(Food-Beverage-News.Com, September 28, 2016 ) Food Texturing agents are food additives which are chemical substances, basically used to change the texture or mouthfeel of the food by providing it with the characteristics such as creaminess, thickness and viscosity. They also play a key role in increasing shelf life of the product by giving it a stable structure. Main texturing agents include Emulsifiers, stabilisers, phosphates and dough conditioners.
Texturing agents are majorly used in industries like Dairy & Frozen food, Baker Items, Snacks & Savory, Beverages and Meat & Poultry products.
The global market of Food Texturing agents is moving up the ladder attributing to the growing preferences of customers towards consuming low-fat food, increased innovation in the food processing industries such as bakery, dairy, confectionery, convenience foods etc.
Depending on the functionality, texturing agents are classified as Emulsifiers, Phosphates, Stabilisers and Dough Conditioners.
Emulsifiers are used in food products where there is a need to allow flavours and oils to disperse through the food items. These type of texturing agents prevent deterioration and evaporation of volatile flavoured oils.
Phosphates are used as texturing agents to modify the texture of food products containing protein and starch, as the phosphates react with the protein or starch contents of these products to bring upon a change in water holding capacity of the constituent components.
Stabilisers, such as natural gum, are used to provide the required texture in several liquid or semi-liquid food products like ice-cream.
Segmentation on basis of applications:
Texturing agents can be segmented on the basis of applications into - Dairy & Frozen food, Bakery Items, Snacks & Savory, Beverages and Meat & Poultry products.
Bakery and confectionery items dominate the market segmented in the application sector, due to their high consumption volumes.
The demand of texturing agents is growing at a healthy rate in other industries such as meat & poultry, dairy & frozen food, convenience food products and beverages owing to increasing demand of processed food and palatability of food among people.
Key players in the these industries are replacing their old product lines, such as liquid milk, bread chocolate, ice cream and with their substitutes, due to their better functional potential, in order to drive the sales. Sauces & dressings is another major segment expected to witness healthy growth rates in the future.
Segmentation on basis of regions:
Global market of Food Texturing agents is sub-segmented into 7 key regions- North America, Latin America, East Europe, West Europe, Asia Pacific excluding japan and Middle East & Africa.
Global market of texturing agents is dominated by developed economies like North America followed by Europe due to the well-established food processing industry. With a steady growth in economies in developing markets and growing disposable income of people in these regions, demand for processed foods is increasing rapidly.
Asia – Pacific is considered to be the fastest growing market and is expected to experience an exponential growth rate during the forecast period, with developing economies such as China commanding over the major market share. Chinese market is offering incredible opportunities as they have abundant amount of raw materials and wide availability of cheap labor. Moreover, Economic surges in India and China have led to the growth of affluent urban populations creating a bigger market.
Additionally, Asia also provides the cost advantage in terms of production and processing. High demand coupled with low cost of production is a major driving factor aiding the texturing agent suppliers. Setup of various distribution centers for texturing agents is expected in upcoming years in Asia-Pacific owing to increasing demands.
Eastern Europe and South American regions are also expected to pull the market with a higher growth rate during the forecast period.
Drivers and Restraints
Rising disposable income of the consumers in the developing regions and consumer-driven demand for processed foods in Meat & poultry, bakery, dairy & frozen food and convenience foods coupled with their multiple benefits in functionality, are the key factors driving the market of texturing agents globally. The disposable income of the consumers residing in countries such as, Brazil, India, China and various other countries is fuelling the growth of the food texture market.
However, the factors such as increased risk of heart disease due to added sodium and trans fat in processed foods, loss of valuable nutrients which cannot be added back through enrichment and fortification, increase in the risk of high cholesterol due to consuming refined grains found in processed foods, addition of extra sugar involved in food texturing, are hampering the growth of production volumes.
Major Key players in the global market of Food Texturing agents are – Ajinomoto Co. Inc., Cargill Inc., E.I Dupont De Nemours & company, Fiberstar Inc., Kerry Group, Archer Daniels Midland Co., Tate & Lyle Inc., Penford Corp., etc.
With the continuous improvisations in their sales strategies and new product formulations, these companies are trying to penetrate further in the global market.
