Market Trends of Middle East & Africa Low Calorie Sweeteners Industry
This section covers the major market trends shaping the MEA Low Calorie Sweeteners Market according to our research experts:
Government Taxes Curbing down the Consumption of Excess Sugar
Different legislation and government programs in order to combat lifestyle diseases are driving the demand for reduced sugar content products in the middle eastern region. The demand for healthier option in the middle east is strongly driven by healthy eating traits among the consumers. Stevia, the "natural, healthy" alternative to sugar, has been approved for use in South Africa with the recent promulgation (10 September 2012) of new sweetener regulations. Furthermore, sugar substitutes is widely used in a variety of food products, such as confectionery, dairy, baked foods, beverages, and dietary supplements, as it can be easily incorporated and imparts sweetness to the products, with low-calorie.
On the other hand, the Saudi Arabia Health Food Strategy, that was introduced in 2018, has witnessed the arrival of both private and public companies to promote healthy lifestyle, that will enable the government to combat obesity and complications such as diabetes.
Growing Preference for Stevia in South Africa
The increasing awareness regarding the health benefits of low-calorie consumable products is a major catalyst for the growth of the stevia market in South Africa. As Stevia is a natural and healthy alternative to sugar, it was approved for the use in South Africa in 2012. Therefore, stevia is expected to emerge as one of the most popular natural sweeteners among the consumers, who look for healthier alternatives. This factor bring in opportunities for the manufactures of stevia in the country.
Keeping the above development in consideration, the South African companies have started expanding their production lines and have also been investing in the manufacturing and plantation of the same. For instance, in November 2016, Paarl-based Afriplex, one of the established beneficiators of indigenous plants in South Africa announced it that is was embarking on a project to locally cultivate and process stevia (Stevia rebaudiana). These developments are expected to lead to a successful execution of these types of projects, which could position South Africa to develop the agricultural know-how and the technological capacity to execute full-scale commercialization of stevia.
