary offers in their restaurants. [***].

The gluten-free offer

Pizza Hut has launched a range of certified gluten-free pizzas, while Parisian restaurants such as NoGlu offer certified gluten-free menus(***).

Bakeries such as Eric Kayser in Paris * and Helmut Newcake in Paris are also launching certified gluten-free products. This trend is not confined to Paris, however; in Lyon, Histoire dans l'Assiette offers gluten-free dishes and options without any of the eleven most common allergens, and in Lille, Pulp Kitchen and La compagnie sans gluten offer healthy, gluten-free dishes in their restaurants.

This gluten-free offer comes at just the right time, as the graph below shows thatnon-gluten consumers are rather reluctant to go out to eat. Indeed, they consider that restaurant owners are not sufficiently informed about their conditions. in fact, **% of them don't ...

5.1 Diet food regulations

European Directive **/***/EEC defines dietetic foods as "foodstuffs intended for particular nutritional uses which, by virtue of their particular composition or particular manufacturing processes, are clearly distinguishable from foodstuffs for normal consumption, which are suitable for the stated nutritional purpose and which are marketed in such a way as to indicate that they meet that purpose".or the particular processes involved in their manufacture, are clearly distinguishable from foodstuffs for normal consumption, are suitable for the stated nutritional purpose and are marketed in such a way as to indicate that they meet that purpose".

However, it is essentially Regulation No. ****/**** of the European Parliament and of the Council of December **, **** on nutrition and health claims made on foods that applies to players in this market. This regulation has been in force since ****, and its main aims are to :

regulate claims used in food labelling and advertising to ensure that nutrition and health claims made on the label, in the presentation and advertising of foods are clear and based on evidence generally accepted by the scientific community.

These objectives primarily serve to protect consumers and enable them to make informed choices, as well as to create a level playing field for the ...

5.2 Focus on "gluten-free" regulations

Certain foods considered dietary may be subject to additional regulations. This is the case, for example, for gluten-free products, which are regulated as follows:

Among the existing regulations, we can cite European Commission Implementing Regulation (***) no. ***/**** of July **, **** on requirements for the provision of information to consumers on the absence or reduced presence of gluten in foodstuffs.

This regulation came into force on July **, ****, thus repealing the **** regulation.

To ensure that the signal sent to consumers is not blurred, these regulations set out the rules to be followed in order to display the various mentions on product packaging.

Gluten-free" claim

When the gluten content of the food sold to the final consumer is less than **mg/kg, it is possible to affix this label.

Very low gluten" label

Less restrictive than the previous one, this label can be affixed if the food sold to the end consumer (***) contains less than *** mg/kg.

Information for consumers with celiac intolerance or disease

Implementing Regulation (***) n°***/**** specifies that the previously described mentions may be accompanied by the mentions:

"Suitable for people suffering from gluten intolerance" or "Suitable for people suffering from celiac disease".

If the product respects a maximum residual gluten content of ...

6.1 Segmentation

• +Simple.fr
• Danone Groupe
• Fleury Michon
• Ekibio (Groupe Lea Biodiversité)
• ABCD Nutrition
• Biscuits Bouvard Groupe
• Bjorg (Ecotone)
• Lactalis Groupe
• Nutrition & Santé Groupe
• PiLeJe
• Nestlé Groupe
• Unilever Groupe
• Ebro Foods Group
• Famille Mary (Léa Nature Groupe)
• Lea Nature Groupe
• Olga Groupe (Triballat Noyal)