Low FODMAP diets, increasingly spicy foods and super healthy convenience ingredients are set for a surge in popularity in 2015, according to EHL Ingredients.

The importer, blender and packer of global food ingredients predicts that manufacturers will look to cater to developing consumer tastes for hotter and spicier ingredients, as well as to health conscious consumers following free-from diets.

A FODMAP is a dietary sugar that is poorly absorbed by the body, and a low FODMAP diet involves restricting foods containing fermentable oligo-saccharides, di-saccharides, mono-saccharides and polyols (FODMAP).

Tasneem Backhouse, sales director at EHL Ingredients, says, "Foods suitable for those following this diet include a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, cereals, nuts, seeds and grains.

"As consumers become more aware of FODMAPs, food manufacturers should look to introduce labelling which draws attention to foods suitable for those following this diet. We predict that bakery, snacks and breakfast foods are going to be among the first areas of growth for FODMAP friendly foods."

EHLs prediction that demand for increasingly spicy ingredients is set to grow in 2015 follows market reports suggesting that UK consumer tastes are rapidly changing to prefer spicy foods.

"32% of British consumers who eat ethnic food now say they enjoy spicier foods more than they have done in previous years, and we have already witnessed an increase in demand from food manufacturers, retailers and wholesalers looking to stock spicy ingredients and hotter chillies in line with developing consumer tastes.

"Consumers are experiencing and enjoying cuisines from around the world more and more, and its important to recognise this trend and develop dishes with an extra hot option."