The sauces market - Spain (2023)

1.2 A growing world market for sauces

The global sauces market is estimated at US$**.* billion in **** [***].

Global sauces market size World, **** - ****, in billions of dollars Source : [***] while each region has its own sauce preferences - consumers like to try sauces from other parts of the world (***).

Some consumers - Europeans and Americans in particular - also appreciate healthier sauces (***), as well as local and artisanal sauces. [***]. That's why Heinz, the ketchup market leader with a **% market share by value, launched an organic ketchup in ****, which currently accounts for **% of the market, an **% increase between **** and ****.

Similarly in ****, Heinz also launched a version reduced by **% in sugar and salt, followed in **** by a salt-free version and further reduced by **% in sugar. These products are sold at prices **% to **% higher than standard ketchup. For its part, Amora offers a variant with **% less sugar, made with ***% natural ingredients (***). In addition, in March ****, the brand launched an organic version based on Italian tomatoes, sold at a price **% to **% higher than standard ketchup.

Major players include McCormick & Company Inc, The Kraft Heinz Company, Kikkoman Corporation, Unilever, Conagra Brands Inc. operating in the sauces, condiments and dressings market.

1.3 A dynamic Spanish market

The Spanish sauces market continued to grow in ****, thanks to the attraction of the hotel and catering sector, while household consumption of these products fell again, as in the previous year. Household consumption of these products fell again, as in the previous year. Production, on the other hand, showed remarkable growth.

In ****, the sauces market achieved sales of *** million euros, up **% on ****.

Size of the sauces market in Spain

Spain, ****-****, in millions of euros

Source: ****

The sauces sector has been focusing for years on glass packaging for its high-end novelties and on healthier products (***).in this respect, the mayonnaise sub-sector, which is the second most consumed sauce in Spain, is the one that has opted most for healthier products in recent years. Another new development is the arrival on the market of sauces based on products from the recipes of top chefs.

1.4 Foreign trade in sauces

The sauces sector's balance of trade is positive , as sales always exceed purchases. In ****, exports were worth $*** million, up **% on ****, while imports were worth $*** million, up **.*% on ****.

For both exports and imports, the main product was ketchup and similar sauces: **,*** tons exported and *,*** tons imported. Other important imports were mustard and soy sauce.

Balance of trade in sauces Spain, ****-****, in millions of $ Source: ****

by country, exports were mainly destined for the European Union, while imports came not only from EU countries, but also from other countries such as the USA.

Main destinations for Spanish sauce exports Spain, ****, in Source: ****

Main origins of Spanish sauce imports Spain, ****, in Source: ****

2.1 Sauce consumer profile

The per capita consumption of sauces in **** shows different characteristics:

Upper-middle and upper-class households have the highest consumption, while lower-class households have the lowest.

Households with children aged between * and ** consume the most sauces, while households with children under * consume the least. If the person in charge of shopping works outside the household, sauce consumption is higher.

The **-** age group consumes the most sauces at **%, followed by the **-** age group at **%.

Distribution of sauce consumers, by age Spain, ****, in Source: ****

*-person households show the highest consumption of sauces, while rates are lower in single-person households and those with more than * members.

Distribution of sauce consumers, by number of people in the household Spain, ****, in % Source: ****

consumers living in conurbations of ***,*** to ***,*** inhabitants have the highest per capita consumption of sauces, while the lowest consumption is observed in small municipalities (***).

According to household typology, negative deviations from average consumption are observed among young people and independent adults, young couples without children and single-parentconsumption is highest among retirees, couples with children of all ages, and adult couples without children.

Distribution of sauce consumers, by status Spain, ****, in % Source: ****

finally, by autonomous community, Canarias, Cantabria and Murcia have the highest consumption, ...

2.2 Spanish consumer preferences

Meanwhile, according to data from the Ministry of Agriculture Panel, ***.* million kilos of sauces were consumed by households, *.*% less than in ****, for a value of ***.* million euros, **.*% more.

In ****, Spanish households consumed ***.* million kilos of sauces and spent ***.* million euros on these products. Per capita, this represents *.* kilos of consumption, down *.*%, and **.* euros of expenditure.

Trends in per capita consumption and expenditure on sauces Spain, ****-****, in euros/person and kg/person Source: ****

the highest consumption is associated with mayonnaise (***). Other sauces account for *.* kg per person .

In terms of expenditure, mayonnaise accounts for **.*%, with a total of *.* euros per person, ketchup for **.*%, with a total of *.* euros per person per year, and mustard for *.*% of total expenditure on sauces, with a total of *.* euros per person per year.*.* euros per person, while other sauces account for a significant percentage of expenditure, **.*%, with *.* euros per person per year.

Breakdown of expenditure on sauces, by type of sauce Spain, ****, in Source: Mercasa over the past five years, sauce consumption has risen by *.* kilos per person, and spending has increased by *.* euros per person, notably due to the recovery in **** caused by the effects of COVID-*, although a downward readjustment will take place ...

2.3 Demand trends: organic, natural ... and always tasteful

There are two types of consumer in the sauces market: [***] - those who are looking for simple, inexpensive products

those looking for easy-to-use, inexpensive products, those who want quality products and enjoy cooking.

The sauce industry is no exception to the trend towards organic, healthy and natural products, but these demands must be met without detracting from the taste and pleasure of sauce consumption.

More natural sauces:

Some consumers are paying increasing attention to the provenance of raw materials and the more or less harmful nature of certain substances (***). The rise of applications such as Yuka bears witness to this trend. The "industrial" aspect of certain sauces can put off some consumers. Manufacturers are tending to reduce the number of ingredients and focus on minimally processed products.

These include brands such as :

Salsa Espinaler: Known for its quality products and traditional recipes, this brand offers sauces made from natural ingredients. Salsa Romero: A brand that emphasizes the use of fresh, natural ingredients for its sauces. Casa Ametller : Offers natural sauces made with quality ingredients.

Organic sauces:

The boom in organic products is well established and is also affecting sauce sales.

We can cite brands such as :

Veritas: This brand offers a ...

3.1 Sauce market value chain

In summary, the sauces market can be summarized along the following value chain:

Sourcing: The raw materials needed to produce sauces, such as herbs, spices, oils and vegetables, are purchased from local and international suppliers. Production: Raw materials are processed into sauces according to recipes and quality standards. Bottling and packaging: The sauces are then bottled or packed in sachets or jars, depending on the format. Distribution: The sauces are then distributed to retailers, delicatessens, restaurants and other points of sale. Sales and after-sales service: Consumers buy the sauces and can take advantage of after-sales services such as recipe information and advice.

3.2 Spanish production

According to data from the Industrial Products Survey published by INE, industrial production of tomato sauce and ketchup reached ***,*** tonnes in **** (***).

Meanwhile, production of mayonnaise and other emulsified sauces reached ***,***.* tonnes (***).

Finally, ***,*** tons of other sauces and condiments were also produced, which the INE does not specify, for a value of *** million euros. The latter was significantly higher than the previous year.

Spanish sauce production, by sauce type, by volume and value Spain, ****, in thousands of tons and millions of euros Source: ****

more generally, the following chart shows that since ****, Spanish production of sauces and condiments has risen sharply, from *.** billion euros to *.** billion euros.

Evolution of Spanish production of sauces and condiments (***) Spain, ****-****, in billion euros Source : INE the sauces sector is highly attractive to large companies. The main companies in the sector include major international groups, as well as specialists in related sectors, mainly vegetable preserves and oil. The leading manufacturer of ambient sauces in terms of volume (***) is a canning company whose strong point is fried tomatoes, and which produced around **,*** tonnes a year in ****. The second is a subsidiary of a multinational, with an annual production of **,*** tons between tomato, ketchup and mayonnaise, while the third ...

3.3 Distribution

In terms of place of purchase, in ****, households mainly bought sauces in supermarkets (***). Hypermarkets had a **.*% share for these products. Specialty stores accounted for *.*%, e-commerce for *.*% and other forms of trade for the remaining *.*%.

Breakdown of sauce sales, by distribution channel Spain, ****, in Source: ****

4.1 Typology of products and players

Sauces can be differentiated in various ways, the most common being between cold and hot sauces.

Hot sauces are most often made with tomato pulp, purée, concentrate or coulis. There are also sauces made without tomatoes, using a variety of vegetables, such as pestos. These are mainly starch sauces (***), but there are also culinary base sauces.

The table above lists some of the most popular sauces:

Sauces can also be distinguished according to different criteria:

Culture of origin of the sauce: young people are particularly keen to discover sauces from different cultures

asian sauces - Chinese or Japanese in particular - (***) mexican sauces (***) kebab-type sauce (***)

Target audience for the sauce:

halal or kosher sauce

In reality, there are many ways to differentiate sauces: spiciness or non-spiciness, texture, special ingredients...

4.2 Price typology

The graph below shows the average price for each segment. We can see, for example, that the average price of ketchup is €*.**, mayonnaise is €*.** and mustard is around €*.**.

Average price of sauces, by type of sauce Spain, ****, in €/kg Source: ****

these prices rose drastically between **** and ****, whereas they had tended to follow a gradual upward trend until then. Between **** and ****, the average price rose from €*.** to €*.**, an increase of **%.

Evolution of the average price of a sauce Spain, ****-****, in €/kg Source: ****

4.3 Supply trends

The sauces sector is enjoying an excellent period, despite the country's economic uncertainty. Over the past year, innovation in terms of development has not ceased, with more selective preparations and new ingredients and flavors adding distinction to the product.

The long shelf life of ambient sauces, in particular, has increased demand for the product. Products such as fried tomatoes doubled their demand at the start of the pandemic. Other more elaborate, higher value-added sauces also formed part of this demand, being included in the consumer shopping basket during the containment period.

By category, most sauces grew in line with the sector average, with Mexican sauces up **% in volume.

Premium sauces

The product offer continues to be varied, with innovations focused on the Premium concept, on the development of new formulations with higher value-added ingredients, healthier and suitable for people with intolerances. In addition, exotic flavors continue to feature in companies' innovation catalogs.

In the business world, companies are committed to sustainability, which has led to the development of new packaging that is beginning to replace plastic.

Glass packaging

According to one study, half of all consumers have increased their consumption of glass food and drink in recent years, the main reason ...

5.1 Regulatory framework

Sanitary registration: Any company producing sauces must obtain sanitary authorization from the relevant authorities before marketing its products. This often involves registration with food control bodies.

Quality standards : Sauces must meet strict quality standards in terms of ingredients, production processes, food safety and labeling, in compliance with Spanish and European food legislation.

labeling: Sauce labels must include precise information on ingredients, allergens, nutritional values, use-by date or minimum durability date, as well as storage instructions.

Allergen control: Sauce manufacturers must clearly indicate the presence of common allergens such as gluten, nuts, soy, etc., in compliance with European regulations on allergen labelling.

Traceability: Companies must be able to trace all ingredients used in the manufacture of sauces in order to guarantee food safety. Accurate supply chain records must be kept.

Authorizations and licenses : Certain types of sauce, particularly those containing specific ingredients or considered to be high-risk products, may require special authorizations or additional licenses for manufacture and marketing.

Inspections and controls: Health authorities may carry out regular inspections to ensure that production facilities meet the required health and safety standards.

Preservation and storage: Companies must follow strict guidelines for the storage of sauces to guarantee their quality and safety, particularly with ...

6.1 Player segmentation

• Nestlé Groupe
• Unilever Groupe
• Grupo Helios
• The GB Foods
• Conservas El Cidacos
• Groupe IAN
• Ybarra Groupe
• Heinz Food Espana
• El Corte Inglés
• Alcampo
• Carrefour