Food texturants are food additives used to modify the overall texture as well as the mouthfeel of the food by imparting creaminess, thickness, and viscosity. They also play a significant role in increasing the shelf-life of the product by giving it a stable structure.

Emulsifiers, stabilisers, phosphates, and dough conditioners are some of the major food texturants used for various applications such as dairy items, bakery products, confectioneries, frozen food, and snacks and savoury products.

HYDROCOLLOIDS ARE THE MOST-WIDELY ACCEPTED FOOD TEXTURANTS

Different food texturants such as hydrocolloids, fats, sugar, food cultures, lecithin, and bioactive ingredients are widely used across the food industry. Of these, food hydrocolloids accounted for the fastest-growing food additives market due to their increasing usage in processed foods, convenience foods, and health foods.

Hydrocolloids are polymers with water-binding properties that form a thick and gelatinous dispersion in water and provide texture, viscosity, stability, and flexibility to food and beverages. Hydrocolloids such as carrageenan, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), alginate, xanthan gum, gum arabic, and pectin are widely used as film-forming solutions to control the texture, flavour, and shelf-life of food and beverage products.

Food texturants are now finding wide applications in the processing of several convenience food products such as sausages, noodles, yoghurt, snacks, meat, and ready-to-eat products, wher crosslinking of proteins provides improved longevity for food items.

WHAT IS DRIVING THE MARKET?

The rising awareness of better ingredients available in the market that improve the quality and stability of the food product is fuelling market growth. There is also an increasing consumer demand for processed foods such as dairy products, bakery and frozen food, confectionery items, and convenience foods today. And with texturants multiple benefits in functionality, these are key factors driving the market for texturants globally.

At the country level, the rising disposable income in developing countries such as India and Brazil is also fuelling the growth of the food texturants market.

However, there are some restraints to the industry. Factors such as increase in the risk of heart disease due to added sodium and trans-fats in processed foods deter the growth of the food texturants market.

Consumers are also becoming more aware of the risk of high cholesterol from the intake of refined grains found in processed foods and of the addition of extra sugar in food texturants, which is deterring the growth of the food texurants market.

To date, the usage of food texturants is limited within a specific amount in food and beverages, depending upon government regulations. For instance, the US Food and Drug Administration allows the addition of only 0.4 percent of calcium chloride into processed vegetables to improve the firmness of the product.

In March 2016, the European Commission published Regulation (EU) 2016/355, amending Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 853/2004, regarding the specific requirements for gelatine, collagen, and highly refined products of animal origin intended for human consumption.

According to the Food Standards Agency, there are strict guidelines on importing gelatine and food products containing gelatine. Each consignment of gelatine imported must come from the country permitted to export that type of product to the European unio. Such regulatory mandates restrict the trade of food texturants across regions, ultimately limiting the growth of this market.

KEY GROWTH AREAS

Emulsifiers and stabilisers play a significant role in improving the texture of various food products. Emulsifiers such as mono- and diglycerides, lecithin, and several synthetic derivatives are used in food products to let flavours and oils disperse into the food products.

Food manufacturers are incorporating quinoa into their products due to their better texture, colour, and binding properties. They are used in various products such as salad dressings, side dishes, chocolates, protein bars, and snacks.

Currently, North America and Europe are the dominant markets in the food texturants industry. In these places, the increase in the demand for processed foods coupled with the multi-functionality of these products significantly propels the demand for food texturants.

There are key companies offering food texturants in the market, including but not exclusive to Tate & Lyle, Kerry Group, Ajinomoto Company, BASF, and Beneo. These players have been implementing different strategies such as product innovations, joint ventures, and agreements to tap the opportunities existing in the food texturants market. With their products, manufacturers can cater to varied tastes and preferences of end consumers across different regions in the coming years.

KEY TAKEAWAYS FOR INDUSTRY STAKEHOLDERS

The global food texturants market is growing due to the changing lifestyles and eating habits among consumers. Therefore, companies manufacturing food texturants have been continuously focusing on launching innovative products which provide excellent taste, texture, and colour performance across different food and beverage applications.

With the increasing acceptance of food texturants by end consumers and food processors, the industry seems to have significant growth prospects in future.