Customized Report Service – Global demand and trends analysis on soluble fibers in North America and Europe in 2020
July 2020
Note: This report includes forecasting data that is based on baseline historical data.
Market snapshot
Soluble fibers can naturally be found in plant foods in the form of non-digestible carbohydrates, that absorbs water and slows down digestion, to help regulate intestinal functions. Foods rich in soluble fiber include oatmeal, nuts, beans, apples, and blueberries. Consumption of fiber-rich foods does more than just keep bowel movements more regular and healthier but can also help in lowering cholesterol, keeping blood sugar levels stable (controlling diabetes), and in losing weight by keeping you feeling fuller longer without adding many calories to your diet.Footnote 1
This report will focus on soluble fibers that are added in small amounts to foods and beverages including digestive resistant maltodextrin (RMD or maltodextrin), inulin, and fructose oligosaccharides (FOS), which have the benefits of being a fiber and can be used in foods as a bulking agent or a sugar replacement ingredient. Specifically, maltodextrin is a polysaccharide starchy dietary fibre (DF) powder often used as a food additive to improve flavor, thickness, or shelf life; while inulin and FOS are prebiotic DFs known as 'fructans' often used as an alternative sweetener, that feed the good bacteria in the gut and is said to act as an immune system booster (collective web definitions).
In 2019, global demand for these dietary fibers had a total import value of US$519.7 million (402.4 thousand tonnes), with 54.4% consisting of a maltodextrin ingredient, followed by 45.3% of inulin, and 0.3% of FOS imports. Top global import markets were Germany (mostly RMD), the Netherlands (RMD), the United States (US) for inulin, the United Kingdom (UK) mostly for RMD, and Italy (inulin and RMD). European markets were the largest importers for these soluble fibers, whereby the other selected markets in this report such as the US, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states, Canada, New Zealand and Australia have only imported mostly or solely inulin.
In North America, retail sales of related digestive or diabetic/dietetic packaged food products totaled US$4.1 billion in Canada and US$24.3 billion in the US, in 2019. In 2019, the Canadian dairy and soy food sector with digestive health (lactose-free, probiotic) and diabetic/dietetic (sugar free, reduced sugar) product attributes had the largest sales at US$1.7 billion. Meanwhile in the US, the bakery and cereals food sector had the largest sales at US$6.9 billion for its digestive health (source of fiber, gluten-free, added fiber/prebiotic) and diabetic/dietetic (sugar free, reduced sugar) product attributes. As reported in 2018, retail sales of related diabetic/dietetic non-alcoholic beverages totaled US$93.6 million in Canada and US$3.5 billion in the US (also advertised with digestive health consumer benefits claims).
In 17 nations throughout Europe, retail sales of related digestive or diabetic/dietetic packaged food products totaled US$32.7 billion in 2019 and non-alcoholic beverage products totaled US$5.2 billion in 2018. In 2019, top European markets for both food and beverage product sales included Germany, and the UK, followed by Italy for packaged food products and the Netherlands for beverage products. The largest European food sectors for retail sales in these related consumer benefits segments were bakery and cereals, dairy and soy foods, and confectionery products.
Trade overview
In 2019, global demand for various soluble fibers had a total import value of US$519.7 million (402.4 thousand tonnes), which includes maltodextrin (RMD) at a value of US$282.9 million (313.8 thousand tonnes), followed by inulin at US$235.6 million (88.0 thousand tonnes), and FOS at US$1.2 million (730.0 tonnes). These reported values in 2019, showed that maltodextrin and FOS reported losses of −3.5% and −2.9%, respectively; while inulin had a growth of 7.2% over the same period in 2018.
The European Union (EU28), is the largest import market for all these soluble fibers and is the sole market amongst the selected regional areas for the demand for RMD and FOS (other selected regions includes the US, Canada, ASEANFootnote 2, New Zealand, Australia). In 2019, the EU28 had a total import value of US$344.5 million (333.4 tonnes), which represented a 66.4% global market share in the demand for soluble fibers.
In 2019, top global import markets for RMD (HS:1702901200, 1702902700, 17029050) were Germany, the Netherlands, the UK, France, and Spain. Over, 97% of the demand was destined towards the EU28 in 2019, however, experienced a slight decline of −2.8% between 2018 and 2019. Imports to Hungary had the highest growth in the listed top 10 markets (2018-2019) by 6.0%; while imports to Belgium (−16.6%), Ireland (−14.8%), Poland (−12.4%) the UK (−6.9%), Spain (−3.8%), and Italy (−0.4%) have decreased over the same period.
HS codes (1702901200, 1702902700, 17029050): maltodextrins in solid form, not flavored or coloured (kilograms)
Global ranking | Market | Import value (US$ million) | Growth difference (%) (2019/2018) | Import quantity ('000 tonnes) | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2018 | 2019 | 2018 | 2019 | |||
Total - global | 293.0 | 282.9 | −3.5 | 320.3 | 313.8 | |
1 | Germany | 68.2 | 68.4 | 0.3 | 88.1 | 88.4 |
2 | Netherlands | 52.9 | 53.3 | 0.8 | 58.0 | 62.0 |
3 | United Kingdom | 46.8 | 43.6 | −6.9 | 45.8 | 42.9 |
4 | France | 19.7 | 19.8 | 0.4 | 17.5 | 17.4 |
5 | Spain | 18.3 | 17.6 | −3.8 | 18.0 | 16.8 |
6 | Poland | 17.2 | 15.1 | −12.4 | 19.2 | 17.8 |
7 | Italy | 13.0 | 12.9 | −0.4 | 13.9 | 13.7 |
8 | Belgium | 13.6 | 11.3 | −16.6 | 19.6 | 18.1 |
9 | Ireland | 8.2 | 7.0 | −14.8 | 7.0 | 5.8 |
10 | Hungary | 5.1 | 5.5 | 6.0 | 4.8 | 4.7 |
Subtotal - top 10 | 262.9 | 254.4 | −3.2 | 291.9 | 287.7 | |
*EU28[a] | 283.4 | 275.4 | −2.8 | 310.6 | 306.9 | |
Source: Global Trade Tracker, 2020 a: European Union |
Top global import markets for inulin (HS:110820) were the US, Mexico, Italy, Indonesia, and Germany. According to the chosen selected regions that import from the world for the demand of inulin in 2019, the EU28 represented the largest global market with an import value of US$68.0 million (global market share: 28.9%), followed by the US at US$56.4 million (24.0% share), and the ASEAN at US$32.1 million (13.6% share). In 2019, Canada reported the largest growth of 28.9% between 2018 and 2019 at an import value of US$9.2 million (global market share: 3.9%), while New Zealand reported the largest decrease over the same period of −2.7% at US$3.0 million (1.3% share) and Australia reported a significant growth of 26.6% at US$1.9 million (0.8% share).
HS code (110820): Inulin (kilograms)
Global ranking (top 3) | Market | Import value (US$ million) | Growth difference (%) (2019/2018) | Import quantity (metric tonnes) | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2018 | 2019 | 2018 | 2019 | |||
Total - global | 219.8 | 235.6 | 7.2 | 77,693.4 | 87,972.4 | |
(3,5,8) | EU28[a] | 65.3 | 68.0 | 4.0 | 23,784.2 | 25,713.0 |
1 | United States | 54.3 | 56.4 | 4.0 | 17,861.4 | 20,109.2 |
(4,11,15) | ASEAN[1] | 32.1 | 32.1 | −0.2 | 12,901.6 | 13,746.5 |
6 | Canada | 7.2 | 9.2 | 28.9 | 2,227.1 | 2,677.0 |
20 | New Zealand | 3.1 | 3.0 | −2.7 | 974.9 | 1,077.7 |
24 | Australia | 1.5 | 1.9 | 26.6 | 530.3 | 690.9 |
Subtotal - selected markets (6) | 163.5 | 170.6 | 4.3 | 58,279.5 | 64,014.4 | |
Source: Global Trade Tracker, 2020 a: European Union top markets include Italy, Germany, France 1: Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states top markets include Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand |
In 2019, top global import markets for FOS (HS:17026080) were France, the UK, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Sweden. Almost, 98% of the demand was destined towards the EU28 (mainly France and the UK) in 2019, however, this EU28 region reported a slight decline of −2.1% between 2018 and 2019. Ireland has joined the import market for FOS in 2019, at a value of US$10,138. Imports to Germany and Hungary in the listed top 10 European markets had the highest growths (2018-2019) by 240.2% and 79.4% respectively, followed by Portugal (40.6%) and France (20.7%) from 2018 to 2019. Meanwhile, imports to the Netherlands (−76.0%), Sweden (−51.2%), the Czech Republic (−36.2%), the UK (−10.7%), and Slovakia (−7.3%) have decreased over the same period, which contributed to an overall decrease in the top ten FOS import markets of −0.8% and −2.1% in the EU28 alone.
HS code (17026080): inulin syrup obtained directly by hydrolysis of inulin or oligofructoses, in dry state (kilograms)
Global ranking | Market | Import value (US$) | Growth difference (%) (2019/2018) | Import quantity (kg) | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2018 | 2019 | 2018 | 2019 | |||
Total - global | 1,226,195 | 1,187,521 | −2.9 | 1,408,431 | 729,995 | |
1 | France | 604,018 | 728,841 | 20.7 | 964,041 | 468,884 |
2 | United Kingdom | 247,872 | 221,419 | −10.7 | 140,671 | 137,337 |
3 | Slovakia | 57,169 | 53,000 | −7.3 | 37,800 | 37,826 |
4 | Czech Republic | 79,814 | 50,958 | −36.2 | 46,552 | 28,816 |
5 | Sweden | 70,276 | 34,332 | −51.2 | 25,970 | 13,125 |
6 | Germany | 6,963 | 23,688 | 240.2 | 1,598 | 16,895 |
7 | Netherlands | 96,597 | 23,181 | −76.0 | 55,332 | 14,609 |
8 | Portugal | 10,308 | 14,489 | 40.6 | 1,682 | 2,534 |
9 | Ireland | 0 | 10,138 | 0 | 1,622 | |
10 | Hungary | 3,777 | 6,776 | 79.4 | 2,367 | 3,150 |
Subtotal - top 10 | 1,176,794 | 1,166,823 | −0.8 | 1,276,013 | 724,798 | |
EU28[a] | 1,188,134 | 1,163,642 | −2.1 | 1,163,642 | 722,741 | |
Source: Global Trade Tracker, 2020 a: European Union |
Retail sales - digestive, diabetic/dietetic foods and beverages in North America and Europe
Canada
In 2019, retail sales of packaged food products containing claims with digestive health and diabetic/dietetic consumer benefits in Canada totaled US$4.1 billion, with related non-alcoholic drink beverages valuing US$93.6 million in 2018. These specialized food sectors have been growing at a CAGR of 3.8% between 2015-2019, while the drink sector with sugar free, reduced/no added sugar benefits has been decreasing in retail sales value by a CAGR of −4.7% between 2015-2018.
In Canada, the dairy and soy food sector with digestive health (lactose-free, probiotic) and diabetic/dietetic (sugar free, reduced sugar) claims had the largest sales at US$1.7 billion, followed by sectors such as bakery and cereals with related consumer benefits (source of fiber, gluten-free, added fiber/prebiotic, sugar free, no added sugar) at US$870.3 million, and meat with digestive health (gluten-free) claims at US$589.2 million in 2019. Smaller digestive or diabetic/dietetic food segments in order of retail sales size included confectionery, pasta and noodles, savory snacks, and syrups and spreads. All segments within these related food categories have been growing at moderate CAGRs (2015-2019), at the exception of the diabetic/dietetic non-alcoholic beverage sector.
Sector | Consumer benefits segment (product attribute) | 2015 | 2018 | 2019 | CAGR* % 2015-2019 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total - packaged food | 3,522.2 | 3,927.4 | 4,086.3 | 3.8 | |
Dairy and soy food | Digestive health (lactose-free, probiotic) | 1,348.2 | 1,501.9 | 1,565.9 | 3.8 |
Diabetic/dietetic (sugar free, reduced sugar) | 151.5 | 170.9 | 178.8 | 4.2 | |
Subtotal - dairy and soy food | 1,499.7 | 1,672.8 | 1,744.6 | 3.9 | |
Bakery and cereals | Digestive health (source of fiber, gluten-free, added fiber/prebiotic) | 651.6 | 746.8 | 784.1 | 4.7 |
Diabetic/dietetic (sugar free, no added sugar) | 72.5 | 82.2 | 86.2 | 4.4 | |
Subtotal - bakery and cereals | 724.1 | 829.0 | 870.3 | 4.7 | |
Meat | Digestive health (gluten-free) | 519.0 | 572.3 | 589.2 | 3.2 |
Confectionery | Diabetic/dietetic (sugar free, no added sugar) | 508.8 | 557.6 | 575.4 | 3.1 |
Pasta and noodles | Digestive health (gluten-free) | 138.2 | 157.0 | 164.7 | 4.5 |
Savory snacks | Digestive health (gluten-free) | 68.5 | 76.1 | 79.4 | 3.7 |
Syrups and spreads | Diabetic/dietetic (sugar free) | 10.7 | 12.2 | 12.8 | 4.5 |
Total - non-alcoholic beverages (diabetic/dietetic - sugar free, reduced/no added sugar) | 108.1 | 93.6 | n/a | −4.7 | |
Source: GlobalData Intelligence Center: Consumer, 2020 *CAGR: Compound Annual Growth Rate n/a: not available |
United States
In 2019, retail sales of packaged food products containing claims with digestive health and diabetic/dietetic consumer benefits in the United States totaled US$24.3 billion, with related non-alcoholic drink beverages valuing US$3.5 billion in 2018. These specialized food sectors have been growing at a CAGR of 1.8% between 2015-2019, while the drink sector with both diabetic/dietetic (sugar free, reduced/no added sugar benefits) and digestive (gluten-free) claims have been increasing in retail sales value by a CAGR of 6.4% between 2015-2018.
In the US, the bakery and cereals packaged food sector with digestive health (source of fiber, gluten-free, added fiber/prebiotic) and diabetic/dietetic (sugar free, reduced sugar) claims had the largest sales at US$6.9 billion, followed by sectors such as dairy and soy food with related consumer benefits (lactose-free, gluten-free, probiotic, sugar free) at US$6.3 billion, and confectionery products with diabetic/dietetic (sugar free) and digestive health (gluten-free) claims at US$4.8 billion in 2019. Smaller digestive or diabetic/dietetic food segments in order of retail sales size included seasonings, dressings and sauces, savory snacks, savory and deli foods, soups, ice cream, meat, syrups and spreads, pasta and noodles, prepared meals, and fish and seafood. All segments within these related food categories have been growing at moderate CAGRs
(2015-2019), at the exception of declines within the digestive dairy and soy food (−0.2%) and the digestive meat (−1.2%) sectoral categories.
Sector | Consumer benefits segment (product attribute) | 2015 | 2018 | 2019 | CAGR* % 2015-2019 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total - packaged food | 22,611.0 | 23,818.6 | 24,264.4 | 1.8 | |
Bakery and cereals | Digestive health (source of fiber, gluten-free, added fiber/prebiotic) | 5,452.6 | 5,798.7 | 5,943.2 | 2.2 |
Diabetic/dietetic (sugar free, reduced sugar) | 866.3 | 926.8 | 952.1 | 2.4 | |
Subtotal - bakery and cereals | 6,318.9 | 6,725.5 | 6,895.3 | 2.2 | |
Dairy and soy food | Digestive health (lactose-free, gluten-free, probiotic) | 5,660.5 | 5,693.7 | 5,618.6 | −0.2 |
Diabetic/dietetic (sugar free) | 662.1 | 700.6 | 718.8 | 2.1 | |
Subtotal - dairy and soy food | 6,322.6 | 6,394.3 | 6,337.4 | 0.1 | |
Confectionery | Diabetic/dietetic (sugar free) | 4,661.1 | 4,793.3 | 4,773.3 | 0.6 |
Digestive health (gluten-free) | 65.8 | 69.9 | 70.3 | 1.7 | |
Subtotal - confectionery | 4,726.9 | 4,863.2 | 4,843.6 | 0.6 | |
Seasonings, dressings and sauces | Digestive health (gluten-free) | 2,071.9 | 2,279.9 | 2,364.6 | 3.4 |
Savory snacks | Digestive health (gluten-free) | 1,147.7 | 1,421.7 | 1,559.4 | 8.0 |
Savory and deli foods | Digestive health (gluten-free) | 612.2 | 650.3 | 660.7 | 1.9 |
Soups | Digestive health (gluten-free) | 527.3 | 567.5 | 581.5 | 2.5 |
Ice cream | Diabetic/dietetic (no added sugar) | 369.1 | 394.1 | 488.9 | 7.3 |
Digestive health (lactose-free) | 19.3 | 20.2 | 19.8 | 0.7 | |
Subtotal - ice cream | 388.3 | 414.3 | 508.7 | 7.0 | |
Meat | Digestive health (gluten-free) | 261.3 | 246.9 | 249.3 | −1.2 |
Syrups and spreads | Diabetic/dietetic (sugar free) | 117.3 | 127.6 | 131.6 | 2.9 |
Pasta and noodles | Digestive health (gluten-free) | 75.4 | 84.7 | 88.7 | 4.1 |
Prepared meals | Digestive health (gluten-free) | 25.6 | 26.5 | 27.0 | 1.3 |
Fish and seafood | Digestive health (gluten-free) | 15.5 | 16.3 | 16.5 | 1.6 |
Total - non-alcoholic beverages | 2,903.3 | 3,495.0 | n/a | 6.4 | |
Soft drinks | Diabetic/dietetic (sugar free, no added/reduced sugar) | 1,776.4 | 2,183.1 | n/a | 7.1 |
Soft drinks | Digestive health (gluten-free) | 1,126.8 | 1,312.0 | n/a | 5.2 |
Source: GlobalData Intelligence Center: Consumer, 2020 *CAGR: Compound Annual Growth Rate n/a: not available |
European Union (19 nations)Footnote 3
In 2019, retail sales of packaged food products containing claims with digestive health and diabetic/dietetic consumer benefits in 19 nations out of the EU28 (including the UK and the combined Slovak Republic) totaled US$32.7 billion, with related non-alcoholic drink beverages valuing US$5.2 billion in 2018. These specialized packaged food sectors have been growing at a CAGR of 2.9% between 2015-2019, while the drink sector with both diabetic/dietetic (sugar free, reduced/no added sugar benefits) and sometimes digestive (gluten-free) claims have been increasing in retail sales value by a CAGR of 11.5% between 2015-2018.
Top EU19 nations in 2019, with the largest market sizes in retail sales packaged food values were Germany, the UK, Italy, Spain, and Finland. The largest markets for related non-alcoholic beverages included the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and Italy. All top five nations in both the food and beverage sectors grew at moderate CAGRs, at the exception of Italy (−0.3%) and Belgium (−4.3%) of which have reported declines in CAGRs within the diabetic/dietetic and digestive beverage by categorical sector between 2015 and 2018.
European Union nation | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | CAGR* % 2015-2019 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. Germany | 5,041.3 | 5,208.4 | 5,331.7 | 5,507.2 | 5,657.7 | 2.9 |
2. United Kingdom | 4,353.1 | 4,457.6 | 4,559.5 | 4,750.4 | 4,922.5 | 3.1 |
3. Italy | 4,093.9 | 4,144.2 | 4,221.9 | 4,328.9 | 4,424.8 | 2.0 |
4. Spain | 3,469.2 | 3,523.5 | 3,584.9 | 3,685.2 | 3,788.2 | 2.2 |
5. Finland | 2,848.3 | 2,913.2 | 2,938.5 | 3,025.1 | 3,124.1 | 2.3 |
6. France | 2,381.0 | 2,429.4 | 2,484.5 | 2,556.0 | 2,636.4 | 2.6 |
7. Netherlands | 2,020.5 | 2,094.3 | 2,163.0 | 2,254.5 | 2,354.5 | 3.9 |
8. Austria | 906.7 | 951.5 | 990.8 | 1,040.5 | 1,080.8 | 4.5 |
9. Sweden | 839.01 | 860.12 | 884.03 | 910.24 | 938.11 | 2.8 |
10. Hungary | 631.8 | 656.2 | 675.8 | 711.1 | 746.6 | 4.3 |
Total - EU19 nations | 29,149.1 | 29,893.4 | 30,575.5 | 31,629.7 | 32,653.3 | 2.9 |
Source: GlobalData Intelligence Center: Consumer, 2020 *CAGR: Compound Annual Growth Rate |
European Union nation | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | CAGR* % 2015-2018 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. United Kingdom | 1,213.5 | 1,350.7 | 1,458.0 | 1,934.3 | 16.8 |
2. Germany | 639.6 | 715.1 | 739.9 | 860.7 | 10.4 |
3. Netherlands | 355.7 | 380.0 | 340.3 | 380.7 | 2.3 |
4. Spain | 252.9 | 248.8 | 264.6 | 365.4 | 13.1 |
5. Italy | 317.6 | 305.7 | 319.6 | 314.6 | −0.3 |
6. Denmark | 153.7 | 172.0 | 198.9 | 250.0 | 17.6 |
7. Finland | 183.8 | 194.6 | 198.4 | 237.1 | 8.9 |
8. Sweden | 125.6 | 144.5 | 164.3 | 225.0 | 21.4 |
9. France | 137.1 | 116.8 | 114.1 | 161.9 | 5.7 |
10. Belgium | 127.5 | 114.3 | 109.1 | 111.6 | −4.3 |
Total - EU19 nations | 3,779.3 | 4,031.7 | 4,221.8 | 5,237.7 | 11.5 |
Source: GlobalData Intelligence Center: Consumer, 2020 *CAGR: Compound Annual Growth Rate |
In the top five EU19 nations, the bakery and cereals packaged food sector with digestive health and diabetic/dietetic claims had the largest sales at US$6.4 billion, followed by sectors such as dairy and soy food with related consumer benefits at US$5.8 billion, and confectionery products with diabetic/dietetic and digestive health claims at US$4.2 billion in 2019. Smaller digestive or diabetic/dietetic food segments in order of retail sales size included savory snacks, oils and fats, savory and deli foods, prepared meals, ice cream, seasonings, dressings and sauces, pasta and noodles, soups, syrups and spreads, and meat.
Sector | Consumer benefits segment | Germany | United Kingdom | Italy | Spain | Finland |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total - packaged food | 5,657.7 | 4,922.5 | 4,424.8 | 3,788.2 | 3,124.1 | |
Bakery and cereals | Digestive health | 978.7 | 1,281.5 | 2,088.2 | 688.3 | 289.8 |
Diabetic/dietetic | 99.5 | 390.0 | 66.2 | 490.3 | 13.9 | |
Subtotal - bakery and cereals | 1,078.2 | 1,671.5 | 2,154.4 | 1,178.6 | 303.7 | |
Dairy and soy food | Digestive health | 968.4 | 1,188.6 | 642.6 | 732.5 | 2,196.9 |
Diabetic/dietetic | 16.4 | 6.3 | ||||
Subtotal - dairy and soy food | 968.4 | 1,204.9 | 642.6 | 738.8 | 2,196.9 | |
Confectionery | Diabetic/dietetic | 1,566.1 | 698.8 | 536.2 | 548.7 | 136.9 |
Digestive health | 742.4 | 3.7 | 8.2 | 0.2 | 3.0 | |
Subtotal - confectionery | 2,308.5 | 702.5 | 544.5 | 548.8 | 139.9 | |
Savory snacks | Digestive health | 73.1 | 595.5 | 182.2 | 327.7 | 4.0 |
Oils and fats | Digestive health | 985.6 | 8.9 | 65.4 | ||
Savory and deli foods | Digestive health | 57.0 | 49.3 | 71.5 | 574.5 | 64.7 |
Prepared meals | Digestive health | 81.5 | 179.5 | 263.5 | 8.9 | 233.2 |
Ice cream | Digestive health | 37.3 | 112.6 | 41.8 | 252.4 | 30.9 |
Diabetic/dietetic | 24.4 | 32.7 | ||||
Subtotal - ice cream | 37.3 | 137.1 | 41.8 | 285.1 | 30.9 | |
Seasonings, dressings and sauces | Digestive health | 46.1 | 221.0 | 141.8 | 78.7 | 221.0 |
Pasta and noodles | Digestive health | 14.3 | 39.8 | 293.7 | 3.9 | |
Soups | Digestive health | 51.0 | 23.7 | 74.8 | ||
Syrups and spreads | Diabetic/dietetic | 61.5 | 2.5 | |||
Digestive health | 7.6 | 20.8 | ||||
Subtotal - syrups and spreads | 7.6 | 61.5 | 23.3 | |||
Meat | Digestive health | 23.4 | 35.5 | |||
Source: GlobalData Intelligence Center: Consumer, 2020 |
Product launch and trend analysis - soluble fiber ingredients in North America and Europe
Products containing maltodextrin
Mintel indicates that there were 13,700 food and drink products containing maltodextrin that were launched into the North American retail stores between the period of January 2015 and end of June 2020 (including new variety/range extension, packaging, formulation or relaunched) products. Canada launched 3,287 new products and the United States introduced 10,413 new products. In particularly, out of a total sample of 13,700 products, Canada domestically manufactured 1,295 (42.0% or 544 of these Canadian products that were launched domestically) of these maltodextrin products and the United States manufactured 2,375 (85.3% or 2,025 of these American products that were launched domestically). Other top manufacturers for these products launched throughout North America were Mexico (181), China (142), Thailand (115), Germany (61) and Italy (41).

Description of above image
2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 (January to June 29) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Europe (27,740) | 5,355 | 5,119 | 4,965 | 5,065 | 4,920 | 2,316 |
United States (10,413) | 1,808 | 2,091 | 1,921 | 2,022 | 1,763 | 808 |
Canada (3,287) | 739 | 702 | 466 | 677 | 440 | 263 |
Source: Mintel, 2020
The top three North American parent companies to launch new maltodextrin products over the last 5.6 years were Aldi or the Aldi Group (1,066), PepsiCo (538), and General Mills (535). Top brands were Great Value (270) launched throughout North America, along with American brands Kroger (225), and Meijer (163). Whereby, more specifically the top brands launched in Canada were PC President's Choice (91), Great Value (90) and Western Family (82). Other top brands (not including Kroger and Meijer) launched in the US for maltodextrin products were Great Value (180), Giant Eagle (136), and Pringles (93).
Most products containing maltodextrin were distributed within supermarkets by 53.7%, mass merchandise/hypermarkets (23.2%), and club stores (4.2%). Other distribution launch types included drug/natural and health/department/ convenience/gourmet stores, internet/mail order, and specialist retailers. The largest sub-category was potato snacks by 7.1%, followed by prepared meals at 4.9%, poultry products at 4.3%, and corn-based snacks at 4.3%.
Among these 13,700 North American maltodextrin products, top ingredient claims were natural (10,244), soy-derived (5,246), and vegetable based (3,993). Other related products within the top 30 claims included fat free (15.6%), wholegrain (5.1%), source of dietary fibre (5.0%), high oleic (4.2%), fat reduced (1.1%), reduced lactose (0.7%). Top flavours included unflavoured/plain, chicken, cheese (cheddar), chocolate, barbeque, roasted/toasted, garlic, spice/spicy, and beef.
These North American products containing maltodextrin came in a powder format (2.7%), liquid (2.6%), cup/tub (0.8%), stick (0.6%), spread (0.5%), and granules (0.4%). Top package types consisted of flexible, flexible stand-up pouch, tub, tray, carton, flexible sachet, jar, bottle, skinpack, and can packaging standards.
Attribute type | Top 10 attribute claims (product item count) |
---|---|
Launch Type | New variety/range extension (5,536), new packaging (4,266), new product (2,712), relaunch (1,093), new formulation (95) |
Top companies | Aldi/Aldi Group (1,066), PepsiCo (538), General Mills (535), Wal-Mart (510), Nestlé (480), Kroger (412), Frito-Lay (346), Kraft Heinz (317), Kellogg (270), H-E-B (256) |
Top brands launched | Great Value (270), Kroger (225), Meijer (163), Giant Eagle (136), Pringles (111), Signature Select (92), Trader Joe's (91), PC President's Choice (91), Western Family (82), Co-op Gold (77) |
Store launch type | Supermarket (7,353), mass merchandise/hypermarket (3,174), club store (576), drug store/pharmacy (543), natural/health food store (477), internet/mail order (443), department store (356), specialist retailer (233), convenience store (148), gourmet store (87) |
Sub-category | Potato snacks (971), prepared meals (671), poultry products (590), corn-based snacks (583), snack/cereal/energy bars (529), meal replacements and other drinks (486), meat products (428), meal kits (427), seasonings (424), nuts (363) |
Ingredient claim | Natural (10,244), soy derived (5,246), vegetable based (3,993), soybean oil derived (3,932), artificial (2,980), enriched (2,923), palm oil derived (2,576), fat free (2,140), organic (959), coconut oil derived (928), wholegrain (704), source of dietary fibre (681), high oleic (578) |
Flavour component | Unflavoured/plain (1,067), chicken (878), cheese (691), chocolate (599), cheddar cheese (576), barbeque/barbacoe (513), roasted/toasted (475), garlic (382), spice/spicy (364), beef (350) |
Format type | Powder (364), liquid (360), cup/tub (110), stick (82), spread (63), granules (48) |
Package type | Flexible (5,968), flexible stand-up pouch (1,313), Tub (1,053), tray (998), carton (869), flexible sachet (723), jar (645), bottle (556), skinpack (516), can (332) |
Total sample size | 13,700 |
Source: Mintel, 2020 |
Mintel indicates that there were 27,740 food and drink products containing maltodextrin that were launched into European retail stores between the period of January 2015 and end of June 2020 (including new variety/range extension, packaging, formulation or relaunched) products. European countries domestically manufactured 10,087 of these launched maltodextrin products (36.4%). Top European countries launching these maltodextrin products were Germany (4,408), the UK (4,329), France (2,387), Spain (1,805), and Poland (1,741). Top European manufacturers of these products were the UK (1,955 or 45.2% of their domestic supply), Germany (1,811 or 41.1%), France (798 or 33.4%), Italy (691 out of 1,498 launched or 46.1%), and Belgium (656: launching 584 maltodextrin products). Other non-EU top manufacturers for these products launched throughout Europe were Thailand (211), the US (163), China (88), Vietnam (88), and Israel (58). Canada was the 8th largest non-EU country, manufacturing 23 products containing maltodextrin; whereby Australia (10) and New Zealand (8) were the 11th and 12th largest non-EU markets, respectively.
The top three European parent companies to launch new maltodextrin products over the last 5.6 years were Aldi or the Aldi Group (1,489), Lidl (1,487), and Nestlé (1,123). Top brands were Pringles (342), Knorr (242), and Tesco (236). More specifically, the top brands found in the top 10 overall European brands launched in Germany were Bofrost (29), Pringles (22), and Tic Tac (22). Top brands that were launched in the UK for maltodextrin products were Tesco (150), Asda (141), and Pringles (54); while France's top brands within the top 10 were Pringles (36), Carrefour (25) and Knorr (15).
Most products containing maltodextrin were distributed within supermarkets by 55.5%, mass merchandise/hypermarkets (20.0%), and internet/mail orders (8.4%). Other distribution launch types included drug/pharmacy/department/natural and health food/convenience/gourmet stores, specialist retailers, and direct selling operators. The largest sub-category was meat products by 6.7%, followed by potato snacks at 5.8%, prepared meals at 4.5%, meal replacements and other drinks at 4.2%, and poultry products at 3.6%.
Among these 27,740 European maltodextrin products, top ingredient claims were vegetable based (9,253), palm or palm oil derived (8,578), and natural (7,447). Other related product claims included source of dietary fibre (7.0%), low fat (3.0%), fat reduced (2.8%), wholegrain (2.5%), fortified (1.3%), gluten-free (0.9%), and high oleic (0.8%). Top flavours included unflavoured/plain, chocolate, chicken, strawberry, cheese, lemon, vanilla/vanilla bean, vegetable, spice/spicy, and barbeque/barbacoa.
These European products containing maltodextrin came in a powder format (5.4%), liquid (4.0%), cup/tub (1.1%), bags (0.9%), cubed (0.8%), coffee mixes (0.7%), and gel (0.7%). Top package types consisted of flexible, tray, tub, carton, flexible sachet, flexible stand-up pouch, jar, composite, bottle, and skinpack packaging standards.
Attribute type | Top 10 attribute claims (product item count) |
---|---|
Launch Type | New variety/range extension (10,944), new product (9,496), new packaging (4,879), relaunch (1,890), new formulation (531) |
Top companies/parent | Aldi/Aldi Group (1,489), Lidl (1,487), Nestlé (1,123), Unilever (924), Kellogg (667), Aldi Süd (541), REWE Group (439), Tesco (426), Ahold Delhaize (404), Walmart (377) |
Top brands launched | Pringles (342), Knorr (242), Tesco (236), Asda (141), AH (131), Tic Tac (130), Deluxe (128), Bofrost (107), Pringoooals (99), Carrefour (98) |
Store launch type | Supermarket (15,392), mass merchandise/hypermarket (5,536), internet/mail order (2,327), drug store/pharmacy (967), department store (918), natural/health food store (532), specialist retailer (514), convenience store (405), gourmet store (310), direct selling (135) |
Sub-category | Meat products (1,859), potato snacks (1,618), prepared meals (1,248), meal replacements and other drinks (1,159), snack/cereal/energy bars (1,000), poultry products (990), seasonings (740), sweet biscuits/cookies (691), corn-based snacks (662), dry soup (654) |
Ingredient claim | Vegetable based (9,253), palm/oil derived (8,578), natural (7,447), rapeseed derived (6,956), soy oil derived (5,041), coconut/oil derived (4,081), source of dietary fibre (1,928), olive oil derived (1,462), organic (1,350) |
Flavour component | Unflavoured/plain (3,803), chocolate (1,389), chicken (1,230), strawberry (982), cheese (896), lemon (754), vanilla/vanilla bean (722), vegetable (708), spice/spicy (658), barbeque/barbacoa (641) |
Format type | Powder (1,503), liquid (1,117), cup/tub (306), bags (239), cubed (227), coffee mixes (181), gel (179) |
Package type | Flexible (10,215), tray (3,556), tub (2,694), carton (2,653), flexible sachet (2,054), flexible stand-up pouch (1,350), jar (1,142), composite (1,072), bottle (843), skinpack (739) |
Total sample size | 27,740 |
Source: Mintel, 2020 |
Products containing inulin
Mintel indicates that there were 1,696 food and drink products containing inulin that were launched into the North American retail stores between the period of January 2015 and end of June 2020 (including new variety/range extension, packaging, formulation or relaunched) products. Canada launched 575 new products and the United States introduced 1,121 new products. In particularly, out of a total sample of 1,696 products, Canada domestically manufactured 291 (40.5% or 118 of these Canadian products were launched domestically) of these inulin products and the United States manufactured 341 (63.9% or 218 of these American products were launched domestically). Other top manufacturers for these inulin products launched throughout North America were Italy (17), Belgium (8), Mexico (7), Netherlands (7) and China (7).

Description of above image
2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 (January to June) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Europe (4,431) | 688 | 697 | 817 | 851 | 883 | 495 |
United States (1,121) | 207 | 244 | 200 | 170 | 196 | 104 |
Canada (575) | 106 | 112 | 81 | 107 | 111 | 58 |
Source: Mintel, 2020
The top three North American parent companies to launch new inulin products over the last 5.6 years were Groupe Danone (125), Aldi Group or Aldi (87), and PepsiCo (64). Top brands were Premier Protein (39), Quaker Chewy (30), and Lily's (26), with all three brands launched throughout North America. Whereby, more specifically the top brands launched in Canada were Quaker Chewy (26), Fibre 1 (15) and PC Blue Menu (14). Top brands launched in the US for inulin products were Premier Protein (36), Lily's (19), and Made Good (16).
Most products containing inulin were distributed within supermarkets by 43.0%, mass merchandise/ hypermarkets (16.2%), and natural/health food stores (13.9%). Other distribution launch types included internet/mail order, drug/club/department/gourmet/convenience stores, specialist retailers, and direct selling operators. The largest sub-category was snack/cereal/energy bars by 35.1%, followed by meal replacements and other drinks at 15.0%, cold cereals at 4.6%, and cakes, pastries and sweet goods at 4.5%.
Among these 1,696 North American inulin products, top ingredient claims were natural (1,220), soy-derived (721), and organic (677). Other related product claims in the top 30, included source of dietary fibre (27.6%), fat free (15.6%), high oleic (8.4%), probiotic (5.5%), gluten free (4.4%), and prebiotic (2.0%). Top flavours included chocolate (dark/black), vanilla/vanilla bourbon, unflavoured/plain, peanut butter, almond, strawberry, coconut, caramel/caramelized, blueberry.
Top formats that these North American products containing inulin came in were liquid format (8.6%), powder (8.4%), cup/tub (4.5%), stick (0.5%), sandwich (0.5%), bags (0.4%), grounded (0.2%), cone (0.2%), and bar (0.2%). Top package types consisted of flexible, tub, bottle, flexible stand-up pouch, and jar packaging standards.
Attribute type | Top 10 attribute claims (product item count) |
---|---|
Launch Type | New variety/range extension (553), new product (486), new packaging (482), relaunch (161), new formulation (14) |
Top companies | Groupe Danone/Danone (125), Aldi Group/Aldi (87), PepsiCo (64), Nestlé (56), Post Holdings (50), Premier Nutrition (48), George Weston (47), Kellogg (44), General Mills (41), Kroger (37) |
Top brands launched | Premier Protein (39), Quaker Chewy (30), Lily's (26), Made Good (20), Vega (17), Great Value (17), Luna (16), Hostess CupCakes (15), Fibre 1 (15), Kroger Greek (15) |
Store launch type | Supermarket (730), mass merchandise/hypermarket (275), natural/health food store (236), internet/mail order (124), drug store/pharmacy (75), club store (51), department store (45), specialist retailer (34), gourmet store (12), direct selling (7), convenience store (6) |
Sub-category | Snack/cereal/energy bars (595), meal replacements and other drinks (255), cold cereals (78), cakes, pastries and sweet goods (76), dairy based ice cream and frozen yogurt (70), sweet biscuits/cookies (61), spoonable yogurt (52), bread and bread products (35), plant based icecream and frozen yogurt (dairy alternatives- 30), baking ingredients and mixes (30) |
Ingredient claim | Natural (1,220), soy derived (721), organic (677), palm oil derived (522), source of dietary fibre (468), wholegrain (295), vegetable based (265), fat free (264), artificial (246), coconut derived (207) |
Flavour component | Chocolate (375), vanilla/vanilla bourbon (132), unflavoured/plain (118), peanut butter (115), almond (109), dark/black chocolate (84), strawberry (79), coconut (67), caramel/caramelized (64), blueberry (62) |
Format type | Liquid (146), powder (142), cub/tub (77), stick (9), spread (8), sandwich (8), bags (6), grounded (4), cone (4), bar (3) |
Package type | Flexible (952), tub (163), bottle (140), flexible stand-up pouch (115), jar (103), carton (87), flexible sachet (58), tray (26), can (15), skin pack (6) |
Total sample size | 1,696 |
Source: Mintel, 2020 |
Mintel indicates that there were 4,431 food and drink products containing inulin that were launched into European retail stores between the period of January 2015 and end of June 2020 (including new variety/range extension, packaging, formulation or relaunched) products. Over 43% of these products were completely new products being introduced to the market over the 5.6 years. European countries domestically manufactured a total of 1,446 of these launched inulin products (32.6%). Top European markets launching these inulin products were the UK (787), Germany (652), Spain (374), Italy (292), and France (277). Top European manufacturers of these products were Germany (281 or 43.1% of their domestic supply), the UK (185 or 23.5%), Italy (156 or 53.4%), France (135 or 48.7%), and Belgium (103 or 94.5%). Other non-EU top manufacturers for these products launched throughout Europe were Canada (36), the US (35), Australia (6), Israel (5), and China (3). Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia all manufactured one inulin product each that was launched in Europe over the 5 year period.
The top three European parent companies to launch new inulin products over the last 5.6 years were Mondelez International/Mondelez (279), Lidl (141), and Nestlé (118). Top brands were Tesco/Tesco Free From (54), Belvita Breakfast Soft Bakes (41), and Asda Free From/Asda (41). More specifically, the top brands found in the top 10 overall European brands launched in the UK were Asda Free From/Asda (41), Tesco/Tesco Free From (24), and LighterLife Fast (21). Top brands that were launched in Germany for inulin products were Made Good (7), Fulfil (4), and Cavalier (4); while Spain's top brands within the top 10 were Kellogg's (2), Made Good (2) and Deluxe (2).
Most products containing inulin were distributed within supermarkets by 44.2%, mass merchandise/ hypermarkets (16.6%), and internet/mail order (15.7%). Other distribution launch types included drug store/pharmacy, natural/health food stores, department/convenience/gourmet/club stores, specialist retailers, and direct selling operators. The largest sub-category was meal replacements and other drinks by 11.8%, snack/cereal/energy bars at 10.4%, followed by sweet biscuits/cookies at 9.4%, cold cereals at 6.5%, and dairy based ice cream and frozen yogurt at 6.3%.
Among these 4,431 European inulin products, top ingredient claims were natural (1,501), source of dietary fibre (1,404), and soy derived (1,104). Other related product claims in the top 30, included low fat (6.5%), fat reduced (5.3%), gluten free (2.1%), and prebiotic (1.2%). Top flavours included unflavoured/plain, chocolate, vanilla/vanilla bourbon, strawberry, hazelnut, coconut, raspberry, cocoa/cacao, apple, almond.
Top formats that these European products containing inulin came in were a powder format (8.6%), liquid (7.1%), cup/tub (7.0%), spread (1.2%), stick (1.2%), soluble/instant (0.4%), bags (0.4%), tablet (0.3%), cone (0.3%) and sliced (0.2%). Top package types consisted of flexible/flexible stand-up pouch/flexible sachet, tub, carton, jar, bottle, tray, composite and can packaging standards.
Attribute type | Top 10 attribute claims (product item count) |
---|---|
Launch Type | New product (1,927), New variety/range extension (1,559), new packaging (564), relaunch (299), new formulation (82) |
Top parent companies | Mondelez International/Mondelez (279), Lidl (141), Nestlé (118), Groupe Danone (77), Tesco (72), Kellogg (71), Aldi Group (65), Walmart (63), Asda (63), PepsiCo (62) |
Top brands launched | Tesco/Tesco Free From (54), Belvita Breakfast Soft Bakes (41), Asda Free From/Asda (41), Kellogg's (34), Fulfil (27), Cavalier (23), Made Good (21), LighterLife Fast (21), Dream and Joya (20), Deluxe (20) |
Store launch type | Supermarket (1,958), mass merchandise/hypermarket (734), internet/mail order (697), drug store/pharmacy (262), natural/health food store (245), department store (124), specialist retailer (71), convenience store 42), gourmet store (36), club store (11), direct selling (7) |
Sub-category | Meal replacements and other drinks (521), snack/cereal/energy bars (463), sweet biscuits/ cookies (415), cold cereals (286), dairy based ice cream and frozen yogurt (280), chocolate tablets (271), cakes, pastries and sweet goods (142), bread and bread products (139), spoonable yogurt (124), chilled desserts (107) |
Ingredient claim | Natural (1,501), source of dietary fibre (1,404), soy derived (1,104), coconut/coconut oil derived (996),vegetable based (930), palm oil/palm derived (855), rapeseed derived (680), organic (425), wholegrain (335), low fat (287) |
Flavour component | Unflavoured/plain (875), chocolate (588), vanilla/vanilla bourbon (321), strawberry (307), hazelnut (177), coconut (162), raspberry (122), cocoa/cacao (120), apple (112), almond (106) |
Format type | Powder (383), liquid (314), cub/tub (308), spread (54), stick (53), soluble/instant (17), bags (16), tablet (14), cone (12), sliced (10) |
Package type | Flexible (2,021), tub (645), carton (445), flexible stand-up pouch (227), jar (201), bottle (190), flexible sachet (189), tray (172), composite (137), can (36) |
Total sample size | 4,431 |
Source: Mintel, 2020 |
Products containing fructose oligosaccharides
Mintel indicates that there were 28 food and drink products containing FOS that were launched into the North American retail stores between the period of January 2015 and end of June 2020 (including new variety/range extension, packaging, formulation or relaunched) products. Canada launched 13 new products and the United States introduced 15 new products. Canada manufactured four of these FOS products that were launched domestically only and the United States manufactured zero of the FOS products that they launched. Other reported manufacturers for these products containing FOS, launched throughout North America, were South Korea (6) and France (1).

Description of above image
2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 (January to June 23) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Europe (93) | 24 | 19 | 12 | 16 | 19 | 3 |
United States (15) | 1 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 0 |
Canada (13) | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 2 |
Source: Mintel, 2020
The top three North American parent companies to launch new FOS products over the last 5.6 years were Worldwide Sport Nutritional Supplements (6), Dymatize Enterprises (4), and Post Holdings (4). Top brands were Pure Protein (6), Dymatize Elite (4) launched in the US, and T&T (4) launched in Canada. The top brands launched in Canada were T&T (4), Nutribar Type 2 Brand (3) and PC Equate Diabetic (2). Top brands launched in the US for FOS products (other than Pure Protein and Dymatize Elite) were Nongshim (1), Designer Whey Sustained Energy (1), and MLO Sports Nutrition (1).
Most FOS products were distributed throughout North America within supermarkets by 32.1%, mass merchandise/hypermarkets (25.0%), and internet/mail order (14.3%). Other distribution launch types included drug/pharmacy/club/natural/health food/department stores. The largest sub-category was snacks/cereal/energy bars by 57.1%, followed by meal replacer and other beverage products at 17.9%, cooking sauces at 10.7%, instant noodles at 7.1%, beverage concentrates at 3.6%, and cakes, pastry and sweet goods at 3.6%.
Among these 28 North American FOS products, top ingredient claims were soy derived (22), natural (22), palm oil derived (17). Other related product claims in the top 30, included high oleic (25.0%), fat free (21.4%), soluble dietary fibre (14.3%), prebiotic (10.7%), source of dietary fibre (7.1%), and low fat (3.6%). Top flavours included chocolate, strawberry, peanut butter, Korean, almond, banana, Bulgogi, sweet and salty, vanilla/vanilla bourbon/vanilla Madagascar, and blueberry.
These North American FOS products reported being in either liquid (14.3%) or powder (3.6%) format. Package types consisted of flexible/flexible stand-up pouch, jar, bottle, and tub packaging standards.
Attribute type | Top attribute claims (product item count) |
---|---|
Launch Type | New variety/range extension (11), new product (10), new packaging (6), new formulation (1) |
Parent companies | Worldwide Sport Nutritional Supplements (6), Dymatize Enterprises (4), Post Holdings (4), Stella Pharmaceutical (3), Uncle T Food (3), Nature's Bounty/NBTY (3), Nestlé HealthCare Nutrition (2), Nongshim (2), Nestlé (2), Designer Protein (1), Uncle Food (1), Johnvince Foods (1), Le Groupe Jean Coutu (1), George Weston (1), Loblaws (1), Bakerly (1) |
Brands launched | Pure Protein (6), Dymatize Elite (4), T&T (4), Nutribar Type 2 Brand (3), Nongshim (2), Equate Diabetic (2), Designer Whey Sustained Energy (1), Carnation Breakfast Essentials Grab 'n Go (1), Nestlé Health Science ProNourish (1), MLO Sports Nutrition (1), Personelle Nutri Svelte (1), PC President's Choice (1), Bakerly (1) |
Store launch type | Supermarket (9), mass merchandise/hypermarket (7), internet/mail order (4), drug store/ pharmacy (3), club store (1), natural/health food store (1), department store (1) |
Sub-category | Snack/cereal/energy bars (16), meal replacer and other beverages (5), cooking sauces (3), instant noodles (2), beverage concentrates (1), cakes and pastries and sweet goods (1) |
Ingredient claim | Soy derived (22), natural (22), palm oil derived (17), artificial (9), high oleic (7), fat free (6), soluble dietary fibre (4), enriched (4), soybean oil derived (4), vegetable based |
Flavour component | Chocolate (6), strawberry (5), peanut butter (4), Korean (3), almond (3), banana (2), Bulgogi (2), sweet and salty (2), vanilla/vanilla bourbon/vanilla Madagascar (2), blueberry (1) |
Format type | Liquid (4), powder (1) |
Package type | Flexible (18), jar (5), bottle (3), flexible stand-up pouch (1), tub (1) |
Total sample size | 28 |
Source: Mintel, 2020 |
Mintel indicates that there were 93 food and drink products containing FOS that were launched into European retail stores between the period of January 2015 and end of June 2020 (including new variety/range extension, packaging, formulation or relaunched) products. European countries domestically manufactured a total of 30 of these launched FOS products (32.3%). Those European markets launching these FOS products were Italy (14), France (10), the UK (2), Germany (2), Belgium (1), and Turkey (1). Reported European manufacturers of these products were France (22), Italy (7), Germany (2), Switzerland (1), the Netherlands (1), Greece (1), and the UK (1). The other reported non-EU manufacturer for these launched FOS products throughout Europe was South Korea (3).
The top three European parent companies to launch new FOS products over the last 5.6 years were Otsuka Holdings (10), Nutrition and Santé (9), and Groupe Danone (7). Top brands were Namedsport (4), Nutricia Diasip (4), Gerlinéa Ma Pause (4). The top brands found in the top 15 overall European brands launched in Italy were Namedsport (3), Sammontana Frutti Amo (3), and RacerFit (3). Top brands that were launched in France for FOS products were Aptonia (3), Decathlon (3), and Gerlinéa Ma Pause (2); while the UK's top brand found within the top 15 was Mrs Crimble's (2).
Most products containing inulin were distributed within supermarkets by 30.1%, specialist retailer (20.4%), and internet/mail order (17.2%). Other distribution launch types included mass mechandise/hypermarkets, drug/pharmacy/department/convenience/club stores, and natural/health food stores. The largest sub-category was snack/cereal/energy bars by 52.7%, followed by cakes, pastries and sweet goods at 16.1%, meal replacer and other beverages at 10.8%, spoonable yogurt at 2.2%, and water based frozen desserts at 2.2%.
Among these 93 European FOS products, top ingredient claims were vegetable based (42), natural (42), and soy derived (39). Other related product claims in the top 30, included fat reduced (7.5%), high oleic (2.2%), prebiotic (2.2%), and fortified (1.1%). Top flavours included chocolate, strawberry, banana, vanilla/vanilla bourbon/vanilla Madagascar, coconut, raspberry, biscuit/cookie, unflavoured/plain, dark/black chocolate, and milk chocolate.
These European products containing FOS reported being in a liquid (14.0%), stick (2.2%), cup/tub (2.2%), and powder (2.2%) format type. Reported package types consisted of flexible/flexible stand-up pouch/flexible stick-pack, bottle, tub, carton, and can packaging standards.
Attribute type | Top 10 attribute claims (product item count) |
---|---|
Launch Type | New product (39),new variety/range extension (26), new packaging (17), relaunch (9), new formulation (2) |
Top companies | Otsuka Holdings (10), Nutrition and Santé (9), Groupe Danone (7), +Watt (6), Decathlon (6), Nutricia (5), Sammontana (4), Named (4), AGF Enterprises (3), 4Retail (3) |
Top brands launched | Namedsport (4), Nutricia Diasip (4), Gerlinéa Ma Pause (4), Aptonia (3), Racer Fit (3), Sammontana Frutti Amo (3), Mrs Crimble's (3), Decathlon (3), +Watt Barrett One (3), +Watt Big Bar (2) |
Store launch type | Supermarket (28), specialist retailer (19), internet/mail order (16), mass merchandise/ hypermarket (15), drug store/pharmacy (7), department store (4), convenience store (1), club store (1), natural/health food store (1) |
Sub-category | Snack/cereal/energy bars (49), cake/pastry and sweet goods (15), meal replacer and other beverages (10), spoonable yogurt (2), water-based frozen desserts (2), dairy-based frozen products (2), milk for kids (1-4 years) (2), sports drinks (2), chilled desserts (1), baking mixes and ingredients (1) |
Ingredient claim | Vegetable based (42), natural (42), soy derived (39), rapeseed derived (30), palm oil derived (24), source of dietary fibre (17), coconut oil derived (11), low fat (9), from cow's milk (9) |
Flavour component | Chocolate (30), strawberry (8), banana (7), vanilla/vanilla bourbon/vanilla Madagascar (7), coconut (6), raspberry (5), biscuit/cookie (4), unflavoured/plain (4), dark/black chocolate (4), milk chocolate (4) |
Format type | Liquid (13), stick (2), cup/tub (2), powder (2) |
Package type | Flexible (67), bottle (13), tub (5), carton (4), flexible stand-up pouch (1), flexible stick-pack (1), can (1) |
Total sample size | 93 |
Source: Mintel, 2020 |
Product examples
Maltodextrin
Splenda 1 gram of fiber per packet Sweetener

Company | TC Heartland |
---|---|
Brand | Splenda |
Sub-category | Sweeteners and sugar/artificial sweetener |
Country | Manufactured in United States, not imported |
Related claims | Low/no/reduced calorie, high/added fiber, Kosher, diabetic, gluten-free, low/no/reduced allergen |
Store name/type | Walmart, mass merchandise/hypermarket |
Launch type | New packaging |
Date published | April 2020 |
Price | US$4.28 |
Related ingredients | Soluble corn fibre (source of dietary fibre), maltodextrin, sucralose |
Splenda 1 Gram of Fiber Per Packet Sweetener has been repackaged with a new design. The kosher certified product is a no-calorie sweetener and is suitable for people with diabetes. It is free from gluten and contains 80 packets per 4.8-ounce. pack.
Strawberry Chewy Oat Bars

Company | Graze |
---|---|
Brand | Graze Super Snackers |
Sub-category | Snack/cereal/energy bars |
Country | Market – United Kingdom |
Related claims | No additives/preservatives, high/added fiber, vegetarian, vitamin/mineral fortified, wholegrain, functional – energy |
Store name/type | Ocado, internet/mail order |
Launch type | New product |
Date published | July 2020 |
Price | US$1.85, £1.50 |
Related ingredients | Oats, chicory roots (source of dietary fibre), infused cranberries, strawberry powder (maltodextrin) |
These oat bars contain 50% less sugar than the average cereal bar, provide 97 calories per bar, are enriched with 0.38 milligrams (mg) of manganese per serving to help contribute to normal energy-yielding metabolism, and are made using a recipe with help from kids with tasty real fruit and chewy wholegrain oats. The product is sweetened with chicory root fibre, is described as a strawberry flapjack with puffed oats and natural vanilla flavouring, and is high in fibre. This vegan and vegetarian friendly bar is free from artificial sweeteners, colours, flavours and preservatives.
Inulin
Strawberry Meal Replacement

Company | Walmart |
---|---|
Brand | Equate Diabetic |
Sub-category | Other beverages, meal replacements and other drinks |
Country | Market – Canada |
Related claims | Kosher, vitamin/mineral fortified, diabetic |
Store name/type | Walmart, mass merchandise/hypermarket |
Launch type | New variety/range extension |
Date published | March 2020 |
Price | US$4.85, Can$6.97 |
Related ingredients | Maltodextrin, milk proteins, fructose, inulin, fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS), sucralose |
Equate Diabetic Strawberry Meal Replacement comprises a drink formulated for people with diabetes, and is sweetened with acesulfame-potassium and sucralose. The artificially flavoured, ready to serve product contains 11 grams protein and 225 calories, with 23 vitamins and minerals. It is kosher certified, is made from domestic and imported ingredients and also comes in vanilla flavour.
Apple, Banana, Blueberry Fruit Mousse with Oat flakes, Hisbiscus and Inulin

Company | Foodcare |
---|---|
Brand | Frugo Dobre Sniadanko |
Sub-category | Snacks/fruit snacks |
Country | Market – Poland |
Related claims | All natural product, no added sugar |
Store name/type | Lidl, supermarket |
Launch type | New product |
Date published | June 2020 |
Price | US$0.33, €0.30 |
Related ingredients | Apple/banana/blueberry puree, oat flakes, lemon juice, chicory inulin, hibiscus extract |
This pasteurised 100% natural product does not contain added sugar, contains only naturally occurring sugars, and retails in a 90-gram pack.
Prebiotic Fibre Drink

Company | Oriflame, manufactured by Anona |
---|---|
Brand | Wellness by Oriflame |
Sub-category | Other beverages/meal replacements and other drinks |
Country | Market – Poland and manufactured in Germany |
Related claims | High/added fiber, gluten free, functional – digestive, low/no/reduced allergen, vegan, prebiotic, GMO free |
Store name/type | Oriflame, direct selling |
Launch type | New product |
Date published | June 2020 |
Price | US$11.54, PLN$47.99 |
Related ingredients | Inulin, FOS, broccoli/kale powder |
This prebiotic drink is described as an unflavoured, high in fibre powder drink containing dietary fibre from six vegetable sources: chicory, sugar beet, spinach, green bell pepper, broccoli and kale. Sugar beet fibre is said to contribute to an increase in faecal bulk.
Fructooligosaccharides
Raspberry Flavour Weight Management Shot

Company | Holland & Barrett Retail |
---|---|
Brand | H&B SlimBiome |
Sub-category | Other beverages/meal replacements and other drinks |
Country | Market – United Kingdom |
Related claims | Functional – other, vegetarian/vegan ingredients, vitamin/ mineral fortified, high satiety, functional – slimming or digestive (pineapple flavor) |
Store name/type | Holland & Barrett, natural/health food store |
Launch type | New product |
Date published | February 2020 |
Price | US$18.36, £14.24 |
Related ingredients | Proprietary blend: FOS, vitamin B12 preparation (maltodextrin) |
This product is described as a responsible weight management supplement with a unique vitamin and mineral blend containing glucomannan which is backed by strong scientific principles and clinically proven to aid weight loss. It is said to offer a healthy, hunger-free weight management system; to be an award-winning ingredient that promotes the feeling of fullness for longer, promoting healthy metabolism; contains chromium which is said to maintain normal blood sugar levels to help reduce food cravings and the likelihood of overeating, and contributes to normal macronutrient metabolism; and to feature a trace mineral content that also is claimed to aid the body's use of inulin, helping to metabolise carbohydrate and fat. Also, comes in lime and strawberry and pineapple flavours.
Conclusion
Far outlasting global lockdowns, COVID-19's impact on the economy could shrink global merchandise trade by between 13%-32%, as the majority of governments shut down their borders along with industries in response to the pandemic (analyst views, GlobalData consumer, 20 | April, 2020). Consumer demand for healthier and environmentally safe premium products with the continued desire for a full, impactful flavor, may continue to rise during these tough economic times; as consumers continue to adjust their eating habits at home and have more time to prepare balanced, wholesome, 'guilt-free' (sugar-free, natural, and
better-for-you claim) meals. However, for those affected by economic difficulties (even with government support packages that may come into effect), there will be a need for low-priced, larger bulk pack size products that provide high value-for-money.Footnote 5
Due to global logistics being disrupted by the availability of staff, ingredients and materials, some firms are switching production to alternative categories and are struggling to keep up with demand to meet consumer preferences. Direct-to-consumer (D2C) delivery options facilitated by online technology and service partners are becoming key in this new global pandemic. Additionally, social and corporate responsibility are also important factors for manufacturers to consider, while continuing to maintain valued brand equity in their products, where consumers believe that brands should help them in their daily lives and not exploit the present situation. Involving and engaging consumers in these new strategies can help initiate and achieve these upcoming adjustments in business processes.Footnote 5
Furthermore, reported changes in consumer views are changing often on a weekly basis, due to the uncertainties on the outcome of the COVID-19 situation. The 'new normal' is still unknown at this point, however, surveys are showing that consumers are being mindful on their spending habits (albeit social responsibility), and are often taking a simpler outlook on what they need, while stopping to buy what they feel they do not need. Staple foods that are showing increases in retail sales value are in food categories such as frozen alternatives, pasta and noodles, syrups and spreads, soups, bakery items, and pulses etc. While foods being chosen as non-essential and that are decreasing in sales at the moment include, soft and hot non-alcoholic drinks, alcoholic beverages such as beer/cider/wine and spirits, baby milks, meat, confectionery (especially chocolate), certain dairy, oils and fats categories (to name a few). Overall, the top three key factors currently influencing consumer buying habits are familiarity (59%), time and money constraints (58%), and the impacts on health and well-being (58%) - (GlobalData, April 28, 2020).
Resources
- Gardner, Amanda. WebMD, LLC archives. Soluble and Insoluble Fiber: What’s the Difference? Reviewed by Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD on July 23, 2015.
- GlobalData Consumer Intelligence. Covid-19 Consumer Bulletin – April 20, 2020
- GlobalData, Global Consumer Markets webinar, April 28, 2020
- GlobalData Intelligence Center: Consumer, 2020
- Mintel: GNDP products, 2020
- Statistic Canada, CATSNET Analytics, 2020
Customized Report Service – Global demand and trends analysis on soluble fibers in North America and Europe in 2020
Global Analysis Report
Prepared by: Erin-Ann Chauvin, Senior Market Analyst
© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, represented by the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food (2020).
Photo credits
All photographs reproduced in this publication are used by permission of the rights holders.
All images, unless otherwise noted, are copyright Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada.
To join our distribution list or to suggest additional report topics or markets, please contact:
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Global Analysis1341 Baseline Rd, Tower 5, 3rd floor
Ottawa ON K1A 0C5
Canada
Email: aafc.mas-sam.aac@canada.ca
The Government of Canada has prepared this report based on primary and secondary sources of information. Although every effort has been made to ensure that the information is accurate, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) assumes no liability for any actions taken based on the information contained herein.
Reproduction or redistribution of this document, in whole or in part, must include acknowledgement of agriculture and agri-food Canada as the owner of the copyright in the document, through a reference citing AAFC, the title of the document and the year. Where the reproduction or redistribution includes data from this document, it must also include an acknowledgement of the specific data source(s), as noted in this document.
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada provides this document and other report services to agriculture and food industry clients free of charge.
Report a problem on this page
- Date modified: