Overview
Global Gluten-Free Malt Extracts Market reached US$ 9.5 billion in 2022 and is expected to reach US$ 14.3 billion by 2030, growing with a CAGR of 5.2% during the forecast period 2023-2030.
Malt extracts are significant ingredients used in the food and beverage industry for their improved properties of enhancing the production of various products. The increasing cases of gluten intolerance demand the need for gluten-free categories in every sector of malt extract used. Regular sources of malt extracts such as wheat and barley are replaced with sorghum and rice-sourced malt extract that serve as gluten-free.
The advancements in gluten-free malt extract processing expand the market size. The improvements in malt extraction processing methods, such as using vacuum drying to produce malt extract powder, drive the market growth. Further, the growth in the gluten-free beer and food products market positively impacts the market growth, due to its increased demand in the field.
The increasing support and encouragement from government organizations with the launch of new products improves consumer awareness about the products and helps expand the market globally. For instance, in April 2002, the Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority introduced ready-to-eat gluten-free millet products, including biscuits and millet malts.
Dynamics
Increasing Cases of Gluten Intolerance
Gluten intolerance cases have been increasing recently. The Gluten Intolerance Group estimated that 1 % of the global population has celiac disease. Similarly, according to the World Population Review 2023, North Africa reported the highest rates of celiac disease. Further, in Finland, 2.5 % of the adult population is diagnosed with celiac disease, whereas approximately 1 % of children are expected to suffer from the same.
Wheat and barley are the widely used malt extract in various industrial applications. The National Institute of Health estimates wheat has 75-80% gluten protein. Likewise, the gluten content of around 7.2 g/100g is present in barley. Gluten intolerance exhibits mild to severe symptoms, including gastrointestinal issues, anaemia and osteoporosis. With the increasing gluten sensitivity among the global population, the demand for gluten-free malt extracts from rice and sorghum is rapidly increasing, driving the market growth.
Increasing Applications of Gluten-Free Malt Extracts in Various Industries
The increasing applications of gluten-free malt extracts in the food, beverage and cosmetic industries expand the market growth. The high starch content and enzyme activity of the malt increase its applications in the processing of the products. They serve as browning and flavoring agents. The coloring and sweetening properties of malt extract drive their use in industrial applications.
Increasing collaborations and partnerships among the market players helps increase market size. For instance, in January 2022, Golden Malt Ltd, a germination technology developer, announced the collaboration with Food Fram, a food and agricultural products company. The collaboration benefited in introducing a probiotic, BARLEYmax and a naturally gluten-free kebari barley into the North European market. The products have applications in the bakery and beverage industries, including the production of beer malt products.
Gluten-free malt is gaining popularity in the nutrition and nutraceutical industry, expanding the market growth. For instance, in June 2023, Activist, a health and wellness provider, launched Malt HB spread, a nutrition supplement, for overall health enhancement. The product is produced with gluten-free malt extract and other essential nutrients to support a person’s health.
Limited Availability and High Costs of Gluten-Free Malt Extracts
Gluten-free malt extracts are obtained from grains like sorghum and rice. These grains are low availability compared to that of wheat and barley. According to USDA, the total sorghum production worldwide accounted for about 56,159 MT, whereas barley accounted for 151,676 MT. The low production rates lead to reduced raw material availability for the processing of gluten-free malt extracts.
The low availability results in the high costs of the raw material, increasing their prices compared to wheat and barley. In addition, the extraction of gluten-free malt extract requires specialised ingredients and processing equipment, adding more production costs to the manufacturers and increasing the product’s price. The high cost of gluten-free malt extracts compared to conventional ones restrains the market growth.

Segment Analysis
The global gluten-free malt extracts market is segmented based on grain, form, application and region.
High Demand for Gluten-Free Malt in Alcoholic Beverage Industry
The global gluten-free malt extracts market is segmented based on application into food, beverages, nutraceuticals, cosmetics and others. The beverage segment accounted for the largest share. Malt and malt extract are the key ingredients in the beverage industry for the production of beers and lagers.
With the increased focus on the rising gluten-intolerance cases, the demand for gluten-free malt extract for its application in beer and other beverages is increasing rapidly. The use of rice and sorghum malt extracts to replace wheat and barley in beverage production is growing. For instance, in December 2022, Bira 91, a beer manufacturer, launched Bira 91 RISE, a premium rice strong lager in India. The beer is produced from the local rice malt collected from India.
The new product launches from the manufacturers drive the segment growth. For instance, in March 2021, Drifters Breweries, a company that produces the experience of Eastern Europe hand-crafted beer, introduced their new and unique LBW lager produced using rice and bajra. The high-carbonated, light-colored beverage is gluten-free and made of rice and bajra grain malt.
Geographical Penetration
Increasing Demand for the Gluten-Free Products in North America
North America dominated the global gluten-free malt extract market. About 6% of the U.S. is gluten intolerant, according to the Cleveland Clinic Organization. Likewise, according to NIH, 1.9 % of Canadians are gluten intolerant. The increasing health concerns of gluten intolerance in this region drive consumer interest towards gluten-free products.
U.S., Canada and Mexico are leading the market in this region with the high demand for gluten-free products. Malt extracts are used in food and beverage industries for applications in cookies, alcoholic beverages and other products. The rising alcohol socialisation and gluten-intolerance cases have increased demand for gluten-free beer and alcoholic beverages.
The Canadian government reports that more than 1,100 breweries are present in the country as of 2022. Malt has increased applications in the breweries. The high demand for manufacturers is replacing wheat and barley malts with gluten-free malt extracts of rice and sorghum, in various applications, driving market growth. The organisation’s desirable initiatives and initiatives, including the US FDA, improve the penetration of the gluten-free market in this region, positively affecting the target market.

Competitive Landscape
The major global players in the market include Colorado Malting Company, Senson, Briess Malt & Ingredients, The Malt Company, Nexus Ingredients, Clean Barks, ESBrewing, Gulshan Polyols Limited, Clearspring and Doehler GmbH.

COVID-19 Impact Analysis
The gluten-free malt extract market faced a mixed impact at the global level. The government’s sudden lockdown declarations had a bad impact on the production and distribution facilities of the market. The halt in supply chain activities interrupted the production processes at the industrial level.
The raw material shortages and labor unavailability reduced the production of the malt extract, decreasing the availability of ingredients to various food and beverage industries that use gluten-free malt as an essential ingredient. The lift down of lockdown restrictions and allowance of production activities with controlled conditions gave relief to the manufacturers.
On the other hand, the increased health awareness among people and improved knowledge regarding the benefits of gluten-free ingredients, increased the demand for the market, due to hype in the gluten-free products demand. In addition, the increased use, accessibility and popularity of the e-commerce sector and the wide availability of these products in online sales increased the market demand.
Russia- Ukraine War Impact
The Russia-Ukraine war had a negative impact on many industrial sectors, including food and beverage. The gluten-free malt extracts market had to go through a delay in the production and distribution activities due to the disruption in the global supply chain activities. The market faced several challenges from raw materials sourcing to the delivery of the final product to the end-user and the halt in the trade channels.
By Grain


    • Millet
    • Buckwheat
    • Rice
    • Sorghum
    • Corn


By Form


  • • Powder
    • Liquid


By Application


  • • Food
    • Beverage
    • Nutraceuticals
    • Cosmetic
    • Others


By Region


  • • North America


o U.S.
o Canada
o Mexico


  • • Europe


o Germany
o UK
o France
o Italy
o Russia
o Rest of Europe


  • • South America


o Brazil
o Argentina
o Rest of South America


  • • Asia-Pacific


o China
o India
o Japan
o Australia
o Rest of Asia-Pacific


  • • Middle East and Africa


Key Developments


  • • In June 2023, Grouse Malt House, a gluten-free grain-based millet malt producer, announced the partnership with Gluten Free Home Brewing to release a new and innovative product line of gluten-free malt.
    • In September 2021, TW BAYS Brewing Co, an Australian gluten-free brewery, introduced gluten-free beer prepared from sorghum and rice malts.
    • In September 2020, Malt Products Corp., a global manufacturer and distributor of natural sweeteners, expanded their company’s product profile by introducing gluten-free oat extract in their OatRite portfolio.


Why Purchase the Report?


  • • To visualize the global gluten-free malt extracts market segmentation based on grain, form, application and region, as well as understand key commercial assets and players.
    • Identify commercial opportunities by analyzing trends and co-development.
    • Excel data sheet with numerous data points of gluten-free malt extracts market-level with all segments.
    • PDF report consists of a comprehensive analysis after exhaustive qualitative interviews and an in-depth study.
    • Product mapping available as excel consisting of key products of all the major players.


The global gluten-free malt extracts market report would provide approximately 61 tables, 61 figures and 210 Pages.
Target Audience 2023


  • • Manufacturers/ Buyers
    • Industry Investors/Investment Bankers
    • Research Professionals
    • Emerging Companies