shoppers with dietary requirements have shown strong disappointment following Aldi’s decision to end its Free From range.

The low-cost retailer introduced its dedicated Free From section as a trial initiative in January 2025, with stock present in around 300 of its approximately 1,000 UK outlets.

The company has now announced the trial period has finished after shoppers found their favourite products were either scarce or missing from shelves.

Those needing gluten-free goods and people with coeliac disease, an autoimmune condition triggered by gluten, voiced their frustration on social media platforms.

Some individuals said they felt heartbroken while another suggested that offering gluten-free products ought to be obligatory for shops.

The discount chain maintains it stays committed to offering choices for customers with particular dietary requirements and continues to work alongside major allergy charities.

An Aldi spokesperson explained that the company introduced dedicated Free From areas in select stores on a trial basis last year. The spokesperson added that while this trial has now ended, Aldi remains focused on ensuring customers can find everything they need at its stores and shoppers can still find products appropriate for special diets on its shelves. The company continues collaborating with leading allergy organisations to assist with specialised diets wherever possible.

Customers have turned to TikTok to share their concerns, with some calling the trial’s end entirely unjust.

One user posted that this is not good enough and some people depend on these goods to live, suggesting the company cannot do this.

Another wrote that it was the only bread they could eat and tolerate.

A third remarked that it is completely unreasonable and awful if the company is scrapping the range.

A fourth concurred, noting that options for essentials such as pasta and bread are already thin on the ground in most stores without taking away even more choices.

However, one individual pointed out that while it is frustrating, as a commercial enterprise the company probably was not making any money. This person added that they do not think the company gave the trial enough time, as hardly any of their gluten-free friends realised Aldi sold gluten-free products.