Starter Cultures Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Type (Bacterial Culture, Yeast Culture,Mould Culture), By Application (Alcoholic, Non-alcoholic Beverages, Dairy Products, Bakery Products, Meat & Seafood Products) Others and Regional Forecast, 2024-2032

The demand for starter cultures is increasing due to the demand for fermented and bakery products. The starter culture, in its activated. or deactivated form, is used to enhance the physical, chemical and nutritional properties of the food. It imparts aroma, flavor, texture and color to the food. The demand for starter cultures is increasing on account of the growth of the alcoholic beverage industry in the past few years. Bacteria, yeast and mold cultures are used in the food processing industry.

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) starter cultures are prominently used in the dairy industry for fermentation and for the production of probiotic, which are rapidly gaining importance owing to their health benefits. In recent years, some strains of lactic acid bacteria are being used for biopreservation. These LAB strains produce bacteriocins, which can prevent food spoilage by inhibiting food pathogens. Yeast and molds are used in the production of all types of cheese. Yeast plays a prominent role in the production of fermented alcoholic beverages such as beer, wine & distilled spirits. The demand for yeast cultures is continuously rising due to the increasing consumption of bakery products.

The rising trend of consuming foods having functional benefits is expected to fuel the growth of the global starter culture market. The starter culture industry is primarily driven by the demand for gut health-promoting foods such as dairy products containing probiotic bacterial cultures. The starter culture manufacturing companies are focused on the development of new cultures to enhance the quality of the end product. For instance, in September 2018, DuPont Nutrition & Health launched a new starter culture, YO-MIX M11, for extra mildness and creamy texture in yogurt.

The government regulations related to the use of microorganisms in food products is expected to impede the growth of the global starter culture market. For instance, in August 2019, the Thai Food and Drug Administration drafted new regulation as follows: ‘The products consisting of or containing genetically modified microorganisms which are capable of multiplication or transferring genes (for example, live starter culture) are prohibited for use as food.’

Key Players Covered:

• Döhler Group SE


• DowDuPont


• Angel Yeast Company Ltd.


• CSK Food Enrichment BV


• Sacco SRL


• Dalton Biotechnologie


• Wyeast Laboratories Inc.


• Chr. Hansen A/S


• Lallemand Inc.


• Lesaffre Group 

The global starter culture market is segmented by type, application and, geography. Bacteria, yeast and mold cultures are the prominent types of microbial starter cultures industry used in the food processing. Yeast cultures are expected to witness the promising growth in forthcoming years owing to its wide application spectra including the alcoholic beverage industry and bakery industry. Lactobacillus (LAB) cultures are expected to witness robust growth owing to the increasing demand from prebiotics and probiotics.

The non-alcoholic beverages sector is expected to witness the prominent growth. The demand for non-alcoholic beverages such as kefir, kombucha and, others is increasing owing to their health benefits.

Regional Analysis:

Europe and North America are expected to witness robust growth owing to the increase in consumption of alcoholic and functional beverages. The companies are focused on expanding their presence in European countries to cater to the growing demand for starter cultures market. For instance, in January 2017, DuPont Nutrition & Health invested USD 60 Million for the expansion of dairy culture production sites in France and Germany. Asia Pacific is expected to witness promising growth of the starter culture market owing to the rising demand for dairy products and ready to drink beverages.

Starter Cultures Market Segmentation Analysis

Key Industry Developments

• In June 2019, Dow Chemicals Company merged with DuPont, a producer of different varieties of starter cultures which include cheese cultures, meat cultures, yoghurt cultures and others.


• In May 2018, Chr. Hansan launched a line of starter cultures, DVS white culture that is specially designed for the formation of rich aromatic notes in Mediterranean-style white cheese.