Dried food market

Drying is a process in which moisture or water content is removed from food products up to a desired level. Removal of moisture improves the shelf life of food by preserving its nutritive value. Changing consumer trends in terms of type of food consumed and the adoption of on-the-go eating habits is expected to boost demand for dried foods. Currently, the major product categories in the market are meat, fruits & vegetables, and dairy products. Research on drying of other products such as eggs, instant coffee, and fish could open up new avenues for future market growth.

Key drivers of the market are increasing acceptance of processed food in regular diet and technological improvements such as emergence of hybrid drying technologies. Continuous research on application of dried food in various end-use applications such as pharmaceuticals and healthcare will boost market demand. For example, dried plum is proven to be effective for bone protection in osteoporosis disease. Growing demand for instant natural fruit juices can boost demand for dried fruits and vegetables.

The major threat for global dried food market is contamination and adverse health effects of artificial preservatives such as sodium benzoate, Sodium Erythorbate Sodium Diacetate, Sodium Succinate. Consumers have now become more aware of the hazards of artificial preservatives. Changing dietary trends such as gluten-free food and growing demand for ready-to-eat food pose a major challenge to manufacturers. Although the growth of these products is still in the nascent stage, manufacturers can experiment with backward integration strategy. It implies food product manufacturers can collaborate with dried food manufacturers to introduce new products or changing recipes of the existing products in their portfolio to include dried food products.    

Global Dried Food Market Taxonomy:

On the basis of drying technology, global dried food market is segmented as,

• Sun drying
• Hot air drying
• Spray drying
• Freezing
• Vacuum drying
• Osmotic dehydration
• Superheated steam drying
• Others

On the basis of product type, global dried food market is segmented as,

• Dehydrated Meat
• Dry Fruit
• Dry Vegetable
• Dehydrated Dairy products
• Others

Sun dried and hot air dried segment together accounted for highest share in global dried food market in 2016. Traditionally, Sun radiations were used to dry food products, followed by hot air technology. The cost-effective nature of sun radiation technology is expected to be responsible high market share over the forecast period. The high cost of freeze drying is expected to limit its application in the dried food market.

Dehydrated meat segment accounted for dominant share in the global dried food market in 2016, due to growing demand for canned and processed meat products. The development of retail channels in emerging economies and growing meat consumption globally is expected to boost demand for dried meat products.

Global Dried Food Market Outlook:

• North America held highest share in terms of volume and value in global dried food market in 2016. Growing consumption of meat coupled with growing demand of processed food in this region is expected to maintain its dominance in global dried food market during forecast period.
• Asia Pacific is expected to be the fastest growing regional market over the forecast period. Market growth is driven by growing demand in countries such as China, India and Japan. The easy availability of raw materials, coupled with changing dietary trends are expected to have a positive impact on market demand. Growing exports of dried fruits and vegetables to European countries will benefit the regional market growth.

Key players in Global Dried Food Market:

Major industry participants in global dried food market include Sunsweet Growers, General Mills Inc., Nissin Food Holdings Co. Ltd., Unilever Group, Ajinomoto Co. Inc., Ting Hsin International Group, House Foods Corp and Kraft Foods Inc., among others.

Key Developments:

• In April 2019, the US-based dried and frozen food manufacturer Mountain House introduced freeze-dried food range under the brand name Simple Sensations. They used a simple freeze-drying process to preserve the freshness of food and intact nutrients. Each serving offers 10-18 grams of protein and 280 calories.
• In March 2017, the US-based company OFD Foods had opened a freeze-dried food plant in New York. The company is one of the leading frozen food suppliers to the US military and retailers.
• In 2016, Chaucer Food Group, a major manufacturer frozen and dried food manufacturer has been acquired by a Japanese manufacturer Nagatenien, a distributor of instant and premixed food.