September 20, 2017

GMO-free claims in German dairy launches outpace European average

The share of GMO-free claims in dairy launches in Germany between August 2016 and July 2017 increased to 15% from 7% during the same period in the previous year.

According to global market intelligence agency Mintel, GMO-free claim activity in Germany now doubles the European average, which has remained stable at 7% of all dairy products since 2015.

Julia Büch, Food and Drink Analyst at Mintel, covering the German market, said Germany's dairy sector has experienced a strong rise in new launches with GMO-free claims, outpacing the European average.

"GMO-free claims are becoming an important quality differentiator in particular among conventional, non-organic ranges. The rise in GMO-free claims is actively pushing public awareness of the fact that dairy products may derive from animals fed genetically modified feed", she said at Drinktec in Munich on Sept. 15.

Most dominant in the rise of GMO-free claims across Germany's dairy category is the white milk segment, according to Mintel. In 2016, GMO-free claims in the white milk segment were present in over two out of five (44%) new launches, followed by yogurt (10%), butter (9%) and cheese (8%).

While Germany is the leading European market in terms of GMO-free product innovation, Mintel research showed that the idea of GM food faces strong resistance in Europe. Among countries surveyed by Mintel, the share of consumers opposed to genetically modified food is highest in Germany (41%), followed closely by France (40%), Italy (38%), Poland (32%) and Spain (31%).

"The rise of GMO-free claims in Germany's dairy sector follows in the footsteps of the country's booming organic market, which continues to grow as consumers are becoming increasingly conscious about the origins and quality of their food" Büch said.

"GMO-free claims are becoming more and more important to consumers. Overall, the rise of GMO-free claims in Germany responds to consumers' distinct resistance towards foods made with genetic engineering. Such growing awareness, combined with a rising interest in food origin and transparency, is set to further fuel the development of the non-GMO dairy sector," Büch added.