WELLESLEY, Mass., Aug. 31, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Increasing use of yeast in animal feeding operations and ethanol production, plus continued growth of the product’s use in beer, wine, and bread production, is helping to fuel dramatic expansion of the yeast market. Globally, the total yeast market is projected to grow 7.1% between 2016 and 2022, according to a report by BCC Research. By 2022, the global market for yeast could top $10.7 billion.
While challenged by high investment costs and rising prices for yeast’s main ingredient – molasses – the yeast industry is buoyed by surging demand and low plant depreciation. Beer, wine, and spirit consumption worldwide is projected to increase in the coming five years, especially in parts of Asia and Latin America. The global beer yeast market is projected to grow by 8.3% annually through 2022, with Asia leading the way, according to the report, Yeast, Yeast Extracts, Autolysates, and Related Products: The Global Market.
“Most yeast manufacturers, large and small, operate in a challenging business environment,” said report author Andrew McWilliams. “In any process in which it is used, there is no replacement for yeast. At the same time, product diversification and differentiation is difficult.”
After stagnating for several years, global production of bioethanol is expected to increase dramatically through 2022, with commercially traded ethanol yeast projected to rise in market value to $264 million – a 16.3% annual rise. Globally, the market value of baker’s yeast is expected to rise by 5.7% through the same period.
Research Highlights
- Yeast is present in food supplements as well – particularly as a probiotic. The global market for probiotics is forecast to grow 12.2% annually through 2022.
- Many yeast companies in Europe and North America are represented by industry associations which lobby governments, though in other parts of the world small producers have little political power.
- International yeast companies may grow through further internationalization, while local players must exploit local conditions or secure cheap labor to protect their markets.
Currently, there are more than 200 companies globally producing yeast, but the market is dominated by a handful of large producers, including Lesaffre (the market leader), Lallemand, Pakmaya, Oriental Yeast, AB Mauri, Angel Yeast, DSM, and ICC.
Factors Impacting Growth
Price pressures prompted industry consolidation in the 1980s and 1990s and the shutdown of many small yeast factories, which concentrated global production into the hands of a few key players; this trend appears to be reversing. Although yeast plants are generally simple operations, investment costs can be considerable, particularly for small operations; as is typical for chemical plants, the economy of scale impact is large. The majority of currently operating plants are older than a decade, and maintenance costs are moderate.
About BCC Research
BCC Research is a publisher of market research reports that provide organizations with intelligence to drive smart business decisions. By partnering with industry experts worldwide, BCC Research provides unbiased measurements and assessments of global markets covering major industrial and technology sectors, including emerging markets. For more information about BCC Research, please visit bccresearch.com. Follow BCC Research on Twitter at @BCCResearch.