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Summary of our market study
The French dried fruit market is valued at 700million euros
The global dried fruit market mainly comprises peanuts, almonds, raisins, pistachios, walnuts, dates, cashews and hazelnuts. Around 56 million tonnes of nuts and dried fruit are produced worldwide
The French domestic market is relatively stable. Private labels down slightly
France is best known for its prunes, of which 30% of production is exported, and walnuts, of which between 45,000 and 55,000 tonnes are produced.
Health benefits have been one of the main drivers of dried fruit consumption in France. Packed with vitamins, nutrients and essential lipids, dried fruits, like nuts and seeds, are increasingly appreciated for their energizing and satiating effects.
What's more, studies have shown a potential link between regular consumption of dried fruit and a reduced risk of certain types of cancer. As a result, the French are incorporating dried fruit into their diet, not only as a source of energy for sporting activities, but also as a preventive measure in the event of health problems.
Over the last decade, the trend has been to seek ingredient transparency and minimize the consumption of processed foods. Dried fruit responds to consumers' desire for healthier snack alternatives. This trend has led to a significant increase in dried fruit sales.
From an environmental point of view, demand for sustainable packaging solutions is growing, as a significant percentage of French consumers want to reduce the use of plastic. Dried fruit companies are responding by investing in environmentally-friendly packaging options such as biodegradable, compostable and recyclable materials.
In addition, the French are increasingly interested in consuming organic and locally-produced foods.
Dried fruit market players in France
- Mondial Fruits Secs - maintains a strong position in the dried fruit market.
- Maître Prunille - Specializes in dried plums, in particular the emblematic Agen prunes.
- Color Foods demonstrates its ability to respond to consumer demands for sustainable development by introducing environmentally-friendly packaging and a range of sub-brands that meet different consumer needs, such as Les FADAS de fruits secs for organic snacks and SUN for raw and processed dried fruit.
- Daco Bello - A major player, Daco Bello has established its presence in the dried fruit market by offering a range of natural and nutritious dried fruit options.
- Sun-Maid - California-based company best known for its raisins.
- Private labels account for a substantial share of volume.
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Summary and extracts
1 Market overview
1.1 Definition and scope of study
Dried fruit can be divided into 2 categories:fruit that is naturally devoid of water and fruit that is artificially dried. The first category includes oilseeds (almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, pine nuts, pistachios), fleshy fruits (goji berries, cranberries) and seeds (sunflower, linseed, chia, pumpkin, etc.). The second category includes fruits such as grapes, bananas, apricots and prunes.
Dried fruits can be eaten directly, in which case they are sold in bulk or in bags with the option of assortments, and they can also be used as a cooking ingredient, for pastries or to season salads, for example.
Dried fruit is packed with nutrients such as carbohydrates, lipids and vitamins. These different nutrients have various health benefits, from being a source of energy to having a satiating effect. Dried fruit is also a natural food that can be eaten unprocessed. These different aspects appeal to the French, as they correspond to new consumer trends.
Dried fruits are produced and consumed all over the world, and each country has its own specialties. For example, the USA produces 76% of the world's almonds and Turkey 62% of its hazelnuts, while China consumes the most peanuts in the world and India the most cashews.
As far as France is concerned, the leading brands on the French market are Mondial fruits secs, Maitre Prunille and private labels. One of France's strengths in the dried fruit market is its prune production, which will rank 4th in the world by 2021. French prunes hold the IGP (Protected Geographical Indication) designation for Agen prunes, and are the most widely consumed dried fruit in France. Unfortunately, poor weather conditions have made 2021 a more complicated year for French producers, who have had to harvest their prunes prematurely, which is likely to reduce annual production by 62.5% compared with 2020.
The Covid crisis was a major growth factor for the dried fruit sector. However, at present, the decline in teleworking, the resumption of consumption outside the home, and above all inflation have led to a fall in sector sales of around 3% in 2022, after a 4% increase in 2021.
1.2 The global market
As explained in the introduction, each fruit is produced, exported and imported in different countries, and they don't all occupy the same share of the market. But according to the INC (***), by ****, ** million tonnes of dried fruit will be produced worldwide. Here are the * most widely produced dried fruits in the world:
*fruit weighed with stones ** peanuts weighed with shells source : iNC
According to grandviewresearch, the main players in this market are SEUNBEAM FOODS, Sun-Maid Growers of California,AL FOAH, Bergin Fruit and Nut Company, Angas Park, Murray River, Organics Gr, Red River Foods, Greobres, Traina Foods, SUNSWEE and Kiantama Oy.
1.3 The domestic market
The dried fruit market, valued at *** million euros, was down *.*% year-on-year on a rolling basis to P* ****. This trend is due to the decline in teleworking, the upturn in out-of-home consumption and inflation . The dried fruit category declined across all distribution channels, with the exception of hard discount chains, which grew by *.*% in volume. Audrey Bonetti, Marketing Manager for Maître Prunille, acknowledges that dried fruit is not considered a staple product, and that the leading brands are private labels, Maitre Prunille, Color Foods and Daco Bello.
sales trends in the dried fruit market between **** and **** France, ****-****, millions of euros Source: ****
The market slowed down in **** and ****, but the average annual growth rate is still rising, at *.**% between **** and ****. Private labels saw their sales fall by *.*% in ****, in line with the market trend, but Color foods saw its sales grow by *.*%, so not all players in this market were equally impacted by the overall decline in the dried fruit market. Several hypotheses can be put forward to explain this slowdown, for example, it may be due to less successful promotional operations at the time of Ramadan, a period of peak consumption in normal times[***].The dried fruit market has seen ...
2 Demand analysis
2.1 Dried fruit, a food that seduces with its benefits
Dried fruits are becoming increasingly popular for a variety of reasons:
They're good for your health, as they're packed with nutrients and vitamins.Scientific studies have shown that eating dried fruit can reduce the risk of certain cancers, such as the study carried out by Dried Fruit Intake and Cancer in **** in which suggests that eating dried fruit can reduce prostate, pancreatic, stomach, colon and bladder cancers in particular[***]. As a result, consumers have included dried fruit in their diets.The Sial food trade show in Paris in **** highlighted a growing consumer interest in the functionalities of food on the digestive system. Alicaments, which are foods providing benefits to our health in addition to the nutritional function, are favored by these circumstances. Dried fruit is therefore appealing because it is used as an alicament.
French food trends in **** France, ****, percentage Source: ****
These dietary preferences are driving the dried fruit market.
Dried fruit is an unprocessed product.In ** years, consumer habits have changed. Consumers are looking for transparency in ingredients, paying attention to additives and seeking to reduce processed foods. Containment has reinforced the desire for sustainable consumption and responsible eating. Dried fruits are natural, unprocessed foods that meet these needs.On ...
2.2 A variety of uses and products
Market share in value of dried fruit categories France, ****, percentage Source: ****
We can therefore see that dried fruit has multiple uses, and that they all appeal in equal measure, with the exception of dried fruit baskets, which account for only a tiny share.
trends in per capita consumption of the main dried fruits in France between **** and **** France, ****, grams per year per inhabitant Source: ****
Trends in per capita consumption of the main dried fruits consumed in France over * years show a sharp fall in the consumption of dates and a sharp rise in that of almonds and prunes in particular. It also shows that the consumption of raisins, cashew nuts and apricots is also increasing, while that of pistachios and figs has fallen slightly.
2.3 Bulk, a distribution channel gaining ground and driving growth in the dried fruit market
The bulk market in France represented sales of *.* billion euros in ****. In ****, the bulk market is estimated at *.* billion, representing ***% growth in * years[***]. But what explains such growth?
Here are just a few of the reasons for bulk's popularity: To protect the environment by reducing packaging To obtain quality products, as they are raw, without marketing To buy only the quantity the consumer needs, thus avoiding waste To have the flexibility to test new products by taking only a sample
The advantages of buying products in bulk are mainly broken down as follows: **% for economic reasons, **% for environmental reasons, while quality-related reasons only account for **%.
Benefits of buying products in bulk France, ****, in Source: ****
These consumer desires help explain why bulk is so successful. With today's environmental challenges, these trends are set to grow even stronger, moving from words to deeds.
Here are the most popular products bought in bulk:
Bulk shoppers' favorite products France, ****, percentage Source : LSA With this graph, we see that dried fruits are the most bought products in bulk with **% of bulk buyers buying oleaginous fruits followed by **% of them buying dried fruits. So the dried fruit and bulk markets are highly correlated, with one driving the ...
2.4 The French are changing their eating habits: organic, local and dietary products are favoured
In ****, many French people say they want to pay attention to what they eat. Here's what they want to pay attention to:
More responsible eating: what the French are saying France, ****, percentage Source: ****
These results demonstrate the French people's intentions to pay attention to what they eat, intentions that were confirmed in ****, as the desire to eat healthy, sustainable, local and seasonal food was more topical than ever with French consumers.these intentions were confirmed in the year under review, as the desire to eat healthy, sustainable, local and seasonal food became more topical than ever with the global pandemic and containment, which directly affected French people's daily lives and consumption habits, placing health issues at the forefront. As a result, a majority of French people said they were buying more fresh produce (***)[***].
organic consumption trends in France France, ****-****, billions of euros Source: ****
As far asthe organic market is concerned, by ****, **% of the French population will have consumed organic food, and this market, which is no longer a niche, will be a major one. **.* billion euros in ****, down *.**% on ****. These consistently high results enable France to occupy *ᵉ place in the European ranking[***].
The French are paying attention to their sugar ...
3 Market structure
3.1 Growing dried fruit: France specializes in prunes and walnuts
One type of player in the dried fruit market is the producer, and France is a major producer of prunes and walnuts .
The Agen pruneaccording to agriculture.gouv, ****:- **,*** tons of PGI Agen prunes are produced every year- *,*** producers harvest Ente plums- The surface area of the French orchard is **,*** hectares- **% of production is marketed abroad
France has been the *rd largest producer of prunes over the last* years, behind the USA and Chile, producing **% of the world total, or **,*** tons[***].
This diagram explains the various stages between the moment when the plums are ripe enough to be picked and the moment when the prunes are sold to processors:
Source: ****
In France, Agen prunes are produced in Lot-et-Garonne (***), Gironde, Dordogne, Lot, Gers and Tarn-et-Garonne. France is highly competitive on the world and European markets, for example, it is the leading producer in the European Union and *rd worldwide[***].
Global prune production shares over * years World, ****-****, percentage Source: ****
France will be the *th largest prune-producing country in ****-****, behind the USA, Chile and Argentina, but it has been experiencing difficulties for several years in the face of foreign competition, with Chilean, Californian and Argentinean competition having a major impact on French ...
3.2 Specialists in dried fruit processing, packaging and trading
Once the dried fruit has been collected, it is sold to processors who take care of transforming, packaging and reselling the dried fruit. To help you understand how the transformation process works and which players are involved, Color Food has published an explanation diagram:
Source: ****
Here's the detailed process:
Incoming merchandise is first checked (***) before computerized registration of incoming pallets. Samples of raw materials are then taken for approval by the quality department. Validation at this stage is essential before the material can be used in production. Pallets are identified and then stored according to product characteristics (***). we have several production lines for toasting, caramelizing, rehydrating, blending and seasoning dried fruit:Dried fruit is rehydrated by douching with hot water and/or steam to give it a soft texture.Caramelization takes place in copper vats, in which the peanuts are mixed with sugar and water, which turn to caramel under the effect of heat.Cashew nuts, pistachios, peanuts, almonds and hazelnuts are roasted in a revolving-heat oven to give them their distinctive taste.Seasoning is carried out before roasting. Next comes weighing, labeling and boxing: the packaging lines are equipped with multihead weighers which distribute the fruit into the packaging. Products ...
3.3 Distribution
Dried fruit is sold in supermarkets, organic stores, bulk stores and online. So we can see that there are many distribution channels for dried fruit, which are the same as those for food in general.
it's worth noting that food e-commerce is no longer a niche market: in mid-****, the Nielsen Institute reported that France was the European champion in this mode of consumption, with *.*% of everyday purchases made online [***]. As we have seen, dried fruit is the product most frequently purchased in bulk.
By ****, traditional retailers will account for **% of the bulk industry's distribution channels. While plans to establish fixed bulk sales outlets continue to dominate, new players in the sector are taking into account changes in demand and regional peculiarities, which are increasingly driving them to open itinerant or online bulk sales outlets. To give a point of comparison, in ****, itinerant businesses accounted for just *% of bulk sales outlets, while online sales were even less widespread.
Distribution channels Bulk industry France, ****, in Source: ****
4 Offer analysis
4.1 Dried fruit technical details
Table summarizing the nutrients present in the main dried fruits :
Source: ****
Oilseeds are rich inprotein, fat and fiber, as well as nutrients such as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, zinc, selenium, iron, and vitamins B*, B* and E. Fiber also facilitates intestinal transit. Care must be taken, however, as dried fruits lose vitamins when dried.
4.2 Dried fruit prices on the rise in France
Here's an idea of the prices of the main dried fruits. Prices may vary depending on whether the product is organic or produced in France.
Source: ****
Consumer prices for nuts and dried fruit rose sharply in ****, up *.*% on ****, and in **** (***), they increased by *.**% on ****.
Consumer price index: Dried fruits and nuts France, ****-****, Base *** : *** Source: ****
The rise in prices is largely due to inflation, notably the rise in raw material and energy costs, as well as the increase in the minimum wage (***) indexed to inflation.
4.3 Trends: factors to watch out for to remain attractive
As we've already said, consumer habits are changing, and this is having an impact on the dried fruit market.
The French are paying attention to plastic packaging.**% of French people want to reduce plastic packaging and unwrapped products. Yet dried fruit, when not sold in bulk, is sold in plastic bags most of the time. With growing awareness and strict international trade guidelines on packaging, dried fruit manufacturers are investing more and more in their packaging[***]. Some companies have chosen to embark on eco-design of their packaging, the main benefits of which are revealed in the graph below:
Benefits of eco-design France, ****, percentage of companies involved Source: ****
In particular, eco-design improves brand image, both internally and externally, with a sharp rise in brand awareness, better customer relations and increased employee motivation.
Aware of the problem, some brands have found solutions, such as Color Foods:In ****, Color Foods is launching the first eco-responsible pouch on the shelves, reducing the quantity of plastic by **% compared to standard pouches on the market. One of the primary functions of packaging is to protect products from external aggression. In the dried fruit category, certain product characteristics require the use of plastic to slow down aging (***).
"Today, ...
5 Regulations
5.1 Various controls: "Hygiene package", sanitary supervision and DCGRF
The distribution of fruit and vegetables is strictly governed by European health regulations for the agri-food sector. In ****, a set of standardized regulations came into force across the European Union, known as the "Hygiene Package". These regulations provide a framework for the entire industry and all its players: producers, distributors and consumers.This regulation is made up of several texts:- The "Food Law" - Regulation ***/****)- Regulation (***) in the same font size as the price- The price per weight or per piece
The DGCCRF is a French government agency under the aegis of the Ministry of the Economy, which ensures the quality that consumers are entitled to expect from a product - food or non-food - or a service (***), incorrect size indications, exceeding maximum moisture content or swelling of prunes with water. Following this investigation, ** warnings were issued and * litigation file was opened[***].
In ****, it carried out **,*** control actions, resulting in *,*** warnings, *** injunctions, criminal fines and ** administrative fines.
5.2 World Customs Harmonized System
The World Customs Harmonized System is an international nomenclature for product classification. It enables participating countries to classify traded goods on a common basis for customs purposes[***], here are some examples of codes for dried fruit:
- ********* for prunes, dried- ****** for mixtures of dried edible fruits or edible nuts - ******** for mixtures of edible and dried nuts, bananas, pecans, pecans, bananas, pecans, pecans, pecans, pecans, pecans, pecans, pecans, pecans, pecans, pecans, pecansbananas, dates, figs, pineapples, avocados, guavas, mangoes, mangosteens, citrus fruit and grapes, including prunes or figsAll codes can be found on the customs tariffs website.
5.3 PGI and PDO designations
The Protected Geographical Indication (***), at least one stage in the production, transformation or elaboration of this product must take place in this delimited geographical area. The PGI is linked to know-how; it cannot be created, but rather consecrates existing production, thereby conferring national and international protection.The PGI can be based on the product's reputation, which is understood to mean a high level of recognition by the public at a given moment.and must be associated with a specific know-how or quality attributable to the geographical origin.The rules governing the production of a PGI are set out in specifications, and are subject to control procedures implemented by an independent body approved by the INAO. [***]
Protected designation of origin (***). It protects the product on French territory. It is a step towards obtaining the European PDO label[***]
The geographical indications support unit explains the advantages for producers of using a geographical indication for a product:
Ensuring a fair return for the quality of their products; Guarantee uniform protection of names as intellectual property rights throughout the European Union; Confer added value on the product thanks to clear information on its properties, thus promising success with consumers.
More generally, geographical indications enable :
promote ...
6 Positioning the players
6.1 Player segmentation
- Color Foods - Sun
- MAITRE PRUNILLE
- DACO BELLO
- SEEBERGER
- MONDIAL FRUITS SECS
- Compagnie des Amandes
- Sabarot-Wassner
- Arterris Coopérative
- Markal
- Koro
- Palimex
- Sun Maid
- Lou Prunel
- Natimpact
- Intersnack (Knabber Geback Group)
- MIN de Rungis - Semmaris
- Un Air d'ici - Juste Bio
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