The nitrite-free charcuterie market - France (2024)

1.2 Global market

The global charcuterie market is set for strong growth in the years ahead. It could rise from $***.* billion in **** to almost $*** billion in ****, at a CAGR (***) of *.*% over this period. [***]

This growth is due in particular to rising demand since the Covid-** crisis. Consumers increasingly prefer foods that are convenient to take away and eat, requirements which charcuterie products meet. In emerging countries, the growing middle-class population and the increasing number of working women are also contributing to the sector's growth.

Sales forecasts for the global charcuterie market World, ****-****, in billions of dollars Source: ****

Nitrite-free products are emerging as one of the most promising market trends, alongside salt-reduced products. It responds to the public's desire to eat more healthily and reduce consumption of additives that are harmful to health.

However, there are few figures on the global market for nitrite-free charcuterie. In the bacon segment, nitrite-free represented $*.* billion in value in ****, and could reach $*.** billion in ****, thanks to a CAGR of *.*%. [***]

Sales forecasts for the global nitrite-free bacon market World, ****-****, in billions of dollars Source: ****

This increase, for one of the most widely consumed products on the shelves, illustrates the potential of nitrite-free and the growing role it is ...

1.3 French market

In France, the self-service charcuterie market has taken advantage of the inflation observed since the Covid-** crisis to grow by *.*% in **** and *.*% in ****, to reach *.** billion euros. [***]

This growth in value must, however, be offset by a decline in sales volume, of around -*% in ****. "Delicatessen] too has finally suffered the blows of inflation. Even in safe haven segments", noted LSA in early ****. Volume sales of cooked ham, sausages and fresh sausages, for example, have all fallen. "Consumers are making choices, and we're seeing a resurgence in home-made products", analyzed Catherine Petilon, Herta's Marketing Director. [***]

self-service charcuterie market sales trends France, ****-****, in billions of euros Source: ****

Nitrite-free products represent between * and **% of the sector by value, a proportion that will remain stable between **** and ****[***].

The market has seen a clear acceleration in a short space of time, from just *.*% of the charcuterie aisle in ****.

Charcuterie market share by segment France, ****, in Source: ****

Based on the total sales of the self-service charcuterie market, it is therefore possible to establish the weight of nitrite-free at between *** and *** million euros, compared with *** million euros in ****, representing growth of around ***% in five years.

sales trends in the nitrite-free charcuterie market France, ****-****, in Source: ...

2.1 Consumption of charcuterie and meat on the decline

Between April **** and April ****, volume sales of self-service charcuterie in France totalled ***,*** tonnes, down *.*%. All categories showed a decline, with the exception of culinary aids, which held up well at +*.*%. Several of the department's flagship segments saw their sales decline: -*.*% for cooked ham, -*.*% for sausages, -*.*% for salami and dry sausages.

Sales volumes and trends for the main charcuterie products France, ****-**** Source: ****

Inflation and consumers' budgetary trade-offs may explain this decline, but it is also part of a broader trend towards lower per capita meat consumption in France. While total consumption has risen since the ****s due to population growth, per capita consumption actually fell during the ****s, before stagnating since. "Apart from a few variations, due to price effects or health scandals, per capita meat consumption has stabilized at around ** kgec (***) since ****. However, **** marks a slight drop", notes Franceinfo. In particular, the French have reduced their consumption of meat at home, but increased their consumption outside the home.

evolution of meat consumption per capita France, ****-****, in kilograms carcass equivalent Source: ****

In ****, **% of French people said they had already reduced their meat consumption over the past three years, and **% wanted to reduce it over the next three ...

2.2 Health, a major component of food for the French

Eating healthily will be the top priority for the French in **** when it comes to "eating well" (***).**% of consumers also say they want to cut down on ultra-processed products. [***]

The **-** age group attaches particular importance to this aspect of their diet, more so than the **-** age group.

Meaning of "eating well" for the French, by age group France, ****, in Source: ****

Income level has little impact on the priority given to health: even modest families give priority to health (***). The difference then logically increases among middle-income and affluent families, who place less importance on price.

Meaning of "eating well" for French families according to income France, ****, in Source: ****

Once again, the health criterion should play in favor of nitrite-free charcuterie, its equivalent containing nitrate additives that promote the risk of colorectal cancer. What's more, the price of nitrite-free - which remains the third most scrutinized criterion by the French for "eating well" - turns out to be lower than other product categories reputed to be better for health. "This offer is more expensive than conventional, but the price differences are smaller than those between organic or antibiotic-free and conventional", confirms Delphine Billod-Morel, Herta's Charcuterie & CSR Brand Manager. [***]

2.3 Recognized brands committed to nitrite-free products

The self-service offer of nitrite-free charcuterie is developing mainly via major brands recognized by consumers. Herta and Fleury Michon, which represent the two biggest players in the French charcuterie market behind private labels, enjoyhave an aided awareness rate of over **%, while Cochonou and Madrange also boast a high recognition rate. Only Stoeffler appears to be a little further behind. Appreciation of these brands is also positive, with only **% of respondents saying they dislike them, with the exception of Cochonou, which reaches **%.

Awareness and appreciation of brands offering nitrite-free charcuterie France, ****, in Source: ****

This high level of brand awareness is conducive to the development of the nitrite-free segment: consumers are familiar with brands offering this type of product, and, since most of them already like them, are more likely to trust them.

By ****, Herta would claim a **% share of the entire nitrite-free market [***]

Market share in the nitrite-free charcuterie sector France, ****, in Source: ****

By spring ****, Fleury Michon was the leader in nitrite-free pork ham, with a **.*% market share by value. [***]

Market share in the nitrite-free pork ham segment France, ****, in Source: ****

3.1 Value chain

The players involved in the nitrite-free charcuterie market are the same as for traditional charcuterie:

breeders ; processors distributors.

Only processors have to modify their practices to implement nitrite-free preservation, which requires changes in product manufacturing processes. As far as distributors are concerned, nitrite-free ranges are still displayed on the same shelves as traditional charcuterie, which has no impact on their business.

3.2 Producers and processors

Industrial charcuterie production in France

The number of French industrial charcuterie companies (***), has been declining for several years. It has fallen from *** in **** to *** in ****, a drop of almost **% in six years.

This is mainly due to the concentration of the sector, with large groups buying up SMEs, particularly when their historical managers are looking to hand over. "With **% of managers aged over **, this phenomenon of concentration is set to accelerate", Fabien Castanier, Managing Director of Fict (***), said in ****. [***]

change in the number of companies corresponding to NAF code **.**A, including the industrial manufacture of charcuterie France, ****-**** Source: ****

The number of salaried employees in the sector will logically follow the same curve, dropping from **,*** in **** to **,*** in ****, a decline of **%.

change in number of employees in companies corresponding to NAF code **.**A, including the industrial manufacture of charcuterie France, ****-**** Source: ****

The majority of companies in the sector are located in the south of France, notably in Occitanie (***). By ****, these three regions will account for half of all companies in the sector.

Industrial producers commit to nitrite-free production

Switching to nitrite-free requires major changes and investments in production lines. The major manufacturers, with their considerable resources, appear to be in ...

3.3 Distributors

Distributors play a major role in the French charcuterie market, with their private label brands accounting for over half of the department's sales by value, well ahead of Herta (***), the sector's other two main groups.

Market share of self-service charcuterie sales by value France, February ****-February ****, as % of sales

Given this dominant market position, it would be unwise for distributors to ignore the growing trend towards nitrite-free products. Indeed, many of them, including several organic specialists such as Biocoop and La Vie Claire, now offer nitrite-free ranges under their private labels, supporting the transition of the industrial manufacturers producing these references.

However, private labels still have considerable room for improvement. By ****, they would have won just **% of the nitrite-free ham segment, compared with **% for standard hams. "A sign that price is not 'yet' a truly decisive criterion compared to health considerations in the purchasing decision", analyzes Linéaires magazine. [***].

Private label market share in the ham segment France, ****, in Source: ****

4.1 Nitrite-free products

Nitrite-free charcuterie products do not contain nitrate additives, which are usually added by manufacturers to improve product preservation. A few years ago, manufacturers were able to replace these additives with nitrate-rich vegetable broth, which was then transformed into nitrite by ferments, but the maneuver still enabled the words "no nitrite added" or "no nitrite salt" to appear on packaging.

The situation has changed, however, and nitrite-free charcuterie now tends to contain no nitrites at all, whether added or of plant origin. Manufacturers have developed solutions to do without this element altogether, so that they can label their products as "nitrite-free preservation" without being accused of misleading consumers. Research is also being carried out by bodies such as Inrae (***) to develop alternatives to nitrites.

All products in the charcuterie department (***). [***]

4.2 Prices

According to manufacturers, nitrite-free products cost around **% more to produce. The prices of items on the shelves reflect this extra cost, and often exceed it: the difference can be as much as **% for sausages. The variation also depends on other criteria: "the difference can be as much as double, depending on the product segment, brand, retailer and, in some cases, format", explains Tarek Louadj, consumer expert at NielsenIQ. [***]

The difference can also be seen between private labels and national brands: for hams, in the most extreme cases, the price of a nitrite-free product can almost double. [***]

However, the "health" argument put forward by nitrite-free products enables them to offset these higher prices and win over consumers, as evidenced by their rising sales. "These price differences have not prevented the segment from weathering the crisis in purchasing power and the contraction in volumes from which the department is suffering," confirms Linéaires. [***]

4.3 An ever-expanding offering and ongoing research

A growing range

The number of nitrite-free products available on supermarket deli shelves is increasing as manufacturers develop their offer. In September ****, over a hundred references representing more than a dozen brands could be found on the e-commerce sites of Système U, Auchan and Carrefour. Thanks to its organic positioning, Biocoop stands out as the only one to offer less well-known brands, such as Rostain or Kervern.

On the industrial side, Herta lists ** nitrite-free references on its website in September ****, while Fleury Michon displays **.

Nitrite-free charcuterie available in supermarkets France, September **** Source: ****

Manufacturers are gradually introducing nitrite-free versions of all their products. In the spring of ****, Fleury Michon launched its torchon ham with **% less salt and its smoked chicken fillet in this segment, while Le Gaulois (***) launched its first nitrite-free poultry ham. For its part, Madrange is targeting families with children with its zero-nitrite knacks, with a visual identity inspired by superheroes. "It's very often families who buy these products. **% of buyers are under **", says Adrien Galivel, marketing director for the Cooperl group's cured meats. [***]

Herta, which has the most extensive catalog in this range, promotes its chorizo, cervelas and croque-monsieur without nitrite.

Continuing the search for alternatives to ...

5.1 General regulations governing charcuterie and meat products

The "Hygiene Package" is a set of European hygiene standards designed toensure a minimum level of food safety on a European scale, and binding on all players in the food chain. It mainly comprises the following regulations:

Regulation (***) n°***/****; Regulation (***) n°***/****; Regulation (***) n°***/****; Regulation (***) n°***/****; Regulation (***) n°***/****; Regulation (***) n°***/****.

European Decree ***/**** concerns the traceability of meat products, and was introduced to enable their entire journey to be traced. French and European standards are used to award labels to meats, guaranteeing quality and compliance with regulations. Among the most popular labels are AOC, AOP, IGP, Viande Bovine Française and Label Rouge. Sanitary approvals must be obtained, particularly for industrialists and butchers delivering large quantities of meat, to ensure that the meat is transported under the best possible conditions. [***]

The standards listed above are the main ones applicable to the meat market in France, but do not constitute an exhaustive list.

5.2 Regulations specific to nitrite-free

The "no nitrite" claim

The Code des usages de la charcuterie, de la salaison et des conserves de viandes states that the claim "without added X", which applies in particular to nitrites, implies the absence of added element X. "The negative claim 'without X' (***). no X added' means no added... The regulations do not set a maximum. However, it is to be expected that a product mentioning 'no X' will not contain any X at all."[***]

The claim "nitrite-free preservation" on industrial charcuterie products therefore implies the absence of added nitrate additives.on the other hand, when broths or vegetable extracts are used to ensure product preservation, nitrites may still be formed in the charcuterie, without the need for manufacturers to specify this. "The use of vegetable broth or extracts combined with ferments does not constitute a real alternative to the use of nitrites or nitrates in meat products, insofar as the extracts used naturally contain nitrates which, under the effect of bacterial enzymes, are converted into nitrite in the foodstuff. Products labelled 'nitrite-free' may therefore, in some cases, contain hidden nitrates and nitrites. [***]

Towards lower nitrite levels

European regulations impose a maximum nitrite content of *** mg per kilogram of charcuterie, ...

6. Company segmentation

• LDC Groupe
• Herta
• Fleury Michon
• Aoste (Campofrio Groupe)
• Amalric GroupeIsla - Isla Délice
• Rovagnati
• Eureden Group
• Cooperl Arc Atlantique
• Carrefour Groupe
• E.Leclerc
• Auchan groupe
• Intermarché ITM Les Mousquetaires
• Système U
• Biocoop
• La Vie Claire