Kikkoman to boost supplies of soy sauce to meet expected surge in demand

Soy sauce is not only used in Japanese or Asian dishes but also in over 200 cuisines around the world. Perhaps less well-known is the fact that it is a key ingredient in processed food. According to a recent Innova Database report which covered information about new products and ingredients from 90 countries, soy sauce as an ingredient is used in nearly 90% of all processed food categories in around 70 countries.

These food product categories include ‘Sauces & Seasonings’, ‘Meat, Fish & Eggs’, ‘Ready to Eat’ and, perhaps more surprisingly, the “Snacks”, “Bakery”, “Confectionary”, “Dessert” and “Ice Cream” categories as well. According to a recent Euromonitor report, one of the key trends in the food industry globally is ‘convenience’. Consumers have moved towards more ‘ready to eat’ products. In 2021, the Ready Meal market in India showed an increase of 16%, reaching a market size of Rs 13.1 billion. In 2026, this figure is expected to surpass Rs 24.2 billion.

As the world’s leading producer of naturally brewed soy sauce, Kikkoman is currently meeting the needs of the food processing industry globally. As the awareness and demand for soy sauce grow in the Indian food manufacturing industry, Kikkoman India will make efforts so that the Indian food processing industry becomes more aware of the value and necessity of using its soy sauce as an all-purpose seasoning.

The soy sauce’s versatility has made it a key ingredient in many food categories – it can be used as a cooking ingredient, marinade sauce, base seasoning for vegan products, natural flavour enhancer for soups, salads, frozen pizza, spreads, ready meals for children and even to make vanilla ice cream more delicious.

To this end, the company has created a dedicated sales team so that food manufacturer embracing this new trend can use the soy sauce in their products, secure in the knowledge that their ready meals and other processed foods will be more natural and delicious.