Pie's the limit?
With volume growth of just 0.5% and value growth of 1.5% a year, the meat products market is pretty sluggish, says RTS Resource- Published: 03 June, 2008The Euro 57bn European meat products market is a very important one for the region's food manufacturing and ingredients industries.
Fruit and nuts
Goji berries or blueberries? Oats or quinoa? The world is nuts about superfoods but how super are they? By RTS Resource- Published: 03 April, 2008The whole area of superfoods is a nebulous one and seems to lack a consistent definition. Perhaps the best one is: "superfoods are naturally occurring foods particularly rich in a variety of nutrients and therefore may be beneficial for a person's health".
On the dark side
The chocolate market looks saturated, but consumers are showing a taste for premium and dark, says RTS Resource- Published: 05 February, 2008With a total market value of euro 26bn, the EU chocolate confectionery market is a significant market sector, equivalent in value to the market for carbonated soft drinks. However, as per kilo prices of chocolate confectionery are comparatively high, this value equates to a volume of only 2.4Mt, which is slightly smaller than the consumption of frozen fruit and vegetables. This does mean, though, that we consume an average of 6.1kg of chocolate confectionery products per person per year - almost 17g a day.
Raised hopes
Consumption of bread and cakes is pretty flat, but there are opportunities to drive margins in niche areas, says RTS Resource- Published: 27 November, 2007With a value of euro88bn, the EU bakery market is one of the most valuable sectors in the food industry after carcase meats and fruit and vegetable products. Its volume of nearly 32Mt means that we each consume an average 82kg of bakery products a year - or 225g every day.
Keep fit
To sustain growth, the soft drinks industry needs to develop more fitness and health drinks, says RTS Resource- Published: 20 September, 2007Consumption of all soft drinks in the 15 original members of the EU reached 94.7bn litres in 2006. This is an average of 670ml per person per day. Consumer expenditure totalled €71bn. Our definition of soft drinks covers in-home and out-of-home consumption and includes everything from juices, nectars, fruit drinks and smoothies to carbonated drinks, waters, dilutables, still drinks such as ready-to-drink tea and coffee, and sports and energy drinks.
The great white hope
The European dairy sector is growing at just 0.7%, but there are pockets of opportunity to exploit, says RTS Resource- Published: 23 July, 2007The European dairy market encompasses many and various products, some of which are quite specific to individual countries (quark, cheddar cheese, petits suisses, pap and vla). Generally, dairy products fall under the following headings:
Lipid attraction
Sales of fats in Continental Europe are sluggish, but there's good growth in Eastern Europe and Asia Pacific, says RTS Resource- Published: 01 May, 2007Fats and oils (lipids) perform many functions in food and food processing and are essential components in many of the foods we need and enjoy. Their functions include: frying and baking, moisture retention, flavour delivery, lubrication and coating, visual appearance, nutrition (they contain oil-soluble vitamins and essential fatty acids), construction of emulsions and foams, aeration of foods, processing aids and satiety.
Flavour of the month
Manufacturers must seek pockets of opportunity in a market that is growing only modestly overall, says RTS Resource- Published: 01 March, 2007There are many materials used in food processing that impart 'flavour' making the flavours market a difficult one to measure. This analysis focuses on 'top note' flavours, including single flavours, fruit flavours, essential oils and oleoresins.
