| Study Period | 2019 - 2030 |
| Base Year For Estimation | 2024 |
| Forecast Data Period | 2025 - 2030 |
| Historical Data Period | 2019 - 2023 |
| CAGR | 2.50 % |
| Market Concentration | Medium |
Major Players
*Disclaimer: Major Players sorted in no particular order |
MEA Specialty Food Ingredient Market Analysis
The Middle East and Africa Specialty Food Ingredients Market is expected to register a CAGR of 2.5% during the forecast period.
- Specialty food ingredients find their application in various food processing sectors like canned, dehydrated, frozen, and refrigerated foods, pasta, cereals, ice cream, sauces and dressings, snacks, and packaged foods such as meat, fish, bread products, dairy, and confectionery. To cater to the growing demand for healthy food and beverages, manufacturers are incorporating fortified and functional properties in their products to position them as healthier options for consumers.
- Global and regional players in the market are adopting new product development strategies to sustain high competition. However, product innovation in terms of functionality has been a driving factor for market growth. Health-related issues have been prevalent, and manufacturers are incorporating ingredients across foods that can prevent future health burdens. This factor has led to the incorporation of clean labeling, allowing consumers to make selective purchases, thus contributing to market growth.
- Changes in consumption habits have resulted in a trickle-down effect, where emerging countries are emulating developed regions. Such popularity has led to heavy investment by manufacturers in developing countries in the region as part of strategic ventures. Multinational health food enterprises have the advantage of financial clout, R&D capability, production, and marketing, making emerging economies a favorable destination for investment.
MEA Specialty Food Ingredient Market Trends
Rising Demand For Functional and Fortified Food
- Fortified foods are known to possess health-promoting properties beyond just providing energy and essential nutrients. The growing demand for such foods is creating opportunities for manufacturers, leading to an increased demand for specialty functional ingredients such as vitamins, minerals, proteins, and omega-3, among others. Functional food ingredients are fortified to enhance their nutritional value.
- To meet the increasing demand for food additives and specialty food ingredients, manufacturers are also producing organic and fortified additives that can be useful in developing healthy food products. These organic food additives have found applications in various food products, including egg replacement in low- and high-fat vegan foods, dressings, white cooking sauces, ready meals, and more.
- As a result, food and beverage manufacturers are reformulating their products to cater to the changing consumer demand for natural ingredients. The functional food ingredients segment of the market is being driven by rapid technological advancements and companies' efforts to develop products with multifunctional applications.
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Saudi Arabia to Dominate The Regional Market
- The specialty food ingredients market in Saudi Arabia has emerged as a dominant player in the regional market. Most Saudi food manufacturers rely on imports to fulfill their food ingredients and raw materials needs. However, the country's attractive investment conditions, including the revised Saudi Foreign Investment Act (FIA), which allows foreign investors to wholly own food production facilities or partner with Saudi nationals or companies, have enticed some multinational corporations to establish production facilities in Saudi Arabia.
- As the Muslim population dominates the country, the demand for halal-certified specialty food ingredients is increasing in the food sector. This presents an opportunity for specialty food ingredient producers from Islamic countries and halal-certified suppliers to tap into the Saudi market.
- In recent years, the Saudi food manufacturing and processing sector has rapidly grown due to the strong support from the Saudi government, which has boosted investment in the food and beverage production sector and increased the number of food processing factories in Saudi Arabia. As a result, the rising food processing industry, coupled with attractive investment opportunities in the country, is driving the growth of the specialty food ingredients market in Saudi Arabia.
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MEA Specialty Food Ingredient Industry Overview
The market for specialty food ingredients in the Middle East and Africa region is highly fragmented due to the presence of several large regional and domestic players in different countries. To enhance their brand presence among consumers, leading companies are emphasizing mergers, expansions, acquisitions, and partnerships, along with new product development, as strategic approaches. These companies also adopt continuous mergers and acquisitions to strengthen their expertise in all the major applications.
The primary focus of these companies is to offer products with wider applications that can efficiently cater to consumers' preferences. Key players dominating the regional market include Cargill Incorporated, Tate & Lyle PLC, DuPont de Nemours, Inc., Archer Daniels Midland Company, and Koninklijke DSM N.V., among others.
MEA Specialty Food Ingredient Market Leaders
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Cargill, Incorporated
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Tate & Lyle PLC
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DuPont de Nemours, Inc.
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The Archer Daniels Midland Company
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Koninklijke DSM N.V.
- *Disclaimer: Major Players sorted in no particular order
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MEA Specialty Food Ingredient Market News
- November 2022: Calysseo, a joint venture between Calysta and Adisseo, announced its plan to construct an alternative protein production facility in Al Jubail, Saudi Arabia. The facility will feature a 100,000-tonne fermenter that will enable the production of innovative protein ingredients that do not rely on animal or plant proteins as ingredients.
- January 2022: Kerry Group, a taste and nutrition company, opened its new 21,500 sq. ft. facility in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The plant will manufacture different ingredients, including specialty ingredients for sustainable food and beverages.
- February 2021: DuPont and International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (IFF) announced the successful completion of their merger, which combines DuPont's Nutrition & Biosciences business with IFF. The new company will offer a wide range of specialty ingredients, including those specifically designed for the Middle East & Africa region.
MEA Specialty Food Ingredient Industry Segmentation
Specialty food ingredients offer technological and functional benefits and are essential in providing today's consumers with a wide range of tasty, safe, healthy, affordable, qualitative, and sustainably produced food.
The Middle-East specialty food ingredient market report is segmented by type, application, and geography. On the basis of type, the market is segmented into sweeteners & starches, flavors & colorants, acidulants, emulsifiers, enzymes, proteins, specialty oils, and other types. Based on application, the market is segmented into bakery & confectionery, beverages, sauces, dressings, and condiments, dairy products, and other applications. Also, the study analyzes the specialty food ingredient market in emerging and established markets across the Middle East & African countries, including South Africa, Saudi Arabia, and the Rest of the Middle East & Africa.
For each segment, the market sizing and forecasts have been done based on value (in USD million).
| Type | Sweetener & Starch |
| Flavors & Colorants | |
| Acidulants | |
| Emulsifiers | |
| Enzymes | |
| Proteins | |
| Speciality Oils | |
| Other Types | |
| Application | Bakery & Confectionery |
| Beverages | |
| Dairy Products | |
| Sauces, Dressings, and Condiments | |
| Other Applications | |
| Country | South Africa |
| Saudi Arabia | |
| Rest of Middle East & Africa |
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MEA Specialty Food Ingredient Market Research FAQs
What is the current Middle East and Africa Specialty Food Ingredients Market size?
The Middle East and Africa Specialty Food Ingredients Market is projected to register a CAGR of 2.5% during the forecast period (2025-2030)
Who are the key players in Middle East and Africa Specialty Food Ingredients Market?
Cargill, Incorporated, Tate & Lyle PLC, DuPont de Nemours, Inc., The Archer Daniels Midland Company and Koninklijke DSM N.V. are the major companies operating in the Middle East and Africa Specialty Food Ingredients Market.
What years does this Middle East and Africa Specialty Food Ingredients Market cover?
The report covers the Middle East and Africa Specialty Food Ingredients Market historical market size for years: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. The report also forecasts the Middle East and Africa Specialty Food Ingredients Market size for years: 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028, 2029 and 2030.
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MEA Specialty Food Ingredient Industry Report
Statistics for the 2025 Middle East and Africa Specialty Food Ingredients market share, size and revenue growth rate, created by Mordor Intelligence™ Industry Reports. Middle East and Africa Specialty Food Ingredients analysis includes a market forecast outlook for 2025 to 2030 and historical overview. Get a sample of this industry analysis as a free report PDF download.
