GMO-free dairy product launches in Germany amounted to 15% of total new dairy products in the country between August 2016 and July 2017, according to new figures from Mintel.
The GMO-free claim activity in Germany now doubles the European average, which has remained stable at 7% of all dairy products since 2015. Between 2015 and 2016, GMO-free dairy launches in Germany were 7%.
Most dominant in the rise of GMO-free claims across Germany’s dairy category is the white milk segment. 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 shows that the idea of genetically modified 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%), closely followed by France (40%), Italy (38%), Poland (32%) and Spain (31%).
The rising use of GMO-free claims comes as the organic market grows its visibility. Indeed, nearly a quarter (24%) of dairy launches in Germany in 2016 were labelled as organic.
Food and drink analyst at Mintel Julia Büch said: “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.
“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.”
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