Report

Global specialty yeast market is projected to witness a CAGR of 7.73% during the forecast period 2024-2031, growing from USD 3.06 billion in 2023 to USD 5.55 billion in 2031. The specialty yeast market has been majorly driven by its increasing demand to produce biofuels like ethanol and biodiesel. Other factors such as consumers' preference for processed foods, and awareness of beneficial properties of specialty yeast. It helps animals in improving their digestive and immune systems, natural anti-inflammatory, and anti-aging properties of specialty yeast enhance its utility in cosmetics and personal care items like shampoos, lotions, and conditioners.
The presence of chronic diseases and the aging population raise the demand for specialty yeast in the pharmaceutical industry, usage of wine yeast in the winemaking process, and use of brewer's yeast in beer fermentation, which helps in giving the flavor and aroma to the beer and rising consumption of gluten-free product which requires baker's yeast for the process of fermentation of dough contribute to the rising demand of the specialty yeast and propels the growth of the market.
For instance, Bluestone launched home brewing liquid yeasts in February 2023. The company announced that they will be producing and supplying live yeasts in liquid form for home brewers in a packaging of 120 ml product. Each yeast strain supplied by the company contains the nutrient solution of water which has been pre-sterilized, malted barley, amino acids, autolyzed yeast extract, and trace minerals. The latest range includes 10 offerings of their most talked about yeast strains. The company said the freshness of the product delivers a superior taste to the brews.
Bakers' Yeast to Dominate the Market
Bakers Yeast is dominating the market as it is used widely and has various applications. It is the most used yeast in baking to ferment the dough and bread which helps in creating a fluffy and tight texture. It can be used in various products, such as snacks, children's biscuits, crackers, baby foods, soft tortillas, and breads.
This type of yeast is sourced from the Saccharomyces cerevisiae species and is available in two distinct forms, namely, fresh and dry yeast. Fresh baker's yeast is moist whereas the dry yeast is a granular powder, which requires to be dissolved in warm water or milk before adding to the dough. The yeast, after being added, helps in raising the dough giving a porous structure to the breads and other baked products.
In January 2023, Kerry Group P.L.C. launched Acryleast Pro, which is an organic baker's yeast. It minimizes the level of acrylamide by upto 90 percent in the organic food products and boosts the enzyme activity by over two times than the previously launched Acryleast, which makes it more cost effective. The latest launch by the company has a clean label and is non-GMO.
Autolyzed Yeast to Gain Prominence in the Market
Autolyzed Yeast has been showing greater dominance in the market as compared to other types of specialty yeasts, owing to various reasons such as its applicability in baked products like cakes, cookies, breads, etc., to spreads and toppings. The nutritional value such as high levels of protein and vitamin B in autolyzed yeasts enhances its applicability and makes it an essential ingredient used in several dietary supplement preparations, fermentation processes, and animal feeds. Additionally, its prebiotic effects, applicability in enhancing the palatability of food, and substitutability for MSG contribute to its growing demand.
In January 2024, Lallemand Inc. announced the addition of its latest offering Whole-Lyfe 950 A to its existing product portfolio. The latest product is an autolyzed yeast which is a derivation of Saccharomyces species. It offers a unique flavor of aged cheese-like profile and is a perfect solution for delivering natural and cost-efficient pungent flavors. It is responsible for offering a complex cheese flavor, which enhances the saltiness and alleviates the complete umami taste profile in various products like ready meals, seasonings, snacks, and more.
Flavor Enhancement in Foods Acting as a Catalyst
Specialty yeast is one of the major ingredients used widely for the enhancement of the flavors in foods and beverages. They make the dishes delicious and help reduce the level of salts, fats, and sugars which make the food healthier. Key players have been introducing different types of taste modulators that enhance the flavor and palatability. The specialty yeast has a wide applicability in enhancing the flavor of various foods and beverages. For instance, it can be used to season snacks and foods like dressings for chips, soups, and seafood. Thus, the relevance of specialty yeast is increasingly contributing to the growth of the market.
For instance, in November 2022, AngelYeast Co., Ltd. launched a new brand to offer six distinct taste enhancement solutions including yeast extracts and yeast proteins. These taste solutions, namely, Angeoprime, Angeoboost, Angeotide, and Angearom are yeast extracts. AngeoPro is a sustainable vegan yeast protein and Angeocell is a yeast-based ingredient, offering enriched flavors in foods and beverages. Angeoprime enhances the savory taste, Angeoboost has a strong umami taste containing more umami and less salts, Angeotide being rice peptide yeast extract delivers a lingering taste, and Angearom provides specific notes of flavor.
Applicability in Alcoholic Drinks Drive the Growth of the Market
Specialty yeast is a natural and wild yeast, which is reproduced to obtain culture yeast. Culture yeast is used to brew beer and wines. Specialty yeast is widely incorporated in alcoholic beverages such as wine and beer for fermentation. It is responsible for converting sugars into carbon dioxide and ethanol into alcohol.
As different kinds of specialty yeast impart distinct characteristics to the beverage, manufacturers utilize specialty yeast to enhance the flavor profile and aroma of the end product. It makes a beverage unique by the addition of distinct flavors increasing its popularity and appeal to the consumers.
For instance, in December 2023, Fermentis launched SafBrew, DW 17, which is an all-in-one solution for the purpose of creating dry and complex beers. The specialty yeast has been used by the company in the process of manufacturing beer to deliver dry complexity and a distinct taste profile to its consumers consisting woody and fruity tastes. The blend of active dry yeast along with enzymes provide an attractive level of acidity, offering a relatively lower pH level as compared to other all-in-one range of blended products.
Clean-Labels to Induce the Growth
Clean labels are surging the growth of the market as consumers are looking for more transparent and natural food options without making any compromise on taste. Thus, key manufacturers are offering clean labeled tasty food options to cater to the evolving preferences of consumers. Yeast extracts and other specialty yeast products are a part of clean labeling which offer functional benefits as they are free from toxic chemicals, added flavors, preservatives, and fillers and are produced naturally. It is labeled as clean as it is the result of natural ingredients combined such as amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and carbohydrates, making it chemical free, animal free, GMO free, and 100 percent natural ingredients.
In September 2023, Biospringer by Lesaffre launched its latest Springer Signature SY101, which is a clean labeled yeast-based ingredient. It has a combination of smokey notes along with umami, which is obtained through the process of smoking. The flavor is ideal for consumers to enjoy in their foods which has been cooked through roasting, grilling, and barbecuing.
Future Market Scenario (2024 - 2031F)
For the longest time, the food and beverage industry has been dominated by fresh yeast, but a rising trend in the demand for yeast-based extracts has been witnessed. It is anticipated that the demand for specialty yeast and yeast extracts will rise more. To cater to the rising demand, the manufacturers are adding various offerings to their product portfolio along with the expansion of their production facilities.
For instance, in December 2022, observing the rising demand for yeast extracts in the food and beverage industry, ExtraCell Ingredients launched a high-end, in-house production facility to expand its portfolio and introduce its yeast ingredients which have been used by other industries in their products such as sauces, condiments, seasonings, processed meat, snacks, and instant meals.
Key Players Landscape and Outlook
Key players in the market of specialty yeast are helping in the growth by focusing on continuous product innovation, retail expansions, and strategic marketing. The manufacturers are actively expanding their product portfolio, increasing the base of the customers, and catering to their evolving needs.
A surging trend has been witnessed in the demand of yeast strains and brewers' yeast for the fermentation of beer. Key players are taking advantage of the opportunity and adding yeast strains to their offerings.
For instance, Lallemand Inc. announced the launch of LalBrew NovaLager in September 2022. LalBrew NovaLager is a hybrid yeast strain that delivers a distinct clean taste to the beers. This yeast strain has ideal properties for brewing beers which include fast fermentation, high flocculation, and attenuation. The product is an outcome of the research and development conducted in association with Renaissance Bioscience Corp. It is a hybrid strain of Saccharomyces eubayanus x Saccharomyces cerevisiae which is different from the Saccharomyces pastorianus strains. The hybrid strain requires a temperature of 10 to 20 degrees Celsius when producing a traditional style of lager. The product is applicable to be used for brewing Pale Lager, Baltic Porter, or even Cold IPA. Moreover, it has a clean and neutral taste with fruits. The product is available in a 500-gram and 11-gram sachet packaging.