Freedom flakes out competition

FREEDOM Foods says its breakfast cereal recipes won't be the same in the next two years as it fends off moves from its bigger competitors into the allergen-free space.

David Kokke, a food technologist at the listed health foods company, said Freedom's products risked becoming "commodities" if it failed to constantly innovate and reinvent its brands. This means tinkering with its recipes, which are free of nuts, gluten and wheat, he said.

"Take something like a corn flake. Is the Freedom Foods' corn flake today going to be the same as the Freedom Foods corn flake in three years' time or two years' time?" Mr Kokke said.

"I hope not, because if we don't drive taste improvements or nutritional improvements, what's going to make our corn flake different to the rest?"

Freedom has spent $30 million expanding its cereal factory at Leeton in the NSW Riverina and is planning more upgrades aimed at defending its market-leading position.

It comes as its bigger competitors and supermarket private label brands introduce their own allergen-free products.

Nestle Australia introduced a "lunchbox friendly" nut free muesli bar earlier this year, while Sanitarium launched gluten free Weet-Bix last month, using sorghum instead of wheat.

"If we don't drive innovation and we don't have our own genuine ideas and our innovative ideas, we're just a 'me too', we're just a follower," Mr Kokke said.

"We aren't going to necessarily lead or challenge some of the established players in the marketplace."

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Freedom flakes out competition

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