Date Sugar Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Form (Liquid Date Sugar, Powdered Date Sugar), By Nature (Organic, Conventional), By Distribution Channel (Supermarkets/Hypermarkets, Convenience Stores, Specialty Stores, Online Retail) And Regional Forecast, 2024-2032

Date sugar is a type of minimally processed sugar obtained from dehydrated dates which are ground to fine powder giving it a texture like regular sugar but a bit clumpy. Since the whole dates are used for producing sugar, it is rich in antioxidants, vitamins, fibre, potassium, iron, calcium, and magnesium with extremely low-fat content. The growing health consciousness among the consumers owing to the rising incidences of diabetes and obesity has led them to switch towards low-calorie sweeteners.

The date sugar tastes similar to the brown sugar with a bit hints of caramel and butterscotch. Manufacturers are widely utilizing this for baking, preparing smoothies, and also for adding texture to meat products. Further, the date sugar has high fructose and low sucrose content, which is proliferating the demand for low glycaemic index food products.

The growing consumers' demand for natural and clean-label sugar alternatives that enhance the sweetness without adding on the extra calories is mainly driving the date sugar market growth. The wide acceptance of date sugar as a popular natural sweetener owing to its distinct flavor and excellent nutritional profile. Coupled with this, the rising consumers’ inclination towards minimally processed ingredients, also boosts its market growth.

The comparatively high price of date sugar than the regular white sugar poses a major restraint in its market growth. Along with this the lower dissolvability of date sugar in water and its inability to melt like granulated white sugar hampers its utilization functionality, which in turn also impedes its market growth.

Key Players Covered:

The key companies operating in the global date sugar market are, Al Barakah Dates Factory, LLC, NOW Health Group, Inc., Date Lady, Inc., Ario Date Co., GloryBee Inc., Bob's Red Mill Natural Foods, Inc., Elixir Foods Ltd., Barry Farm Foods, The Hain Daniels Group Limited, and Panos Brands.

The liquid date sugar segment is expected to hold a larger share in the market owing to its wide utilization for baking, confectionery items, and manufacturing beverages. This is mainly due to the higher dissolvability of liquid date sugar in food as compared to powdered form. Further, powdered date sugar is expected to gain significant traction owing to its lower price compared to liquid sugar.

The supermarkets and hypermarkets are likely to account for the major sales channel for the date sugar due to the consumers’ preferences towards them as one-stop shopping destinations for purchasing grocery products. According to the Food Industry Association 2019, the total sales of dry grocery products via these mass merchandisers in the year 2018 was 30.14%. This represents a major share of the global sales of dry grocery food products like date sugar, which is expected to boost its market in the forecasted years.

Regional Analysis:

The Middle East and Africa is witnessing tremendous growth opportunities in the date sugar market as it is the largest global producer of dates. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, Egypt is the largest producer of dates in world with around 17% of global production followed by Iran and Saudi Arabia. Further, in 2016, the combined exports of dates from the MENA accounted for $1.12 billion, which was 77% of the total global exports. Thus, the abundant raw material availability for the production of date sugar in the region is the main factor, which is expected to boost its regional market growth.

Asia Pacific is anticipated to observe a significant growth in the market due to the growing health awareness among the consumers and their inclination towards healthy food ingredients. According to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) the prevalence of diabetes in the region in 2017 was 80 million and is expected to reach 151 million by 2045. Further, the rise in disposable income and rapid urbanization in countries such as India and China consumers are willing to pay the premium prices for the date sugar, which in turn is driving the regional market growth.

Segmentation

Key Industry Developments

• In June 2020, Al Barakah Dates Factory, LLC., announced the launch of its 500g retail packs of date sugar for the consumers owing to their increasing demand for healthier and natural alternative to refined sugar. The product will be available to consumers in across 60 countries.


• In May 2020, Date Lady, Inc. a date sugar and date-based products manufacturer announced its expansion in the retail stores by getting placement in mass retailer Target, giving the company a growth opportunity to serve its consumers better.