Europe Medical Foods Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Route Of Administration, By Product Type, By Application, By Sales Channel, By Country, And Segment Forecasts, 2022 - 2030

Report Overview

The Europe medical foods market size was valued at USD 5.6 billion in 2021 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2.9% from 2022 to 2030. The rise in the prevalence of chronic diseases, the rapidly growing geriatric population, and governmental authorities focusing on reducing malnutrition are key factors responsible for the growth of the medical foods market. According to WHO the burden of disease in Europe associated with poor nutrition is rising. According to Eurostat, more than one-fifth of the EU population was 65 and above, as of 2020.

The European Union’s (EU) declining birth rate and increase in overall life expectancy have resulted in an increase in the geriatric population, and will continue to rise in the coming decades. The majority of chronic diseases which affect the geriatric population are also on the rise, management of these diseases with respect to nutrition and the focus of healthcare practitioners has shifted towards medical foods, conditions like malnutrition or inability to utilize naturally occurring food to meet nutritional requirements also drive the growth of this market for medical foods in Europe.

Neurological disorders like multiple sclerosis, stroke, dementia, and Parkinson’s cause severe nutritional deficits in the patients, resulting in the need for easy to digest and administer foods that will not only complete the nutritional requirements but also be easy to use by patients, which is further strengthening the growth of the market for medical foods in Europe. With an increase in the number of infants suffering from congenital metabolism disorders and nutritional deficiency has also risen, infant-friendly medical foods are also capturing the market.

European Dietic Food Industry Association, IDACE is now known as Specialized Nutrition Europe is an association in Europe with 19 European countries as members are actively taking part in policymaking in and around specialized nutrition for the European population. According to SNE, almost 90% of Europeans will need specialized nutrition at some point in their lives, this suggests the growth potential of the FSMP industry.

COVID-19 disrupted the supply chain logistics of markets all over the world, but with the impact, the pandemic has had on people, there has been a sudden shift in the majority of the population towards leading a holistically healthy life. This has in turn increased the penetration of medical food products and has resulted in the overall growth of the medical foods market. The medical foods market is expected to flourish on account of increasing awareness around overall health.

Route of Administration Insights

In 2021, the oral segment accounted for the largest revenue share of 69.5 %. The growth in this segment can be attributed to the ease of this mode of administration and the preference of consumers as well. The majority of the medical foods available in the market are oral supplements which are attributable to the dominant market share.

Studies have shown that malnutrition induced due to certain medical conditions in absence of nutritional supplementation by medical foods, costs billions per year in medical costs. The rising awareness among practitioners and increase in prescriptions of medical foods has resulted in overall market growth. Enteral feeding, the fastest-growing sub-segment which is mostly preferred in specific need patients, can be due to the rise in the burden of chronic diseases among the older generation. This route of administration reduces the chances of contamination and has better results than the oral route resulting in wider adoption of this method.

Product Type Insights

In 2021, the powder segment dominated the market for medical foods in Europe and accounted for the largest revenue share of 35.4%. The growth in this segment is due to higher product availability and more portfolio product launches by the companies in the market. The current medical foods market has more powdered formulations catering to all generations, infants, and adults alike. Powder formulations of medical foods include pre-mixed meal replacements for adults, the formula for infants, and other such products which can be consumed easily by consumers.

The liquids segment has recorded the fastest growth in the product type segment of medical foods. The availability of liquid formulations is also increasing along with the new launches which are driving market growth in the sub-segment. Liquid foods are available in the form of nutrition shakes and protein shakes along with other food supplements.

Application Insights

The chemotherapy-induced diarrhea segment dominated the market for medical foods in Europe and accounted for the largest revenue share of 15.2% in 2021. According to WHO, more than 3.7 million new cases of cancer are recorded every year in Europe. One-fourth of global cancer cases are from Europe. The importance of proper management of cancer is high, more than 40% of cancer-related deaths can be prevented if managed properly. Nutritional deficiency in cancer patients is very common. Thus, management with nutritionally enhanced foods is highly recommended and has become a more frequent form of management, thus acting as a potential factor for market growth. 

The fastest-growing segment was diabetic neuropathy. With the increase in lifestyle diseases all over the globe, IDF projects an increase from 9.2% to 13% in diabetes prevalence across Europe. The majority of diabetes cases can be managed with proper nutrition through medical foods. Diabetic neuropathy has a prevalence range of 6% to 34% in Europe, according to a study conducted in 2015. The numbers along with rising consumer awareness are responsible for the growth of this sub-segment.

Sales Channel Insights

The institutional sales segment accounted for the largest revenue share of 41.8% in 2021, in the sales channel segment. The huge burden of chronic diseases that can be managed through medical foods has been a key driving factor for this market. The high market share for institutional sales can be attributed to the fact that the majority of key players depend on the institutional sales channel accessed via a group of representatives who provide medical foods directly to clinicians and healthcare professionals at clinics, hospitals, and care centers.

The fastest-growing segment was the online sales channel, this can be attributed to the fact that a vast majority of the population is becoming increasingly aware of proper nutrition to manage chronic diseases and for overall health. With the market size expanding for the medical food industry as whole ease of availability becomes a key factor for growth. There has been a paradigm shift in the sales for a plethora of products from physical to online stores and key players in the medical food industry are taking advantage of the sales channel to further enhance their sales numbers.

Regional Insights

As of 2021, the Rest of Europe (ROE) region accounted for the largest revenue share of 45.9% in the Europe region. The U.K. is anticipated to register the fastest growth with a CAGR of 4.3% for the forecast period of 2022-2030. This can be attributed to the rise in the geriatric population and the increase in the burden of chronic diseases, which has led to escalating healthcare costs. The British Specialist Nutrition Association Ltd. has been taking steps toward improving the current situation and estimates that the adoption of oral nutritional supplementation, a form of enteral feeding can save up to USD 131.8 million per year in England alone.

Key Companies & Market Share Insights

Key players in the region are focusing on expansion on various levels, expansion of product portfolios, and geographical expansions through mergers and acquisitions. Companies are focusing on specific products targeting specific diseases like phenylketonuria (PKU), congenital metabolism disorders in infants, and various other diseases. Some of the prominent players in the Europe medical foods market include:

• Danone

• Nestlé

• Abbott

• Fresenius Kabi AG

• Targeted Medical Pharma, Inc.

• Mead Johnson & Company, LLC

Europe Medical Foods Market Report Scope

Segments Covered in the Report

This report forecasts revenue growth at the regional level and provides an analysis of the latest industry trends in each of the sub-segments from 2016 to 2030. For this study, Grand View Research, Inc. has segmented the Europe medical foods market report based on the route of administration, product type, application, sales channel, and country:

• Route of Administration Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2030)

  • Oral

  • Enteral

• Product Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2030)

  • Pills

  • Powders

  • Others

• Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2030)

  • Chronic Kidney Disease

  • Minimal Hepatic Encephalopathy

  • Chemotherapy-Induced Diarrhea

  • Pathogen Related Infections

  • Diabetic Neuropathy

  • ADHD

  • Depression

  • Alzheimer's Disease

  • Nutritional Deficiency

  • Orphan Diseases

    • Phenylketonuria

    • Eosinophilic Esophagitis

    • FPIES

    • Others

  • Wound Healing

  • Chronic Diarrhea

  • Constipation Relief

  • Protein Booster

  • Dysphagia

  • Other Diseases

    • Parkinson’s Disease

    • Epilepsy

    • Pain Management

    • Other Cancer Related Treatments 

• Sales Channel Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2030)

  • Online Sales

  • Retail Sales

  • Institutional Sales

• Country Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2030)

  • U.K.

  • Germany

  • France

  • Italy

  • Spain

  • Russia