Dietary Food & Drinks Opportunities ‘387m people in the world living with diabetes’* The food and drink industry is increasingly being challenged to become part of the solution to improved weight management and healthy eating as the world is facing soaring rates of diabetes. Millions of people are living with the condition and making lifestyle and food choices to help them manage their diets. Welsh Government are supporting the development of the Dietary Food & Drink Wales Alliance to act as a catalyst for NPD and innovation in dietary food products which may be suitable for consumers with diabetes. The Alliance will offer member companies: ‘A further 205m people will have diabetes by 2035’* The global market for food products which are suitable for consumers who need to manage their diet for health reasons is projected to grow exponentially. This growth will be driven by the huge increase in diabetes, greater awareness of the link between diet and diabetes, and the ageing population. All channels, including retail, food service and institutional food sectors will be affected by this growth. Consumer buying decisions will be based on availability, nutritional content, quality of flavour, taste and trust. The challenge for producers will be to develop products which support healthy eating and weight management without compromising taste and quality. Insight and intelligence about the diabetic food and drink market (UK and global) Insight from the latest medical research on the treatment and management of diabetes as well as food related research such as the metabolic impacts of different food ingredients Understanding of and access to R&D funding opportunities and potential research partners Support in prioritising NPD opportunities Support in developing market entry strategies to identified markets Information about labelling and legislative issues The Alliance will be launched at a symposium on Wednesday 22nd April 2015 at the Copthorne Hotel, Culverhouse Cross, Cardiff. ‘The global market for diabetic is growing by 10%’** Speakers at the symposium will include: However, the development of food products Leading medical experts in the field of specifically labelled as “diabetic” or “suitable for diabetes research and management and diabetics” has been controversial, particularly functional foods around the use of some sugar substitutes, Market analysts labelling and pricing. Food producers need to be New product development specialists aware of these challenges if they are to develop Market entry specialists, with a focus on the US and market products which are described as being suitable for diabetic consumers. Food companies engaged with R&D in this area Event Details: Venue: Copthorne Hotel Copthorne Way Cardiff CF5 6DH Date: Wednesday 22nd April 2015 Start: 9:00am Finish: 3:30pm Registration to attend this event is essential as spaces are limited. To register, please email linda.grant@bic-innovation.com *According to the International Diabetes Federation Diabetes Atlas, 6th Edition, 2014 **Global Diabetic Food Market, Technavio Insights