Boots to sell allergen-free food range

Boots is launching a range of foods free from wheat, gluten and dairy ingredients. Called Free From…, the range caters for shoppers with food allergies or intolerances.

Boots’ food offering has grown since the arrival of chief executive Richard Baker to include ready-meals and a wider range of sandwiches, snacks and drinks. But Boots claims that its focus remains lunchtime foods, despite the fact that it now sells ready-meals and dry pasta within its food offer.

The Free From… range comprises a mixture of sweet and savoury products and is due to go on sale in more than 650 stores from April. Muffins, cereal bars, sponge puddings, cakes, chocolate and dry pasta are included in the range.

Sainsbury’s has been using the similar Freefrom name since 2001 for a range of food for people with intolerances or allergies to wheat, gluten or dairy produce. Tesco launched a similar range last year, with more than 120 lines under the slightly different Free From tag.

Allergy UK estimates that 35 to 40 per cent of the UK population suffers from some adverse reaction to food.