Chia Seed Market

Growing preference for vegan food coupled with an increasing shift towards healthy snacks is boosting the growth of chia seeds market demand

Due to the fast paced and hectic lifestyle and changing eating patterns of people across the world, a large number of consumers are shifting towards ready-to-eat meals or packaged food products and snacks. However, most of the snacks lack in terms of essential nutrients and dietary fibre and are not ideally a healthy food option.

On the other hand, chia seeds are good for health and therefore snacks made using chia seeds are a popular healthy food option available to consumers. This rising popularity of chia seed snacks is expected to fuel revenue growth of the global chia seed market.

Traditionally, chia seeds are produced all over Latin American countries due to favourable climate in the region. High domestic consumption in the region, along with rising population and economic standards is anticipated to boost the demand for chia seeds and eventually fuel the growth of the global chia seed market throughout the forecasted period.

Demand for protein alternatives along with consumer preference for vegan food products is increasing in Europe. This is due to growing social activities and awareness regarding animal welfare. Chia seeds contain the daily requirement of protein and hence is a best fit for health-conscious consumers. This factor is anticipated to drive revenue growth of the chia seed market in the region.

The Middle East region has a large consumer base for traditional food. Chia seed drinks are known as Tokhme–Sharbati of Persian origin and are consumed all over the Middle East. An increasing demand for traditional beverages and savouries in the region is expected to drive the growth of the chia seed market during the assessment period.

Preference for non-GMO seeds by manufacturers is trending the global chia seed market

GMO chia seeds are antibiotic resistant, have altered nutrient content and are herbicide resistant; whereas, non-GMO seeds have required nutrient content and are non-resistant to herbicide. This causes degradation of crop quality and yield. In order to offer better quality products, manufacturers are shifting their preference from GMO to non-GMO chia seeds and this trend is expected to continue over the forecast period.

Chia is a major component in various dietary products. Producers have already launched super blends of chia seed with other seeds and ingredients in their offerings. Such products with chia as a major ingredient are expected to increase over the forecast period and demand for such products is also anticipated to increase significantly. For instance, Mamma Chia, which is a leading private company in the chia seed market introduced its new energy drink named ‘Seed Your Soul’ with chia seed combined with the extract of different fruits.

The global chia seed market is segmented into the following categories

By Origin

• Organic
• Conventional

By Colour

• Black
• White
• Brown

By Form

• Whole
• Grounded
• Oil

By Region

• North America
• Latin America
• Western Europe
• Eastern Europe
• APEJ
• Japan
• MEA

By End-Use Application

• Food and Beverages
  • Packed Chia
  • Nutritional Bars
  • Bakery and Snacks
  • Breakfast Cereals
  • Beverages
  • Others
• Personal Care Products and Cosmetics
• Animal Feed and Pet Food
• Nutritional and Dietary Supplements