Shortlist announced for Freefrom Food Awards

The shortlist for the 2009 FreeFrom Food awards has been announced, with over 100 companies taking part.

Categories include breakfast cereals, bread and bread mixes, pasta, pizza and pizza bases, and pies, flans, sausages and sauces.

The list only represents a small fraction of the gluten, wheat, dairy, egg and nut free products entered and judged for the awards over the last year – which gives some idea of the extent to which the free-from food sector has grown.

Latest Mintel figures suggest that the market which was worth £90 million in the UK in 2006 will have grown to £195 million by 2010 and £350 million by 2012.

The final judging for the awards to choose the overall winner of the FAIR (Foundation for Allergy Information and Research) trophy for the Best Free-from Food Product 2009 and the winner of the Innovation Award for the Best New Food Product in 2009 will take place at the end of April.

Judges will include Simon Wright, chair of the judges for the Q Awards, Jane Suthering President of the Guild of Food Writers, Jane Milton of Not Just Food, Jeffrey Hyman of the Food and Drink Innovation Network, Amy Peterson of Coeliac UK, Christina Thomas former administrator of the Guild of Food Writers and members of Foods Matter's own judging team.

The awards will be presented on 12th May (during Allergy Week) by Antony Worrall-Thompson at an awards party at Burgh House in North London.

The ceremony will not only be an opportunity to celebrate the growth in the free-from food market over the last year – but to reveal the exciting plans that Foods Matter has for even bigger, better awards next year.

This year's awards are sponsored by Livwell, a supplier to the UK free-from retail market, part of the Finsbury Food Group.

To view this year's full shortlist visit www.freefromfoodawards.co.uk

Words: Maria Bracken

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