Liquid Smoke is emerging as a Clean Label Taste and Preservation Solution

The process of food preservation, especially meat, through smoking has been around for centuries. Smoking dehydrates the meat and forms an acidic layer that prevents bacteria from growing. It is considered as one of the best ways to keep all the essential protein safely preserved for consumption.

Traditionally, smoke was generated only by burning hardwoods and transferred the smoke phase to a smokehouse and meat products. But now-a-days, another type of smoke is available such as liquid smoke. It is a water soluble substance that is used as a substitute for adding flavor as well as preserving food products. It can be used in meat processing in a number of ways like atomization, immersion, spray, injection, pretreated casings, and so on. Though atomization is similar to traditional smoking, it is faster and more consistent.

Moreover, it must be noted that liquid smoke is considerably safer than cooking with actual smoke because all unwanted compounds are filtered out, such as carcinogenic pathogens, phenolic derivatives (hydrocarbons), that can cause cancer. Liquid smokes often come in a range of flavors, with hickory and mesquite being the most popular. Addition of a few drops of liquid smoke to meats and vegetables can give a slight smoky flavor without the use of a smoker or griller.

According to a report published by Allied Market Research, the liquid smoke market size is projected to reach $125.7 million with a considerable CAGR from 2021 to 2030. Europe is currently holding the highest market share. The Asia-Pacific region, on the other hand, is witnessing the fastest growth rate, owing to rapid change in lifestyle and food habits of consumers in this region.

However, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic led to impact the growth of the global liquid smoke market negatively. The implementation of lockdown resulted to temporary closure to production facilities, unavailability of raw materials, and disruptions in the supply chain, which in turn, affected the market growth to some extent. As the retail sector including all hypermarkets & supermarkets was also closed temporarily, especially in the initial period, the sales of liquid smoke were significantly reduced in 2020.

Nevertheless, rise in consumption of processed meats and smoked vegan foods around the world is driving the growth of the global liquid smoke market. Surge in popularity of smoked food due to rise in exchange of food culture through social media and travel is boosting the growth of the market even more.

Furthermore, improved retail infrastructures in the developing countries have sequentially increased the availability of packaged food products such as sauces, marinades, condiments, hot dogs, etc. At the same time, free home delivery and different promotional offers has encouraged people all around the globe to experiment with different foods and flavors. These factors have contributed to the growth of the global liquid smoke market in more than one way. Here, it is worth mentioning that the global liquid smoke market is definitely going to gather huge growth prospects in the near future.

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