Brazil accounts for more than a third of the Latin American market and continues to be an attractive consumer market, with a well-developed, highly competitive and dynamic food sector. Brazil’s food importers are always on the lookout for high-quality, specialty food products, and organic, healthy and functional foods.
A SHIFT TOWARDS HEALTH & WELLNESS
Brazil spends over US$25 billion per year on health and wellness. Following this global trend, Brazilians are increasingly shifting to a healthier, more natural, and environmentally friendly lifestyle, due to greater access to information and fitness influencers.
Best prospects in this category in Brazil are products enriched with supplements, nutrients, and vitamins, products high in protein, probiotics, diet and light food, as well as organic items and high-value ingredients.
Once with gym closure, sales in protein powder took the biggest hit in the sports nutrition category, but creatine and glutamine showed great performance for their boosting immunisation properties.
Plant-based alternatives of high interest
Moreover, a trend that seems to grow from year to year is niche products like gluten-free, lactose-free, and plant-based alternatives for meat and dairy that seem to become the norm for the middle classes.
The Brazilian market size for plant-based items can no longer be overlooked as its creating competition for traditional foods and a plethora of opportunities for exporters. Nuts like walnuts, almonds, and pistachios are highly consumed as vegetable proteins are of high demand in Brazil, as well as plant-based dairy substitutes like milk alternatives, plant-based yoghurt or ice-cream.
Despite price-sensitive consumers, players in the market are excited as they see great growth in this segment.
RECENT IMPORT DEMAND & OPPORTUNITIES
Seafood: Seafood and fish imports have been constantly growing, reaching US$1.387 billion in 2023. There’s growing demand for fish and shellfish, including salmon and shrimp. The demand for premium seafood such as snow crab and salmon is also expanding, spurred by increased consumption in urban areas and premium restaurant sectors.
Cheese: Cheese imports in Brazil reached US$213 million in 2023 and come mainly from neighboring countries, Argentina and. Smaller manufacturers can top competitors as there is a growing demand for diversity and high-quality cheeses.
Coffee capsules: Foreign producers and distributors have a lot of opportunities as Brazil shows great desire to follow the Western world into the niche market of coffee capsules. Brazilians have a high coffee consumption rate that together with better economic situations lead to a gradual shift from regular to premium coffee. Young consumers are the engine of the market in their search for new experiences, innovative formats, attractive branding, competitive prices and origin information.
This sector is avid for investments and new market players, as there`s a positive outlook for both at-home and out-of-home consumption, with a portfolio of over 13 000 coffee shops, specialized and non-specialized, most relevant in big cities.
Wheat: Although Brazil is a major producer of cereals, as a result of quality issues, pricing and climate instability, there is a demand for higher quality wheat, to be blended with locally produced ones.
SALES CHANNELS
Brazilians seem to enjoy imported food, as supermarkets have sectors dedicated to these items. Around 80% of the distribution happens through retail stores, offering product diversity and country-wide coverage, especially in the most urbanized and populated regions like the southeast areas.
E-commerce, a growing trend worldwide, shows a positive performance and great potential but remains a challenge as consumers prefer to inspect groceries before purchasing and are concerned about delivery issues.
MAIN TRENDS THAT DRIVE GROWTH IN THE FOOD SECTOR
- Urban areas have higher demand for imported and premium food products due to increased disposable income and a preference for diverse food choices.
- Brazilian consumers are gravitating toward healthier food options, driving the demand for organic and functional foods.
- The robust growth of Brazil’s food processing industry is creating new opportunities for imports of high-quality ingredients.
ETIQUETTE FOR ENTERING THE BRAZILIAN MARKET
High-end consumers are usually interested in food from popular brands, that bring innovation and represent new trends, while Brazilian food importers look for new foodstuffs to stay ahead of the competition and enlarge their portfolios, by ordering a wide variety in small quantities to test the market.
Mercosul countries (Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay) remain Brazil`s main exporter due to the beneficial tariffs, however, the connection with European suppliers is well established, with negotiation as common business etiquette.
Imported food reaches shelves at a premium price category, which is a challenge for some consumers, but added value and innovation are perceived as a competitive advantage. Economic development and trade with the European Union intensified the Brazilian interest in premium and gourmet products.
Food packaging has seen two trends: a movement towards smaller, travel-size, packaging among products like chocolates, or water and also a trend of family size packages.
Manufacturers and distribution agents should take into consideration that customers are increasingly interested in transparency, and clear labels regarding ingredients.
Convenience is another main driver on the Brazilian food market. Busier lifestyles and a growing middle class formed an important demand for convenient products and connectivity in terms of distribution.
3 Food Importers from Brazil:
- Atlantica Foods
Address: Rua Jose Storani N 75, Conj. 501, Vila Virgínia, SP
Phone: +55 11 4586-1226
Website: www.atlanticafoods.com.br - Calimp Importação E Exportação Ltda.
Address: Al. Oceania, 85, Tamboré
Phone: +55 11 4152-6161
Website: www.calimp.com.br/ - Diza Importadora
Address: Av. Caf N. 236, Rio Claro
Phone: +55 19 3522-1720
Website: www.diza.com.br
To get access to a list of more active food importers from Brazil, you can access one of the BestFoodImporters databases.