Growth of naturally preserved pickles, marmalades and foods

Most processed foods including pickles and jams today are inspired from traditional recipes. Before the days of preservation and easy accessibility of fresh vegetables, seasonal vegetables and fruits were preserved in oil, sugar or vinegar to retain their longevity. As more consumers grow wary of the use of artificial preservatives, naturally preserved foods are making a comeback.

• The natural food preservatives market stood at $443.12 million globally in 2022.
• Demand for natural food preservatives is slated to increase at a CAGR of 7.1% from 2024-2034.
• India's natural food industry is projected to grow to $10.329 billion by 2032.

This growth is driven by many factors including:

Health Consciousness

Consumers are becoming more aware of the health risks of synthetic preservatives and are seeking out natural alternatives. With increasing awareness and after Covid-19, more Indians are conscious towards more healthy and natural alternatives to artificial preservatives. In a survey conducted by EY India, around 94% Indians are worried about their family's health against 82% globally.

Demand for convenience

As urban and rural families grapple with increasingly busier lifestlyes, they look for more convenience. The rise of packaged foods points to the same.

Market size of the packaged food sector in India with projections

Other factors

• Clean Labels: Customers have an increasing preference and are willing to pay a premium for clean labels without synthetic preservatives.
• Regulatory Pressures: There's increasing pressure from FSSAI to promote healthy and natural foods.

The growth of awareness, combined with the need for convenience and healthy alternatives are encouraging more consumers to shift towards pickles and foods with natural preservatives. At Bakhli, there has been an increase in sales due to the same reason even though there's a premium pricing. Bakhli's pickle sales are projected to be 2x in 2024-2025 over 2023-24.