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Summary of our market study
The French spice market is estimated at 110 million euros.
The world market for spices has been growing at an annual rate of 4% since 2020. It is estimated at 20 billion USD.
India remains at the forefront as the largest producer, with a notable 60% share of world production, and as the main consumer.
Price volatility is evident, particularly for high-value-added spices such as vanilla, which has seen prices soar significantly.
Changing tastes and expansion of the French spice market
The French spice market has enjoyed sustained growth, reflecting an interest in world cuisines that has had a significant impact on consumer demand. The Asian and Tex-Mex segments, major consumers of spices, saw their sales climb to between 600 and 650 million euros.
Offers reminiscent of Korean, Lebanese and Cajun flavors are particularly sought-after.
The arche is influenced by consumer preference for organic and fair-trade products. A growing segment of consumers, estimated at around 80%, is actively seeking information on the ingredients and origins of the spices they buy.
This consumer behavior has prompted industry players to step up certification measures such as organic and fair trade labels.
Companies specializing in spices:
- Fuchs France: A leading figure in the spice market, Fuchs France stands out for its commitment to offering a wide variety of spices and seasoning blends, aimed at both the retail and professional sectors...
- Maille: Renowned for its gourmet mustards and vinegars, Maille also extends its expertise to the manufacture of top-quality spices.
- Sainte-Lucie: With its rich history and expertise in spices, this brand has built its reputation on supplying a varied range of high-quality spices.
- Arcadie: Operating under the Cook brand, Arcadie is known for its emphasis on organic spices and herbs.
- McCormick France (Ducros): The French subsidiary of American spice giant McCormick, Ducros is synonymous with spices and household seasonings in France.
Major food conglomerates with interests in spices:
- Unilever: A giant in the consumer goods industry, Unilever not only dominates many market segments, but also has a strong presence in the spice sector.
- Kraft Heinz: Kraft Heinz, one of the world's largest food and beverage companies, ensures that spices are an integral part of its product offering.
- General Mills France: Best known for its breakfast cereals and bakery products, General Mills is also venturing into the spice market.
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Summary and extracts
1 Market overview
1.1 Definition and scope of study
Spices are aromatic plant substances used to season food. They come from plant bark, leaves, fruit, flowers, bulbs or seeds. The spice market is often divided into several subsets: peppers, condiments, aromatic herbs and blends.
The global spice market is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 4% per year between 2021 and 2030. India is a heavyweight in this market, being both the world's leading producer and consumer. In terms of global demand, it is followed by Indonesia, also a producer-consumer, and Europe. On the European market, the French rank third in terms of consumption, behind the Germans and Belgians. French demand is growing fast, with consumption estimated to have risen by 30% between 2009 and 2018[franceinfo].
Spice production is largely carried out by small farmers on narrow plots of land. Producers then deliver their harvest to a trader or exporter. The latter deal directly with manufacturers, who then package the finished product and sell it to supermarket chains. In France, the Ducros brand, a subsidiary of the American giant McCormick, is the main market player.
Today's spice market is particularly dynamic, driven by trends such as the vegetalization of the diet, the trend towards world cuisines and the buoyant blends segment. Spices are often packaged in convenient, pre-measured sachets, bringing a taste of faraway lands to new consumers. Although they represent only 10% of the overall market, their volume growth is estimated at +22% in 2019. The other dynamic at work on the market is the development of the professional spice market, notably with its use in cheese and chicken. This is a buoyant niche in the United States, but one in which France is not yet mature.
1.2 The global spice market
The global spice market is a vast and growing market. The cultivation of spices spread under the influence of colonial empires. The use of pepper, vanilla, saffron and chilli has gone from being geographically limited to becoming a culinary essential. What's more, more and more spices are being used in industrial ...
1.3 The French spice market
The spice market in France is valued at ***.* million euros between April **** and April ****, down **.*% on the previous period. Despite this year's decline, the market has enjoyed strong growth in previous years. Industry players remain confident in the market's dynamism, thanks to a number of favorable trends: the craze for world ...
1.4 France's place in the international spice trade
France's balance of trade in spices is heavily in deficit. It imports more than twice as much as it exports, i.e. over $*** million in imports in ****, for $** million in exports.
French exports of condiments and seasonings France, **** - *****, in millions of euros Source: ****
Its main suppliers are the Netherlands, Germany ...
2 Demand analysis
2.1 France's favorite spices
A survey published by Ipsos in **** under the name Le Goût des Français, looks at French tastes in terms of cooking. First and foremost, **% of French people use spices in their cooking. On the other hand, only **% of French people surveyed say they use herbes de provence in their ...
2.2 Spice demand as a percentage of French food spending
In a deteriorating economic context, where the question of purchasing power has become central, food expenditure is the adjustment variable in household budgets, particularly for the less well-off. At the end of ****, the price of the French food basket cost an average of €***.** according to Franceinfo, up **.*% year-on-year according to NielsenIQ, ...
2.3 The use of spices in industrial processes
The use of spices is not limited to the catering and food sectors. In fact, spices are used on a large scale in France:
By the food industry, in particular industrial chocolate makers (***) By the cosmetics industry, notably during the industrial processes involved in the production of perfumes and other skincare ...
2.4 French consumers are increasingly sensitive to the composition of their products and the origin of their ingredients
Consumers are increasingly sensitive to the composition of cosmetics and food products, some of whose ingredients and additives may be harmful. Consumers are increasingly wary of the cosmetics and food industries, and are paying more and more attention to product quality and the sustainability of the value chain. The Yuka start-up ...
2.5 Demand for spices driven by the craze for world cuisine
Today, spice sales are being driven by the trend towards world cuisines, particularly Asian and Tex-Mex, which are taking root in French eating habits. According to Circana, the world products sector (***) will account for sales of *** million euros over the period from the end of February **** to the end of February ...
3 Market structure
3.1 Simplified diagram of market structure
3.2 Spice distribution networks in France
Spices are a key private label product. Most sales of spices, herbs and blends are sold under private labels. In ****, the value of sales of spices marketed under private labels is *** million euros, while the value of sales of spices sold under national brands is only ** million (***).
Breakdown of condiment and ...
3.3 An unbalanced value chain
The spice market is a highly complex raw materials market. Indeed, it is characterized by the fragmentation of the value chain and the large number of intermediaries, which confers considerable market power on the major industrial groups, to the detriment of small-scale producers.
The example of vanilla
The example of the ...
4 Offer analysis
4.1 Spice production stages
Broadly speaking, the production and marketing of spices involves four different stages: cultivation, processing, blending and brand creation:
Cultivating spices: cultivating spices can be complicated by the specific characteristics of each spice produced. Indeed, depending on the type of spice, techniques and weather requirements may vary. Treatment: the traditional treatment applied ...
4.2 The volatility of spice prices
Vanilla is considered the most expensive spice in the world, behind saffron. Indeed, a kilogram of vanilla costs on average between €*** and €***, far behind saffron, which can be worth tens of thousands of euros per kilogram, but well ahead of other spices such as cumin, pepper and others, whose price per ...
4.3 Premiumization of the spice offer
A number of changes are taking place among spice brands, notably with the development of organic products and premiumization, which are important growth drivers
Organic spices
Consumers are increasingly sensitive to the composition of food products, as some ingredients and additives can be harmful. Consumers are increasingly wary of the agri-food ...
5 Regulations
5.1 Regulations governing the production of food flavors and spices
Flavors are subject to regulatory harmonization at European level under regulation CE/****/****. Regulation (***) no. ****/**** lays down the conditions for the use of flavorings. This regulation also specifies the prohibited flavors and substances, the maximum doses that can be used for certain flavors, and the labeling rules applicable at European level. [***]. Food ...
6 Positioning the players
6.1 Positioning the players
- Amora Maille
- McCormick
- General Mills
- Kraft Heinz
- Arcadie
- Fuchs Gewürze
- Sainte-Lucie
- Ducros (McCormick France)
- Moiret Ets
- Perles d'Anjou - CAPL (Coopérative agricole des Pays de la Loire)
- Trescarte
- Eric Bur
- Epices du Monde
- Daregal
- Colin Ingredients
List of charts presented in this market study
- Global spice market trends
- Main spice-producing regions
- Major spice exporters
- Main spice importers
- Trends in the PHEM segment, by volume
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Latest news
Heinz adds a dash of vinegar to its Tomato ketchup - 16/05/2024
- - Condiments market in 2023: €1.18 billion.
- - Growth: +12%.
- - French supermarket ketchup sales: €120 million
Cheapflation: the answer from Maille (Unilever)n - 08/02/2024
- The phenomenon of Cheapflation, i.e. the replacement of certain products or foods by cheaper substitutes, in order to maintain margins or a consumer selling price.
- One example is ice cream, which is no longer called "ice cream" but "frozen dessert", due to the replacement of dairy products with fillers.
- Six brands accused of abusing the Cheapflation phenomenon by Foodwatch: After Eight, Milka, Fleury Michon, Maille, Bordeau Chesnel and Findus (out of more than 20,000 references in hypermarkets).
- Maille's "fins gourmets" mayonnaise is specifically implicated, having seen the proportion of egg yolk present in the sauce reduced by 24.7% between November 2023 and January 2024.
- Unilever has had to adjust the composition of its products in order to continue producing certain recipes that consumers love, at their factory near Dijon.
Perles d'Anjou quinoa plant to be delivered in 2024 - 05/06/2023
- Project initiated by CAPL (Coopérative agricole des Pays de la Loire) and Abbottagra, players in the Quinoa d'Anjou sector.
- CAPL: sales of 246 million euros by 2022.
- Quinoa d'Anjou chain created 15 years ago.
- 400 producers involved.
- Annual production of around 3,000 tonnes.
- French and European leader in quinoa production.
- Perles d'Anjou industrial site under construction, 22,000 m2 on a 7-hectare site.
- Investment of 16 million euros.
- Target markets: food industry, supermarkets, specialty stores and foodservice.
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the spices market | France
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