According to the Market Statsville Group (MSG), the global Extruded Snacks Market size is predicted to grow from USD 54.3 billion in 2022 to USD 87.2 billion by 2033, at a CAGR of 4.4% from 2023 to 2033.

Extrusion of food is a process that pools numerous unit operations, including mixing, cooking, kneading, shearing, forming, and shaping; these are food processing techniques known as food extrusion. Extrusion cooking (HTST) has provided a means of manufacturing new and novel products and has revolutionized many conventional snack manufacturing processes. Extrusion equipment offers many basic design advantages, such as minimizing time, energy and versatility, and flexibility. This food extrusion process enables the mass production of food and continues with an endless and well-organized system showing the final product's homogeneity. Extrusion cooking includes versatility with respect to its ingredient selection and the textures and shape of the products that can be produced. The major benefit of the extrusion technique is the flexibility of this process for accommodating consumers' demand for a new product. By using the food extrusion process, manufacturers can save up to 19% on raw materials, 14% on labor, and a staggering 44% on total capital investment.

Increased demand for processed and hygienic food that retains food habits and urges for a balanced diet is further helping the global extruded market thrive. As urbanization expands, demand for on-the-go and instant snacks is frequently rising, paving the way for increased savory food consumption. Furthermore, food companies are also aware of the rising health consciousness among consumers. Hence, they are incorporating consumer-friendly raw materials, with a host of nutritional and several health benefits. Customers are increasingly transitioning towards more flexible, convenient, and light-snacking options, thus propelling the market growth.

COVID-19 Impact on the Global Extruded Snacks Market

The spread of coronavirus is a public health crisis and has posed a serious risk to the macroeconomy through the halt in production activities. The unavoidable situation leads to declines in trade and output. The extruded snack market has experienced an unexpected shift owing to the outbreak of the covid-19 pandemic. In the earlier phase of the lockdown, consumers' panic purchasing of food products caused high growth in the sales of convenience products across retail channels, including snacks. As per the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), grocery stores witnessed 99% increase in sales in march 2020, and it further increased by 25% in April 2020. However, the increasing health consciousness amongst consumers has bought a rapid reduction in processed and packaged food. The economies need to leverage emerging technologies and the latest advances in scientific research.

Global Extruded Snacks Market Dynamics

Drivers: Growing Popularity of Savory Snacks

 Food extrusion is a segment of the food processing process which helps in making uniquely and later bringing it to certain sizes, typically with the help of blades. Food extrusion helps reduce the number of microorganisms present in the food and eliminates natural toxins, making the food more secure for consumption. It improves the digestibility of protein and starches and destroys the anti-nutritional factors in food. Snack foods play a significant role in the life of modern consumers. Extrusion processing has been extensively used in producing RTE (ready-to-eat) cereal-based snacks as the snacks are easily prepared, can produce assorted textures, and are attractive to customers. Most consumers seek snacks with flavorful organoleptic properties. The growing popularity of savory snacks like crisp snacks, popcorn nuts, savory biscuits predominantly fuels the extruded snacks market growth. Consumer appeal for RTEs is forecasted to grow rapidly over the next 5 years as consumers demand convenient snacks with exciting sensory and textural properties. Different marketing strategies executed by the key players to enlarge the market also boost the market’s growth rate.

Restraints: Food and Nutrition Insecurity

Extruded snacks are usually high in calories and fat with low protein and fiber content and are commonly perceived as unhealthy food by many customers. Consequently, many by-products from food processing plants, such as vegetables and fruits, oil and fat, are available. These by-products cause a major disposal problem for the industry. The setup of such an industry includes huge initial financial investments and a careful assortment of various process factors such as moisture content, feed particle size, and temperature. They are regarded as energy-dense but nutritionally poor foods. However, there exists a potential to manipulate the nutritional status of extruded RTEs by altering the digestion potentials of starch and protein.

Opportunities: Accelerating Investments in Innovation and Development

The industry's rapid growth has established new opportunities for manufacturers to transform their processing technologies and contemporary product offerings. The rising trend of these products accelerates technological advancements in processing reduced fat, whole-grain, and preservative-free snacking options. Consumers seek protein and nutritional value in their food which drives the manufacturers to incorporate novel flavors and shapes into their product portfolio. Moreover, the post-pandemic has increased the adoption of automation in all operations, from manufacturing to distributing these snacks.

Scope of the Global Extruded Snacks Market

The study categorizes the extruded snacks market based on type, raw material, method of manufacturing, and distribution channel at the regional and global levels.

By Type Outlook (Sales, USD Billion, 2019-2033)

• Sweet
• Savory

By Raw Material Outlook (Sales, USD Billion, 2019-2033)

• Potato
• Rice
• Corn
• Mixed Grain
• Tapioca
• Others

By Distribution Channel Outlook (Sales, USD Billion, 2019-2033)

• Convenience Stores
• Hypermarkets & Supermarkets
• E-Commerce Platforms
• Other

By Method of Manufacturing (Sales, USD Billion, 2019-2033)

• Single- Screw Extruder
• Twin- Screw Extruder

By Region Outlook (Sales, USD Billion, 2019-2033)

• North America
  • US
  • Canada
  • Mexico
• Europe
  • Germany
  • Italy
  • France
  • UK
  • Spain
  • Poland
  • Russia
  • The Netherlands
  • Norway
  • Czech Republic
  • Rest of Europe
• Asia Pacific
  • China
  • Japan
  • India
  • South Korea
  • Indonesia
  • Malaysia
  • Thailand
  • Singapore
  • Australia & New Zealand
  • Rest of Asia Pacific
• South America
  • Brazil
  • Argentina
  • Colombia
  • Rest of South America
• The Middle East & Africa
  • Saudi Arabia
  • UAE
  • South Africa
  • Northern Africa
  • Rest of MEA

Hypermarkets & Supermarkets account for the largest market share by Distribution Channel

Based on the distribution channel, the market is bifurcated into convenience stores, hypermarkets & supermarkets, e-commerce platforms and others. Hypermarkets and supermarkets occupy the highest share owing to the easy approachability of various products. The shelf space allotted to extruded snacks is typically large, which is extremely useful for displaying a wide range of products. The range of flavors available for a particular product also boosts the market's growth. Another integral element that adds to the market's growth is impulse buying. Regular visits to supermarkets and hypermarkets to acquire different products have fueled the sales of extruded snacks.

However, the e-commerce platform segment is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Consumers prefer the online mode for purchasing these snacks in developed and developing economies. The online platform has considerably influenced people’s purchasing power by providing benefits such as doorstep delivery, simple payment choices, and the supply of a diverse selection of products under a single platform.

North America is projected to account for the highest market share by Region

Based on the regions, the global extruded snacks market has been segmented across North America, Asia-Pacific, Europe, South America, and the Middle East & Africa. North America is expected to witness the highest market share in 2021, owing to the high adoption of extruded snacks market in the US and Canada. The demand for on-the-go foods has rapidly increased in the last few years in the North American region. Consumer interest in convenience food products has significantly increased due to a large number of the population entering the workforce. Europe is expected to witness market expansion due to growing interest in clean-label, vegetarian, and vegan products. The South American market is witnessing high growth due to consumers' rising demand for processed food products. Innovative flavors like meat, sauces, and spices in snacks are becoming very popular in the region. In the Middle east and Africa region, the demand is boosted by the rising adoption of western food culture.

Key Market Players in the Global Extruded Snacks Market

The extruded snacks market is extremely cutthroat, and significant competitors in the sector are using tactics including product development, collaborations, acquisitions, agreements, and growth to bolster their market positions. Most sector businesses focus on growing their operations worldwide and cultivating long-lasting partnerships.

Major players in the global extruded snacks market are:

• PepsiCo
• Kellogg Company
• Calbee, Inc
• ITC limited
• Mondelez International
• JFC International
• General Mills
• Grupo Bimbo
• Lorenz Snack World
• American Extrusion International
• Pavan Group

 Recent Developments

• In August 2021, The Indian Company Bikano attained a license for India’s famous kids show character ‘Chota Bheem’ to launch a wide range of extruded products. This facilitated the company to widen its customer base. The new range came  under a sub-brand name called ‘’Fatax’’ includes Ringz, Cheese balls, Pasta crunch, Puffees and much more.
• In November 2020, A food technology startup company, ChickP Protein Ltd., launched a new starch that evolved from chickpeas. The product can be utilized to manufacture diverse processed foods, inclusive of extruded snacks. They had developed neutral-taste chickpea protein isolates that are both nutritious and functional.
•  In November 2021, Kellogg’s introduced its limited-edition mince pie flavor wheat. The cereal was packed with a smooth, gently spiced sultana center candied orange peel, ginger, allspice, and nutmeg, offering mince pie fans the festive touch to the Christmas season. This launch followed the introduction of Kellogg’s Apricot, plain and blueberry flavored kinds of wheat.

Key Issues Addressed

• What is the market size by various segmentation of the extruded snacks market by region and its respective countries?
• What are the customer buying behavior, key takeaways, and Porter's 5 forces of the extruded snacks market?
• What are the key opportunities and trends for manufacturers involved in the extruded snacks market supply chain?
• What are the fundamental dynamics (drivers, restraints, opportunities, and challenges) of the market?
• What and how regulations, schemes, patents, and policies are impacting the growth of the market?
• What are the upcoming technological solutions influencing market trends? How will existing companies adapt to the new change in technology?
• The market player positioning, top winning strategies by years, company product developments, and launches will be?
• How has COVID-19 impacted the demand and sales of extruded snacks market in the global market? Also, the expected BPS drop or rise count of the market and market predicted recovery period.
• Detailed analysis of the competitors and their latest launch, and what are the prominent startups introduced in the target market? Also, detailed company profiling of 25+ leading and prominent companies in the market.