By Devane Sharma
The Growing Ready-To-Drink Coffee Market
Coffee consumption has been growing across the globe in recent years, even in cities where café culture wasn’t customary before. Apart from the cafés, the growth also stems from the ready-to-drink (RTD) coffee segment.
The demand for RTD coffee has been fueled by the proliferation of supermarkets, convenience stores and online retail which was further amplified during the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. Another factor is the growing demand for grab-and-go products as consumers return to workplace commuting. Coffee consumption is expected to grow, especially the at-home categories such as RTD coffee as a result of reduced average incomes1. Fortune Business Insights estimated the value of the global RTD coffee market was USD 22.44 billion in 2019 and it is expected to reach USD 42.36 billion by 20272.
Market Trends
Key trends in the RTD coffee products include a demand for localized flavors, lower sugar content, higher protein and fortifications with vitamins, minerals, and good fats like MCTs and Omega-3 fatty acids. There’s also growing demand for dairy alternatives such as beverages made with oat, almond or soy milk.
In the Asia Pacific region, the at-home coffee category has been dominated by economical “3-in-1” instant coffee mixes which are powdered formulations of coffee, creamer and sugar. However, supermarket shelves are also being stocked with increasingly premium options as consumers develop a taste for specialty coffee varieties3 like macchiatos and cold brew coffee. The RTD coffee segment is suited to capitalize on this demand while being affordable enough for mass appeal.
The increasing sophistication of RTD coffee beverages possess a challenge for food producers in keeping up with market demands. Added flavors such as cacao or strawberry powder, as well as proteins such as milk or plant proteins require robust emulsion functionality and stabilization. Tailored blends of emulsifiers and stabilizers are needed to deliver consistent products.
Challenges and Solutions for Food & Beverage Producers
A robust blend of high-quality emulsifiers and stabilizers are needed to provide pH and protein stabilization, reduce the tendency of creaming, fat separation and sedimentation, provide heat shock stability and ultimately, a full-bodied mouthfeel.
Renowned for its high-quality emulsifiers and other fat derivates, Musim Mas’ MASBLEN® range incorporates selected emulsifiers and stabilizers for beverage, dairy, and frozen desserts market segments including RTD coffee products. Our customized blends help food and beverage producers shorten product development while creating great tasting products for local market needs.
To help you stay ahead of market trends, MASBLEN® 5101, 5102 serves dairy alternative beverages and others such as UHT oat soymilk. With a superior suspension ability for plant-based proteins such as oat protein, MASBLEN® 5501, 5502 improves a broad range of milk coffee and tea applications, delivering a well-balanced mouthfeel that minimizes the astringency from coffee and tea extracts.
Innovation in this segment also requires careful application, rigorous testing and quality tests to ensure they meet the right specifications. Musim Mas’ R&D application centers, the Novel IDEAS Centre and KIM II are therefore built around the concept of “partnerships to co-create successful solutions”. Our product specialists work closely with food producers to deliver successful solutions.
Musim Mas also prides itself on sustainability. Having been part of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) since 2004 and the first palm oil major to be verified by the more stringent standards of the Palm Oil Innovation Group in 2019. Our MASBLEN® range is available with the right sustainability certifications for your market.
To find out more about how our customizable formulations can support your product needs, contact us at this link for our specialists to assist you.
2 https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/industry-reports/ready-to-drink-rtd-coffee-market-100285
3 https://www.euromonitor.com/article/asias-rtd-coffee-makers-introducing-cafe-style-products
