Malt Ingredients Market Report 2026

The malt ingredients market size has grown strongly in recent years. It will grow from $24.15 billion in 2025 to $25.52 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.6%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to expansion of global beer production, growth of distilling industries, rising consumption of malt-based foods, availability of diverse grain raw materials, improvements in malting technologies.

The malt ingredients market size is expected to see strong growth in the next few years. It will grow to $32.06 billion in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.9%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to increasing demand for craft and premium alcoholic beverages, rising use of malt in functional foods, expansion of non-alcoholic malt drinks, growing investments in sustainable malting practices, increasing innovation in specialty malt varieties. Major trends in the forecast period include increasing demand for specialty and craft malts, rising use of malt ingredients in non-alcoholic beverages, expansion of microbrewery applications, growing focus on flavor customization, enhanced investment in malt processing efficiency.

The growing demand for beer is fueling the expansion of the malt ingredients market. Beer is a carbonated, fermented alcoholic beverage with an alcohol content of less than 5%, commonly produced from malted cereal grains, primarily barley, and flavored with hops. Rising disposable incomes and shifting consumer preferences are contributing to higher beer consumption worldwide. Malt ingredients play a critical role in beer production by imparting color, flavor, and foam, supplying fermentable sugars, and supporting the beverage’s nutritional attributes. For example, in April 2024, according to BeverageDaily.com, a UK-based online publication, small and independent brewers produced a combined total of 23.4 million barrels of beer in 2023. Craft beer accounted for 13.3% of the total beer market by volume, increasing from 13.1% in 2022. Therefore, the rising demand for beer is expected to increase the demand for malt ingredients over the forecast period.

Leading companies in the malt ingredients market are emphasizing diversification by developing specialty malts derived from non-traditional grains, including hybrid cereals, to reduce dependence on conventional barley, enhance climate resilience in raw material sourcing, and deliver innovative flavor and functional benefits to food and beverage manufacturers. Hybrid cereals are created by cross-breeding different cereal species to integrate favorable characteristics such as improved yield, enhanced nutritional value, and greater tolerance to climate variability. Within the malt ingredients sector, hybrid cereals contribute to improved sustainability of raw materials, better enzymatic efficiency, and the creation of malts with distinctive flavor profiles and functional qualities beyond those of traditional barley malts. For instance, in 2023, Boortmalt, a Belgium-based malting company, introduced the Atlantis Malt Series, a new range of malts produced entirely from Tritordeum, a naturally bred, non-GMO hybrid of durum wheat and wild barley. Malt made from Tritordeum offers high enzymatic activity and extract yield, low beta-glucan levels, and exceptionally high lutein content - approximately ten times that of wheat - resulting in a distinctive nutty, biscuity, and honey-like flavor with an amber-to-golden color. These characteristics make it suitable not only for brewing but also for distilling and other food applications, appealing to producers and consumers seeking functional, unique, and sustainable malt solutions.

In May 2025, LD Carlson Company, a US-based firm, entered into a partnership with the Malting Company of Ireland (MCI) for an undisclosed amount. Through this partnership, LD Carlson intends to broaden access to MCI’s traditional Irish malts within the US craft brewing sector, enabling brewers to source authentic and sustainably produced Irish malt varieties. The Malting Company of Ireland is an Ireland-based producer of premium brewing and distilling malts, sourcing its barley from more than 600 cooperative growers across Ireland.

Major companies operating in the malt ingredients market are Deltamalt, Cargill Malt, GrainCorp Limited, Duerr Malzfabrik GmbH & Co KG, Dobele Malz GmbH & Co KG, Honeywell Specialty Grains LLC, IREKS GmbH, Grupo Huerga y CIA S.L., Haas Malz GmbH & Co KG, Gerkens Malt BV, Muntons PLC, Gambrinus Malterie NV, Malteurop Group S.A., Barmalt S.A., Briess Malt & Ingredients Company, Imperial Malt Ltd., Dingemans BV, Crisp Malt Limited, Frey Malz GmbH & Co KG, Farmos Oyj, Eiselt Malz GmbH & Co KG, Ernest Grain Ltd., Minnaar International BV, Neville Maltings Ltd., Permalz GmbH & Co KG, Provital Malt France, Rehorst GmbH & Co KG, Soufflet Malt Europe SAS, Viking Malt Inc., Weyermann Malz GmbH & Co KG.

Western Europe was the largest region in the malt ingredients market share in 2025. The regions covered in the malt ingredients market report are Asia-Pacific, South East Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East and Africa. The countries covered in the malt ingredients market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Italy, Spain, Canada.

The malt ingredients market consists of sales of cereals, baked foods, biscuits, bagels, bread rolls, waffles, pancakes. Values in this market are ‘factory gate’ values, that is the value of goods sold by the manufacturers or creators of the goods, whether to other entities (including downstream manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors and retailers) or directly to end customers. The value of goods in this market includes related services sold by the creators of the goods.

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD unless otherwise specified).

The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.

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