95% of Germans use condiments/dressings, indicating that they are a staple in the German pantry. Traditional sauces such as ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise enjoy the broadest usage in a category where versatility and familiarity is valued.
Table sauces are regarded as an easy way to make a meal more flavourful by 75% of Germans. This will play an integral role in offering consumers a culinary crutch in their plant-based eating journey, in line with the BMEL’s 2024 nutrition strategy.
The Germany table sauces market (inc. vinegar) experienced a +19.7% price increase, driven largely by supply chain issues catalysed by both the Ukraine conflict (i.e. Russia/Ukraine supplied 80% of Germany’s mustard seeds) and the increased incidence of extreme weather events, which is affecting yields in growing regions of key crops (eg tomatoes).
Rising prices may not affect traditional sauces as usage is steady across all financial demographics, but they may limit experimentation of more outlandish flavours since 67% of buyers/users rather stick to products they know than risk buying ones they might not like.
Manufacturers can address this scepticism through culinary escapism, reinvigorating familiar hot/spicy sauces as an experiential category. Moreover, table sauces can offer ‘taste bud tourism’, allowing for relatively low risk flavour experimentation.
Expert Analysis from Mintel
Culinary escapism can help reinvigorate the relatively mature table sauces category. Mid-term, expect brands to shift towards more sustainable table sauce launches.
Adam Millward, Research – Mintel Reports
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- Key issues covered in this Report
- Market context
- Graph 1: condiment/dressing usage, by type, 2023
- Graph 2: average salt/sugar/fat content of table sauces per 100g/ml, 2013-23
- Mintel predicts
- Opportunities
- The competitive landscape
- Graph 3: retail value and volume shares of condiments/dressings (incl. vinegar), 2023
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MARKET DRIVERS
- The German economy
- Graph 4: key economic data, in real terms, 2019-25
- Graph 5: financial confidence index, 2022 – 23
- Government initiatives
- Culinary escapism
- Health & lifestyle
- Graph 6: average salt/sugar/fat content of table sauces per 100g/ml, 2013-23
- Graph 7: food and table sauce launches, by Nutri-Score inclusion, 2020-23
- Supply chain & sustainability
- The digital world
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WHAT CONSUMERS WANT AND WHY
- Types of table sauces used
- Graph 8: condiment/dressings usage, by type, 2023
- Graph 9: selected condiment/dressing consumption, by age, 2023
- Table sauce usage, by meal/food type
- Graph 10: condiment/dressings usage, by meal/snack type, 2023
- Purchasing factors for table sauces
- Graph 11: condiment/dressings purchasing, by age, 2023
- Graph 12: qualities condiment/dressings buyers would be willing to pay more for, 2023
- Graph 13: consumers who would be willing to pay more for condiments/dressings with health-boosting ingredients, by age, 2023
- Graph 14: consumers who would be willing to pay more for condiments/dressings low in fat/salt/sugar, by age, 2023
- Behaviours related to table sauces
- Graph 15: behaviours related to condiment/dressings consumption, 2023
- Factors which would encourage table sauce purchasing
- Graph 16: agreement with ‘I would be interested in buying condiments/dressings that…’, 2023
- Attitudes towards table sauces
- Graph 17: attitudes towards condiments/dressings, 2023
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LAUNCH ACTIVITY AND INNOVATION
- Graph 18: condiment/dressings launches, by top 10 ultimate company, 2023
- Graph 19: condiments and dressings launches, by launch type, branded vs private label, 2023
- Graph 20: condiment/dressings launches, by top 10 claims, 2022-23
- Graph 21: launches of vegan mayonnaise, by top 10 ingredients inclusion, 2023
- Graph 22: condiment/dressings launches, by selected reductive health claims, 2019-23
- Graph 23: condiments/dressings launches, by ethical-environmentally friendly package claim, 2019-23
- Graph 24: condiment/dressings launches, by packaging type, 2021-23
- Graph 25: condiment/dressings launches, by flavour component (inc blend), 2021-23
- Advertising and marketing activity
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MARKET SHARE
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MARKET SIZE, SEgmentation AND FORECAST
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APPENDIX
- Appendix – products covered, abbreviations, consumer research methodology and language usage
- Appendix – market size and central forecast methodology
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