Report

Global food coating market is projected to witness a CAGR of 6.15% during the forecast period 2024-2031, growing from USD 4.04 billion in 2023 to USD 6.51 billion in 2031. Factors such as alternative food packaging solutions replacing plastic packaging, usage of plant-based coatings rich in nutrients, popularizing trends of natural food ingredients, and their application across various sectors are driving the growth of the market.
Also, the introduction of clean labels increases the shelf life of the product and saves it from perishing, prevents agglomeration by the control of the moisture on the surface of food, adds crunch to the snacks, and enhances the taste and texture of the food. All these benefits further contribute to global food coating market demand.
Edita Food Industries S.A.E. announced the launch of its latest biscuit offering, Oniro Coated Lava, in April 2023, which is coated with chocolate. Oniro Coated Lava is sold by the company for USD 0.16 per pack. The launch had been aligned with the company's growth strategy to diversify its product offerings and deliver to the changing tastes and preferences of consumers.
In January 2024, Gron launched its latest offering, Tangelo, which are sugar-coated pearls. It is infused with cannabis. The product is available in Missouri, Arizona, New Jersey, Nevada, and Oregon. These citrus-flavored sugar-coated pearls consist of 50 mg of CBC in each package which provides an energizing effect making it an ideal option for consumers who seek a powerful and calming cerebral experience.
Chocolate Coatings to Dominate the Market
Chocolate coatings are dominating the food coating market over other ingredients like sugar, oils, and flours. The reason for the dominance is the versatility of chocolate as an ingredient, which can be used in a lot of products whether savory or sweet. Moreover, chocolate products are used in celebrations and gifting which makes the chocolate coated products a go-to option for consumers. Additionally, chocolates come in wide varieties, flavors, and textures which does not limit its usage as a coating ingredient for various confectionaries, snacks, and nuts.
Manufacturers are launching unique products with chocolate coatings infused with unique flavors. For instance, Haagen-Dazs, an ice cream brand, announced the launch of a unique snacking format in January 2024, namely, Chocolate Bites and Salted Caramel Bites, with a crunchy coating of caramel sauce made with white chocolate. The white chocolate coating creates a blend of sweet and salty flavors. Based on the same concept, the chocolate bites are coated with crunchy chocolate coating. The latest launch of Haagen-Dazs addresses to the surging demand in the snacking segment for the ice-cream products in the bite size which reflect a 69% hike in the sales over the period of past 2 years.
Plant-Based Coating Alternatives to Boost the Market
With the rising awareness of the environmental impact of increasing plastic packaging, consumers are shifting their preferences towards sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions. To cater to the dynamic choices of the consumers, manufacturers are innovating their products to serve the purpose.
For instance, Foodberry announced the launch of an edible plant-based food coating inspired and derived from the skin of fruits in August 2023. The food coating was launched to increase the shelf life of foods which are rich in moisture and easily turn stale. The brand launched its frozen offerings in Summer Fancy Food Show, which were in combinations like peanut butter and brownie, Strawberry, Raspberry and Peanut Butter, Peach, Mango and Almond Butter, etc. The coatings are made up of fibers, minerals, and phytonutrients which are extracted from the skins and peels of fruits such as apple and oranges. Thus, these coatings are healthy, sustainable, and prevent spoilage of perishable foods.
Snacks and Processed Foods to Drive the Growth of Food Coating Market
Snacks and processed foods are the backbone of the food and beverage industry. Snacks are preferred by consumers, for reasons such as taste, ease of consumption, and convenience in portability, as the consumers can easily carry packed foods. To enhance the flavors, texture, and appearance of the product, various food coatings are used by the manufacturers such as crumb coating for snacks, coatings of salts and oils for nuts, and other processed and convenient foods.
For instance, Wall's Pastry relaunched its range of large sausage rolls and scotch egg in January 2024. Wall's Scotch Egg is a delicious whole boiled egg enclosed in a sausage meat which has been coated with breadcrumbs. The snack offers a new concept to its consumers. Both, the sausage roll and scotch egg is available in the market since 8th January 2024 in the packaging of 100 g each.
Key players are using the opportunity wisely to market their products and launch various new offerings to cater to the ever-growing demand of the snack and processed food industry.
Increase in Shelf Life to Fuel the Growth of the Market
Food coatings are very important in the food industry as they help in increasing the shelf life of the food items and reduce the rate of spoilage. The food items have a limited shelf life and can be consumed until a particular period. The processed foods have added preservatives to extend their durability but the natural foods like fruits, vegetables, yogurt, and other types of food in which the preservatives cannot be added or the addition of preservatives spoils the taste of the item, the food coating is one of the significant solutions. The fruits and vegetables undergo a long distribution channel from farmers to consumers tend to get perished during the process, thus, food coating becomes extremely essential for the preservation of such items.
The coating minimizes the risk of the growth of pathogens on the surface of the food, helping in maintaining the quality of the food keeping its taste and freshness intact. The food coatings create a protective layer around the food which acts as a barrier on the outer layer preventing the moisture, oxygen and other external factors from entering the layer of the food.
Future Market Scenario (2024 - 2031F)
Innovations in the ingredients and usage of unique food coatings will be witnessed in the future. The key players are introducing innovative coating options with unique ingredients which are currently distinct in the market and have various health benefits too.
For instance, usage of skin peels of fruits and vegetables for the purpose of food coating, usage of healthy options are being used in the market.
Key Players Landscape and Outlook
Key participants in the food coating market are facilitating the growth of the market by focusing on technological progress, product innovation, and strategic collaborations. The manufacturers are actively innovating and adding the latest products to their product offerings to cater to the evolving needs of the consumers.
For instance, GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft launched the latest version of its CrumbMaster in April 2023. The machine is a versatile crumb breader that makes the application of crumb coating on the foods, quick and convenient. The CrumbMaster Gen 2, is being used by various leading coating suppliers which helps them in producing a wide variety of coatings of crumbs such as premium, standard, and fragile crumbs, which are produced in the most superior quality. The latest innovation by GEA has been developed to serve various applications like coatings for poultry, red meat, vegetables, seafood, and meat-alternative products comprising vegetarian and vegan foods as well.