Sodium Reduction Ingredient Market

Sodium Reduction Ingredient Market: Introduction

Sodium is primarily consumed as a critical food ingredient that contributes to multiple important attributes, such as food preservation, sensory qualities, and shelf-life. In an effort to reduce the sodium composition in various food products, food scientists and food technologists have been developing innovative technologies that may allow sodium reduction ingredient in a variety of products, while maintaining critical product quality attributes such as taste, texture, safety, and shelf-life, as well as regulatory compliance.

The excess intake of sodium is associated with multiple human health risks including hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, and increased risk of stroke. Food & beverage manufacturers are working towards the reduction of sodium level in various food products. Sodium reduction process involved reduction of salt level in edible products. Sodium reduction ingredients are functional substitutes for regular salt which helps to reduce or remove salt content from food products. Consumption of food products with sodium reduction ingredients has various associated benefits such as help in reduction of incidences of various health issues such as high blood pressure, kidney disease, and kidney stone, cardiovascular diseases, stomach cancer, and obesity. Food Safety Authority (FSA) and National Salt Reduction Initiative (NSRI) have introduced various guideline to cut down sodium content in food.

Sodium Reduction Ingredient Market: Segmentation

Sodium Reduction Ingredient Market: Value and Forecast

The global sodium reduction ingredient market is estimated to be valued at US$ 581.6 Mn by the end of 2015 and is expected to reach US$ 1,758.4 Mn by 2025, with a CAGR of 11.7%. Among different sodium reduction ingredients analyzed, the mineral blends segment is a major contributor to the overall revenue of the sodium reduction ingredient market. Among the sub-segments analyzed under mineral blends in sodium reduction ingredients market, calcium chloride is expected to grow at a higher CAGR of 11.8%, during the forecast period.

Sodium Reduction Ingredient Market: Dynamics

The growth of the global sodium reduction ingredient market is mainly driven by rising awareness among consumers regarding the adverse effects of high sodium intake coupled with the continuous launch of new range of reduced sodium products by major food & beverage industry players across the globe. Continuing increase in the incidence of obesity puts millions of people at risk of sodium-sensitive blood pressure disorders. Moreover, several government bodies across the globe promote various awareness programs with respect to sodium intake and set guidelines for food manufacturers regarding sodium level in their products, which is further expected to fuel sodium reduction ingredient market growth during the forecast period.  In 2011, the Argentinean government established voluntary initiative – Less Salt, More Life. The initiative entails signing of voluntary agreements with major food manufacturing companies to progressively reduce salt content in processed foods between 2013 and 2015. Till date, 20 food companies including Nestlé and Kraft Foods have signed the agreement. A government-run monitoring plan tracks the progress of the initiative in the industry by testing food products and measuring societal impact through sodium intake surveys and voluntary urine sample analysis.

However, various other factors such as aftertaste associated with sodium reduction ingredients are expected to hinder the overall growth of the sodium reduction ingredient market in the coming years. Moreover, the final price of products containing sodium reduction ingredient in their composition formula increases by at least by 5.0% owing to the higher prices of sodium reduction ingredients, which is expected to restrain the growth of the sodium reduction ingredient market during the forecast period. Reduction of sodium level in food products involved in various R&D activities which are very critical in nature and costly.

Sodium Reduction Ingredient Market: Regional Regulations & Trends

Food regulatory authorities in different regions have proposed various guidelines for sodium reduction ingredient and its usage in food products. World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that adults consume less than 2,000 mg of sodium or 5 grams of salt, per day. Moreover, the ‘Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010' recommends that daily sodium intake should be less than 2,300 mg per day and less than 1,500 mg for people aged 51 and above.

In 2008, the European Union developed a framework regarding the reduction of salt content in food. This is in compliance with WHO's proposed strategy to reduce salt consumption in Europe by 16% over the following four years (against individual country baseline levels in 2008). As per the framework, 12 food categories were identified as priorities, with each member state choosing at least five categories as part of its national salt reduction plans. In 2010, the Mexican government introduced new food guidelines for schools in the country prohibiting the use of high sodium food products. This is driving the demand for low sodium food products in the country. In 2013, South Africa implemented regulations to set mandatory sodium reduction targets for various food products. Sodium reduction targets are to be achieved through step-wise implementation approach, with the intermediate target to be met by 2016 and the final target by 2019. United Kingdom's Food Standards Agency (FSA) published its first set of voluntary salt-reduction targets in 2006. The targets applied to 85 food categories, including processed meats, bread, cheese, convenience foods, and snacks. In March 2014, the Japanese Association of Hypertension translated and distributed various informational booklets published by Consensus Action on Salt & Health (CASH) such as ‘How to measure salt intake in clinic’, ‘What is the rationale behind recommending hypertensive patients to reduce their salt intake?’ and ‘Cooking booklet to maintain 6g salt per day.’ The objective of this campaign was to increase consumer awareness about low sodium food products in the country.

Due to the growing government food regulations relating to sodium reduction ingredient, major food retailers especially in Europe, are focusing on reducing sodium content in their food products. For instance, retailers such as Musgrave Retail Partners GB that owns Londis and Budgens are working towards meeting the FSA’s revised salt targets for 2010. The company has already achieved salt targets in 25 food categories. Tesco Stores Ltd., with 2,300 stores across the U.K., is focusing on sodium reduction ingredient in its food products. The company claims to have cut down on 145 tonnes of sodium from ready meals, 780 tonnes from bakery products and 250 tonnes from meat products. In October 2012, Nestlé S.A announced a partnership with life sciences company Chromocell Corp. Under the collaboration, the company will use Chromocell’s proprietary Chromovert Technology to discover sodium reduction ingredients that provide similar taste as salt albeit with low sodium content. This partnership is expected to help Nestlé to develop culinary dishes with low salt content.

Sodium Reduction Ingredient Market: Segmentation by Application

Sodium reduction ingredients find its application in various food products and categories. The global sodium reduction ingredient market is segmented on the basis of various applications such as sauce/dips/dressings, snacks, bakery products, cheese/butter, frozen food, and others. Others segment include beverages, baby food, and breakfast cereal.

In terms of value, snacks and frozen food segment together holds approximately half of the sodium reduction ingredient market. The snacks segment is estimated to account for over 26.9% revenue share of the global sodium reduction ingredient market by the end of 2015 and is expected to continue as a major contributor in the sodium reduction ingredient market in terms of revenue during the forecast period. In addition, the frozen food segment is estimated to account for over 23.9% share of the global sodium reduction ingredient market in 2015.

Sodium Reduction Ingredient Market: Key Regions

The global sodium reduction ingredient market has been segmented into seven major regions, such as North America, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia Pacific Excluding Japan (APEJ), Japan and Middle East & Africa. Detailed analysis for major countries in each region is covered under the sodium reduction ingredient research study.

In terms of value, North America is estimated to dominate with 32.0% share of the overall sodium reduction ingredient market by end of 2015 and is expected to continue dominating the sodium reduction ingredient market till 2025. Asia Pacific excluding Japan is anticipated to be the fastest growing region in sodium reduction ingredient market, registering a CAGR of 13.2% over the forecast period. Australia & New Zealand market is expected to register the highest CAGR of 13.5% from 2015 to 2021 in the sodium reduction ingredient market.

Sodium Reduction Ingredient Market: Key Players

Key players identified in the global sodium reduction ingredient market are Cambrian Solutions Inc., Kerry Group PLC, Associated British Foods plc, Givaudan SA, E. I. Du Pont De Nemours and Company, Innophos Holdings, Inc, Jungbunzlauer Suisse A.G., Sensient Technologies Corporation, and Tate & Lyle PLC. These companies are focused towards product innovation to broaden their product portfolios in order to meet the diverse demands of various end-user industries of sodium reduction ingredient. In 2013, Cambrian Solutions Inc. in collaboration with Scelta Mushrooms BV developed two ingredients for sodium reduction and as replacements for MSG, I+G, and autolyzed yeast extract. The ingredients are based on the science of Umami and are natural sodium reduction ingredients that do not compromise on taste and function.