34 SPECIALTY FOOD SPECIALTYFOOD.COM
2018 2019 2020
The rise in home cooking during COVID generated strong growth for several catego-
ries, including seasonings; fruit and vegetables (frozen); and beans, grains, rice –
dry (shelf stable). Pasta and sauce were big winners in 2020, pushing several
specialty categories into the top 10. Sauces, pasta and pizza (shelf stable) grew 52 percent
since 2018, and the relatively small pasta (refrigerated) category grew 60 percent.
Plant-based specialty categories fared well in 2020, building on total growth
during the last three years. Plant-based meat alternatives (refrigerated) was the
fastest-growing category overall, at 130 percent, and creams and creamers
(refrigerated) were boosted thanks to plant-based options in that category.
Early COVID surge shopping last spring likely drove more people to select
plant-based options when their traditional purchases were unavailable, opening
a gateway to new consumer audiences.
Does not include retailers' private-label sales, specialty food perishables (PLU or random-weight specialty items sold in a supermarket's bakery, deli, meat, and
seafood sections), or sales through online or foodservice channels.
Data may not equal totals due to rounding
SOURCE: SPINS/SFA
Top 10 Fastest-Growing Categories
130%
229
354
527
431
538
755
206
236
329
84
86
124
30
40
44
276
319
439
778
851
1,180
918
966
635
652
677
930
639
923
1,343
75%
60% 59%
48%
52%
47%
46%
45%
43%
Specialty Food — What is Selling Now
Plant-based
meat
alternatives
(Refrigerated)
Creams
and
creamers
(Refrigerated)
Creams
and
creamers
(Shelf stable)
Pasta
(Refrigerated)
Sauces,
pasta
and pizza
(Shelf stable)
Tea and
co—ee,
RTD
(Refrigerated)
Tofu Fruit and
vegetables
(Frozen)
Seasonings Beans,
grains,
rice – dry
(Shelf stable)
$1,600
$1,400
$1,200
$1,000
$800
$600
$400
$200
$0
140%
120%
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
%
growth
$
millions
