Europe Animal-Based Food and Beverage Market

Europe Animal-Based Food and Beverage Market Analysis

The Europe Animal-Based Food and Beverage Market is expected to register a CAGR of 3.93% during the forecast period.

The animal-based food and beverage industry of Europe has faced several challenges due to COVID-19, which include price changes, supply chain disruption, safety, and other unanticipated impacts. Since Covid-19, health consciousness has been increasingly growing among the population of the region. In addition, the consumer behaviour towards animal-based food and beverages has been extensively changed in the Europe. For instance, in recent years, the volume of bacon exported from Denmark to European Union decreased overall. As of 2019, it amounted to roughly 47 thousand metric tons. In 2021, the export volume from the country to the European Union reached approximately 45 thousand metric tons in total, of which around 43 thousand metric tons of bacon were for the export trade to the United Kingdom.

Over the medium term, the growing need for convenience food supported by factors, such as busy lifestyles, changing consumer preferences, and growing demand for ready-to-eat food products (like processed meat and dairy snacks), are expected to drive the demand for the market studied.

Furthermore, innovations in meat processing technologies have led to the introduction of diverse products in the market, thus, ensuring a bigger consumer base. Cheese and pig meats are the preferred animal-based protein sources in the European Union, followed by poultry, milk, and bovine.

Europe Animal-Based Food and Beverage Market Trends

Increasing Demand for High-Value Animal Protein

According to Eurostat, the annual meat production, such as bovine, poultry, pigs, and sheep, has constantly been increasing in the European market. European Union pork production grew in the first five months of 2021, according to data from the European Union Commission. The European Union produced 1.88 million tonnes of pork in May, down 1% from April but up 5% (96,600 tonnes) year-on-year. 19.87 million clean pigs were slaughtered during the month, 5% (949,500 head) more than a year ago. This is due to the growing demand for protein-rich food, primarily driven by the rise in health consciousness among consumers, globally. The increase in the demand for animal protein and the growing consumer preference for low-fat and high-protein diets have led to a remarkable rise in the consumption of animal protein across Europe. This trend has been driven by the influence of ethnic cuisines across Africa, Asia-Pacific, and especially the Middle East being consumed in Europe. Therefore, this is further increasing the demand for animal protein products in Europe. The growing consumption of processed poultry and pork meat is expected to drive the demand for processed meat in Europe.

Germany Accounted for the Largest Market

The German meat market is already a saturated one as over the past 30 years consumption has slightly declined at times and has largely stagnated overall, at around 60 kilograms per capita per year. In 2021, there has been 53.5 kilograms per capita in which Pork remaining the favourite variety and accounting for 31 kilograms, followed by poultry (13.1 kilograms) and beef (9.4 kilograms). Consumption of sheep, goat and other meat (including venison) amounts to less than 2 kilograms. Also, hams are one of Germany's most favourite meat products, both the air-dried, cured, prosciutto-like 'raw ham' (Rohschinken) and the boiled, cured, pink 'cooked ham' (Kochschinken). Pertaining to high production levels of milk and other dairy products, Germany has been accountable for 20,9% of total milk deliveries in 2021. Moreover, Germany also depicts self-sufficiency rate of 133% as far as dairy segment is concerned.

Europe Animal-Based Food and Beverage Industry Overview

The most active players, such as Royal FrieslandCampina NV, Unilever PLC, Arla Foods Amba, and other few active players are among the most prominent companies operating in the Europe animal-based food and beverage market. The key players are embarking on mergers and acquisitions and product innovation as their key strategies to achieve consolidation, and to optimize their offerings. Moreover, these players are partnering with local players to gain dominance in the local markets. For instance: Royal FrieslandCampina NV has entered into an agreement with Royal A-ware for the production and supply of mozzarella cheese. In this partnership, Royal A-ware will take care of the processing of the milk and the production of mozzarella cheese in the new mozzarella production location in Heerenveen (the Netherlands).

Europe Animal-Based Food and Beverage Market Leaders

Europe Animal-Based Food and Beverage Market News

In April 2022, - Nomad Foods, launched an Open Innovation Portal that invites partners to share new solutions that could be scaled to help shape the future of food and support more sustainable diets.

In June 2020, Food Union, prepared more than 100 products featuring exclusive flavors, textures, and nutritional benefits to launch into northern Europe including regions like Lithuania, Estonia, Norway, Denmark, Romania, Belarus, and Russia.

In April 2021, Nomad foods announced the completion of its acquisition of Fortenova group's frozen foods business.