Sugar Substitutes Market Trends

Global Sugar Substitutes Market Overview

Sugar Substitutes Market Size was valued at USD 13.9 billion in 2023. The sugar substitutes industry is projected to grow from USD 14.82 Billion in 2024 to USD 21.82 billion by 2032, exhibiting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.66% during the forecast period (2024 - 2032). Rising demand for functional food products, rising diabetes and obesity prevalence, and rising demand for natural sweeteners are the key market drivers enhancing the sugar substitutes market share growth.

Source: Primary Research, Secondary Research, MRFR Database, and Analyst Review

Sugar Substitutes Market Trends

• Adoption of new diet regimens and demand for clean-label food ingredients to drive market growth

Sugar substitutes are plant-based substances known as artificial sweeteners that enhance food flavor and have a flavor and texture like regular sugar. These products are primarily designed to replace or reduce reliance on sugar. Stevia, sucralose, and other sweeteners are the most used raw materials in producing these products. They are regarded as healthier and more environmentally friendly alternatives to conventional sugar. As sugar reduction becomes more important, appealing taste, texture, and mouthfeel become more important. Manufacturers use multiple ingredients to compensate for functional losses caused by sugar removal to deliver cost-effective sweeteners. They are also working to improve the products' overall taste and reduce the bitter aftertaste of the products. Additionally, manufacturers are beginning to pair plant-based sweeteners with plant-based products to cater to the shift away from animal-derived products. Sugar-free and sugar-reduced products are also becoming popular in emerging economies, creating new opportunities for processed food manufacturers to develop new market products in the coming years.

The rising prevalence of obesity-related lifestyle diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVDs) and changing consumer preferences for healthier and lower-calorie foods are major factors propelling the sugar substitutes market CAGR. Sugar substitutes are rapidly replacing sugar in the food and beverage industries, owing to increased awareness of the negative health effects of sugar, as well as an increase in obesity cases worldwide. Food manufacturers, for example, are introducing low-calorie versions of their products to broaden their consumer base. Numerous sugar substitutes let people with diabetes enjoy sweet foods without affecting their insulin levels, making them safe. The rising prevalence of diabetes, particularly in Middle Eastern countries, has increased the consumption of sugar-free food items, supporting the sugar substitutes market revenue growth.

Sugar Substitutes Market Segment Insights

Sugar Substitutes Type Insights

Based on types, the sugar substitutes market segmentation includes stevia, xylitol, erythritol, saccharin, sucralose, and honey. The sucralose segment held the majority share in 2022, contributing to around ~31-33% of the sugar substitutes market revenue. The growing use of sucralose in food & beverages, its long shelf life, and the need for a small amount to achieve the desired sweet taste all contribute to this segment's dominance. Sucralose is especially important for people on calorie or carbohydrate-restricted diets and those suffering from obesity or diabetes. Manufacturers have added artificial sweeteners to their products in recent years, increasing the popularity of sweeteners in other regions such as Europe and the Asia Pacific. Sucralose has been approved for use as a sweetener by the Food and Drug Administration. As a result, it's found in various products, including fruit juice, drink bases, and processed foods. It also improves the flavor and taste of food and beverage products.

Sugar Substitutes Category Insights

Categories have bifurcated the sugar substitutes market data into natural, synthetic, and others. The natural segment dominated the market in 2022 and is projected to be the faster-growing segment during the forecast period 2022-2030. The highest growth in this market segment can be largely attributed to rising consumer awareness of the benefits of eating foods with natural ingredients, rising consumer preference for clean-label and healthy products, and rising use of stevia and other natural sugar substitutes by top food and beverage companies.

March 2022: Cargill introduced stevia products utilizing EverSweet + ClearFlo technology. This new sugar substitute system combines the natural flavor with Cargill's stevia sweetener. It has several benefits, such as flavor modification, quicker dispersion, and improved solubility and consistency in formulations.

Figure 2: Sugar Substitutes Market, by Category, 2022 & 2030 (USD Billion)

Source: Primary Research, Secondary Research, MRFR Database, and Analyst Review

Sugar Substitutes Distribution Channel Insights

The sugar substitutes industry has been segmented based on distribution channels into store-based and non-store-based. In 2022, store-based had the largest segment share. The segment's growth can be attributed to research findings indicating that most people in developed countries prefer to buy sugar substitutes from store-based supermarkets due to their greater convenience. Another factor driving this segment's growth is the availability of a diverse range of sugar substitutes (which gives customers a more diverse range of options). Moreover, implementing new technology, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), is altering the role of store-based hypermarkets and supermarkets in the sugar substitutes sector.

Sugar Substitutes Regional Insights

By Region, the study provides market insights into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Rest of the World. The North American Sugar Substitutes market accounted for USD 6.37 billion in 2022 and will likely exhibit a significant CAGR growth over the study period. One of the major drivers is the region's growing need to raise awareness of low-calorie food consumption. The primary factor anticipated to propel the growth of the sugar substitute market is the popularity of healthy foods and beverages among North American consumers. Food trends in the United States have shifted dramatically due to socioeconomic and demographic shifts. The younger generation values trying out new and creative products and increased awareness about diet-related diseases, combined with regulatory changes in the United States, consider sugar addition in a minimum or required amount. Moreover, the food and beverage industries are increasingly substituting artificial sweeteners for sugar in many products that previously contained sugar.

Further, the major countries studied in the market report are the U.S., Germany, Canada, France, the UK, Spain, Italy, Japan, India, Australia, China, South Korea, and Brazil.

Figure 3: SUGAR SUBSTITUTES MARKET SHARE BY REGION 2022 (%)

Source: Primary Research, Secondary Research, MRFR Database, and Analyst Review

The European sugar substitutes market accounts for the second-largest market share. Stevia, sucralose, sugar alcohols, and similar products are popular among European consumers. This has prompted sugar substitute manufacturers to investigate the possibility of developing market-ready innovative, high-quality, tastier, and more nutritious products. European food and beverage manufacturers are looking for sweeteners that are safe for consumers to consume and sustainable. The lack of calories in stevia and monk fruit sweeteners is one of their main selling points. Stevia is becoming more popular among European consumers, and its applications in food and beverage products are growing. Consumers in Europe are increasingly seeking healthier, more natural products. Compared to the production of regular sugar, stevia has a smaller negative environmental impact. For instance, Tate & Lyle and the NGO Earthwatch collaborated in 2019 to assess the sustainability of their stevia supply chain. Further, the German sugar substitutes market held the largest market share, and the UK sugar substitutes market was the fastest-growing market in the European region.

The Asia-Pacific Sugar Substitutes Market is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR from 2022 to 2030. In Asia Pacific, industrialization has increased disposable income among the middle-class population. As a result, there is a greater demand for health-improving products, such as high-quality and nutritious food. Asia Pacific sees an increase in demand for low-calorie foods and beverages. This rise is due to rising consumer health consciousness, propelling the market growth. Sugar substitutes are frequently used in drinks, ice cream, sauces, jellies, powdered drink mixes, candies, puddings, dairy products, and other refined foods. Moreover, China’s sugar substitutes market held the largest market share, and the Indian sugar substitutes market was the fastest-growing market in the Asia-Pacific region.

Sugar Substitutes Key Market Players & Competitive Insights

Major market players are concentrating on new product development through substantial R&D expenditures and innovative technologies to manufacture high-quality products at low prices. Important businesses are forming joint ventures, partnerships, mergers, and acquisitions to increase their geographic reach and solidify their market position in the sugar substitutes industry.

In addition, market participants are launching new products, entering into contracts, acquiring companies, increasing investments, and working with other organizations, among other significant market developments, to expand their footprint. The sugar substitutes market major players, such as Zydus Cadila, HaleFresh, Cargill Incorporated, Organic India, and others, are working to increase demand by funding research and development initiatives. The sugar substitutes industry has provided natural sugar with some of the most significant benefits in recent years.

Amyris Inc is an Emeryville, California-based synthetic biotech & renewable chemical company. Amyris caters to the markets of specialty and performance chemicals, flavors and fragrances, cosmetics ingredients, pharmaceuticals, and nutraceuticals. Amyris adopted the fermentation method in 2020 to expand its non-sugar sweetener products and develop zero-calorie sweeteners that taste like regular sugar. With the help of the new technique, Amyris can produce more flavorful, pure, and plentiful sugar.

Also, the Archer-Daniels-Midland Company, or ADM, is an American multinational food processing and commodities trading corporation headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, founded in 1902. The company has over 270 plants and 420 crop procurement facilities worldwide where cereal grains and oilseeds are processed into products used in the food, beverage, nutraceutical, industrial, and animal feed markets. ADM and Aston Foods (Russia) formed a joint venture in Russia for sweeteners and starches in July 2019. This aided the company's expansion into the Russian sugar substitutes market.

Key Companies in the sugar substitutes market include

• Cargill Incorporated (US)


• Health Garden (US)


• Wholesome Sweeteners Inc. (US)


• Organic India (India)


• Zydus Cadila (India)


• NOW Foods (US)


• HaleFresh (US)


• Wisdom Natural Brands (US)


• Heartland Food Products Group (US)

Sugar Substitutes Industry Developments

April 2022: Tate & Lyle increased allulose production to meet the rising demand for the rare sugar, which gained popularity after the FDA decided to exclude it from the Nutrition Facts panel's total and added sugars declarations.

December 2021: B.T. Sweets introduced Cambya, a plant-based sugar substitute made of soluble fibers, monk fruit, and select botanicals. A simple product application is possible for dry, hot, and cold products.

April 2020: ERYSTA® Erythritol was the first polyol sweetener introduced by Ingredion EMEA. This sweetener allows the manufacturer to reduce or replace sugar, resulting in 'no added sugar' or 'calorie-reduced' products in various applications.

Sugar Substitutes Market Segmentation

Sugar Substitutes Type Outlook

• Stevia


• Xylitol


• Erythritol


• Saccharin


• Sucralose


• Honey

Sugar Substitutes Category Outlook

• Natural


• Synthetic


• Others

Sugar Substitutes Distribution Channel Outlook

• Store-Based


• Non-Store-Based

Sugar Substitutes Regional Outlook

• North America
  
  
  
  • US
  
  
  • Canada
  
  
  
  


• Europe
  
  
  
  • Germany
  
  
  • France
  
  
  • UK
  
  
  • Italy
  
  
  • Spain
  
  
  • Rest of Europe
  
  
  
  


• Asia-Pacific
  
  
  
  • China
  
  
  • Japan
  
  
  • India
  
  
  • Australia
  
  
  • South Korea
  
  
  • Australia
  
  
  • Rest of Asia-Pacific
  
  
  
  


• Rest of the World
  
  
  
  • Middle East
  
  
  • Africa
  
  
  • Latin America