The Natural Sweeteners Market size is estimated to be valued at USD 2.8 billion in 2020 and is projected to reach USD 3.8 billion by 2025, recording a CAGR of 6.1% in terms of value.
Natural sweeteners are gaining high importance and demand due to the increasing health concerns over the consumption of sugar and problems related to the safety of some non-nutritive artificial sweeteners. Natural sugars have wide application in the industries, including food processing, pharmaceuticals, personal care, and others, which in turn creating demand for the various natural sweeteners.
Sugars and sweeteners are the substances used to enhance the palatability and shelf life of food products. However, conventional sugar may possess various ill-effects on human health. Thus, the development and formulation of natural sweeteners was pursued.
Moreover, the sugar-substitutes utilized in various end-use industry applications are mainly of two different types: natural and artificial. The natural type of sugar-substitutes or natural sweeteners, as popularly known, is gaining immense traction in the global market. These sugars occur naturally in many plant foods. Most common sweeteners are obtained or manufactured by processing an array of plants, including agave cacti, maple trees, sugar cane, coconut palms, sugar beets, and corn to extract and condense the sugars.
The natural sweeteners market, on the basis of end-use sector, is dominated by the food & beverage segment in 2019. Apart from the growing demand from end consumers resulting in a shift among manufacturers for the choice of their ingredients in the food & beverage sector, factors such as fluctuating prices and supply of sugars further drive the demand. Food & beverage industry players require a frequent supply of sugars, at constant price points, to further process and manufacture their line of products.
However, the supply and price of sugars have been witnessing fluctuations, owing to which manufacturers willingly opt for sugar alternatives to provide similar sweetness and flavoring to products. Also, the rising costs of various other ingredients in the food & beverage sector result in manufacturers to shift toward cheaper alternatives, providing similar characteristics, in further processing.
Also, food & beverage sector is prone to disruptive changes and trends and is completely consumer-driven. With the growing prevalence and incidences of diabetes and obesity globally, consumers have become more cautious about the ingredients included in food & beverage products. This has further led manufacturers in the food & beverage industry to adopt natural sweeteners in their line of products.
Leading companies are DuPont (US), ADM (US), Tate & Lyle PLC (UK), Cargill (US), Ingredion Incorporated (US), Roquette Frères (France), FoodChem International Corporation (China), PureCircle Ltd (US), MacAndrews & Forbes Holdings Inc (Merisant) (US), Ecogreen Oleochemicals Pvt Ltd (Indonesia), Pyure Brands LLC (US), Stevia Hub India (India), Suminter India Organics (India), Stevia Biotech Pvt Ltd (India), The Real Stevia Company (Sweden), Sweetly Stevia USA (UK), XiliNat (Mexico), Fooditive B.V. (Netherlands), Saganà Association (Switzerland), and Hearthside Food Solutions LLC (US).
