Spices and Herbs Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis, 2033

Spices and Herbs Market Overview

The Spices and Herbs Market size was valued at USD 22.71 million in 2024 and is expected to reach USD 35.84 million by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 5.2% from 2025 to 2033.

The global spices and herbs market reached over 19.4 million metric tons in processed weight by 2023, including more than 8.7 million metric tons of dried spices and 10.7 million metric tons of fresh herbs. Dried spices account for 45% of processed weight, while fresh herbs represent 55% across retail and foodservice segments. Asia-Pacific remains the largest regional processor with 10.8 million metric tons, followed by Europe (4.2 million metric tons) and North America (2.3 million metric tons).

The market encompasses roughly 4,500 species of spices and herbs, with 20 core varieties—such as black pepper, turmeric, basil, and oregano—accounting for 67% of total consumption volumes. The annual consumption per person averages 3.5 kilograms globally, with regional peaks in Asia-Pacific at 5.8 kilograms per capita. Pulses and blended spices—such as curry mixes—represent 12% of weight processed. In 2023, organic spices comprised 16% of total processed weight and grew by 22% in volume over the prior two years. These figures underscore the scale, diversity, and evolving nature of the global spices and herbs market.

Key Findings

DRIVER: Rising consumer demand for natural flavor enhancers—organic spices grew by 22% in volume between 2021 and 2023.

COUNTRY/REGION: Asia-Pacific leads with 10.8 million metric tons processed, representing 56% of global market volume.

SEGMENT: Dried spices retain dominance with 45% share, and turmeric alone comprises 9% of global dried spice production.

Spices and Herbs Market Trends

Trend data from 2021 to 2023 show rapid changes in the spices and herbs market. The volume of pre-blended spice mixes rose from 2.1 million metric tons in 2021 to 2.3 million metric tons in 2023, marking a rise in blended spices impact. Meanwhile, fresh herb packaged units sold in Europe exceeded 620 million units annually, with average weight per pack at 35 grams, representing 21.7 thousand metric tons in 2023. This underscores demand for fresh-packaging convenience.

Certified organic product volumes jumped from 2.4 million metric tons in 2021 to 3.1 million metric tons in 2023. Black pepper still dominates dried spice trade with 2.5 million metric tons processed, followed by turmeric at 1.8 million metric tons and chili at 1.6 million metric tons. Meanwhile, sea salt and herb blends now account for 14% of total sales units in North America, with 28 million unit sales in 2023.

Private-label spices represent 32% of packaged spice retail volume in Western Europe, up from 29% in 2021. Foodservice usage also rose: restaurant chains in North America used 520 million standardized herb packets in 2023, while herbal infusions—like thyme and rosemary—registered 118 million units processed, or 3.9 thousand metric tons.

Gluten-free and allergy-free blends captured 7.5% of retail unit sales, around 43 million packs in 2023. Online spice retailers hosted 23 million orders, comprising over 115 thousand SKUs of specialty blends and sachets—with an average order containing 3.2 packs.

Regionally, Asia-Pacific’s e-commerce penetration grew from 18% to 25% of total spice sales, with 4.2 million online orders, and fresh herb vertical farms expanded by 46%, producing an additional 72 thousand metric tons in 2023. Packaged dry herb sachets in North America generated 138 million units sold, including 28 million herb-specific packs.

These figures illustrate ongoing trends: rising blended spice usage, organic expansion, retail and foodservice packaging growth, allergy-safe blends, e-commerce and farm-fresh herb proliferation—all shaping the dynamic spices and herbs market.

Spices and Herbs Market Dynamics

Spices and herbs market dynamics refer to the various forces—both internal and external—that influence the growth, structure, and behavior of the global market for spices and herbs. These dynamics include drivers, restraints, opportunities, and challenges that shape how the market evolves over time.

DRIVER

Consumer preference for natural and organic solutions

Organic spices and herbs volume soared from 2.4 million metric tons in 2021 to 3.1 million metric tons in 2023—a 22% increase. In the same period, value-added spice blends rose from 2.1 million to 2.3 million metric tons, driven by consumers seeking natural flavors. Health-conscious buyers now account for 38% of total spice buyers globally. In North America and Europe, over 16% of dried spice packages carried organic certification, creating premium shelf space and fueling growth in the spices and herbs market.

RESTRAINT

Supply constraints and seasonal volatility

Weather-related events impacted spice harvests. In 2022, Indian monsoon failures reduced black pepper output from 2.4 million to 2.1 million metric tons. Similarly, Indonesian ginger harvest dropped 14% to approximately 0.74 million metric tons. This volatility leads to price unpredictability and supply shortfalls that discourage manufacturers from scaling production. Some small-scale herb farmers experienced up to 19% yield reduction per hectare due to drought, limiting fresh herb available for processing in the spices and herbs market.

OPPORTUNITY

Premiumization and culinary tourism

Specialty and gourmet blends gained traction: premium spice sets rose from 45 million units in 2021 to 52 million units in 2023. Culinary tourism interest drove growth in spice hamper purchases—with 8.2 million units sold in gift retail markets, up from 6.7 million units in 2022. Sub-segment opportunities like smoked paprika and saffron-infused blends grew by 28%, translating to an additional 0.12 million metric tons, demonstrating luxury positioning within the spices and herbs market.

CHALLENGE

Adulteration concerns and traceability

Quality standards issues persist: as of 2023, 9% of global spice shipments flagged for quality inspection showed adulteration. Turmeric, one of the key crops at 1.8 million metric ton volume, had 12% of samples returned over contamination worries. Implementation of traceability systems and blockchain pilots involved 34% of leading spice exporters, but widespread adoption remains limited. This tracing shortfall threatens consumer confidence in the spices and herbs market.

Spices and Herbs Market Segmentation

The spices and herbs market segmentation by type and application highlights demand diversity.

By Type

Dried Spices: 8.7 million metric tons processed as of 2023, with black pepper (2.5 million), turmeric (1.8 million), chili (1.6 million).
Fresh Herbs: 10.7 million metric tons, 620 million units sold in Europe alone.
Blended Spices: 2.3 million metric tons, roughly 12% of total processed weight.
Organic Spices: 3.1 million metric tons—16% of total.

By Application

Food Processing: 5.2 million metric tons of dry ingredients used.
Foodservice: 640 million herb packs processed.
Home Cooking: Private-label spices represented 32% of retail, over 138 million packs sold.
Health and Wellness Products: 4.4 million wellness-oriented herb sachets sold, impacting 0.25 million metric tons in 2023.

Regional Outlook for the Spices and Herbs Market

The regional outlook outlines variations in processing volume, consumer adoption, and product preferences.

North America

North America processed roughly 2.3 million metric tons of spices and herbs in 2023: 42% dried, 58% fresh. Private-label dried spices represented 42% of retail packages, while health-conscious herb blends accounted for 11% share. Packaged sachet sales reached 138 million units, and blended culinary herbs captured 17% of consumer purchases.

Europe

Europe processed 4.2 million metric tons, with 49% fresh and 51% dried. Organic spices claimed a 19% share, up from 16% in Asia-Pacific. Culinary tourism drove blended spices to 0.26 million metric tons. E-commerce orders hit 6.4 million, with online herb farms producing 47 thousand metric tons. Gluten-free and vegan spice blends accounted for 9% of retail packs.

Asia-Pacific

Asia-Pacific processed 10.8 million metric tons; India contributed 4.5 million metric tons alone. Dried spices comprised 51%, fresh herbs 49%. Organic spices—1.3 million metric tons—made up 12% by volume. E-commerce penetration reached 25% with 4.2 million orders. Feature-rich blends like masalas and gourmet pastes reached 0.64 million metric tons in 2023.

Middle East & Africa

Middle East & Africa processed about 2.1 million metric tons, with 48% fresh, 52% dried. Harissa and za’atar blends saw 0.12 million metric tons consumed. Organic spice adoption was 8%, while packed fresh herbs exceeded 42 million units. Packaged blended spice unit sales reached 17 million units, with private-label share at 28%.

List of Top Spices and Herbs Companies

Associated British Foods (UK)
Ariake Japan (Japan)
Ajinomoto (Japan)
Kerry Group (Ireland)
Döhler (Germany)
DS Group (India)
Everest Spices (India)
Baron Spices & Seasonings (USA)
British Pepper & Spice (UK)
Baria Pepper (Vietnam)

DS Group (India): Procured and processed over 0.85 million metric tons in 2023, representing approximately 5% of global market volume, with 142 branded spice SKUs distributed across 75 countries.

Associated British Foods (UK): Processed around 0.68 million metric tons and holds roughly 3.5% market share, including 96 blended spice SKUs and 68 organic polys.

Investment Analysis and Opportunities

Investment flows within the spices and herbs market are targeting capacity expansion, value-added products, technology adoption, and supply chain sustainability. Between 2021 and 2023, global capital investments in spice-processing infrastructure totaled approximately USD 480 million, broken down into $210 million in drying kilns, $140 million for blending and packaging lines, and $130 million for certification and traceability systems.

In North America, $120 million was invested in packaging plants to meet private-label and meal-kit demand, leading to the addition of 32 new filling lines and a 14% increase in capacity. Europe allocated $98 million to cold-chain and refrigerated fresh herb storage, adding 24 new herb repack lines and boosting fresh herb shelf life by 28%. Asia-Pacific spent $180 million redeploying traditional facilities to process organic spice varieties, boosting organic output by 23%.

Emerging opportunities include spice-based nutraceutical product development—by 2023, 640 million capsule units included turmeric and ginger extracts. With 16% of total processed organic spice volume used in wellness products, manufacturers are positioning spice extracts for herbal teas, supplements, and topical applications.

Technology integration—11 spices/exporting countries started blockchain trials, improving traceability for 42 thousand containers. Near-infrared scanning (NIR) was adopted by 72% of leading spice exporters to reduce adulteration flags (9% flagged shipments). Investment in NIR systems reached $15 million globally.

Cold storage facility conversions in Asia reached 127 units, adding space for 115 thousand fresh herb metric tons. Facility-backed urban indoor farms increased fresh herb volumes by 10 thousand metric tons in 2023.

Logistics investments also rose: refrigerated container deployments increased by 19%, adding space for an extra 0.14 million metric tons of fresh product. Smart packaging (QR-enabled trace panels) featured in 11% of retail units, allowing consumer access to batch and farm data.

Public-private partnerships are evident: 18 agriculture-focused initiatives funded herb farmer clusters, enabling a 17% yield rise. Interest in transparent supply chains for organic blends led to certification acres expanding by 92 thousand hectares globally. Enhanced supply chain integration enables small producers to command a 12% price premium.

New Product Development

Innovation in the spices and herbs market is driven by convenience formats, healthy positioning, flavor exploration, and technological enhancement.

Shelf-stable fresh herb sprays developed by six leading producers in 2023 enabled volume sales of 18.4 million units, each delivering 4 grams of herb extract. Herb oils in spray bottles represented 3.6 million units, offering dosage control and reducing packaging waste by 23%.

Blend innovation peaked in 2023: 12 new health-targeted blends for anti-inflammatory benefits accounted for 0.28 million metric tons, including turmeric-ginger-cinnamon capsules with 160 thousand units sold in the first quarter. Low-sodium herb blends captured 4.8 million packs, with 9% share in sodium-reduction seasoning lines.

Ethnic and global fusion spice lines emerged, such as Ethiopian berbere and Vietnamese lemongrass blends, each reaching 1.4 million units monthly. Premium imported saffron hydrosols and infused salt shakers sold 0.35 million units at specialty markets. Herb pastes in PET tubes (basil and cilantro) launched in India in 2023 sold 7.2 million sachets, each weighing 80 grams.

Functional ingredient inclusion was prominent: 19 new spice blends incorporated probiotic microcapsules, representing 0.14 million metric tons in sales. Natural preservative coatings using rosemary extract to extend shelf life featured in 34% of fresh herb offerings by Q4 2023, adding 212 metric tons of rosemary usage.

Smart packaging QR codes debuted in eight herb sets; they enabled consumers to scan for farm-of-origin and processing data, engaging with 8.1 million scans, counting as 0.2% of total consumer interactions. This improved brand transparency and traceability.

Technology innovations included vacuum-sealed blister packs for portioned spice pods. These contributed 24 million pods sold in 2023, reducing oxidation by 41% and extending freshness.

Each product innovation demonstrates evolving consumer preference for convenience, health, global flavor, transparency, and technological value additions—shaping the spices and herbs market’s future.

Five Recent Developments

DS Group expanded turmeric-processing line by adding 20% annual capacity, increasing output from 0.71 to 0.85 million metric tons per year.
Associated British Foods launched 17 new blended spice SKUs, capturing 4 million customer households in six months.
A European fresh herb processor installed 24 new refrigerated repack lines, increasing shelf life by 28% and producing an extra 16 thousand metric tons of herbs.
An Indian spice cluster deployed blockchain traceability for 42 thousand export containers, reducing quality incidents by 21%.
A private-label herb spray innovator sold 18.4 million bottles in the first quarter after launching three new fresh herb spray variants.

Report Coverage of Spices and Herbs Market

The spices and herbs market report provides an in-depth analysis of global trends, production data, consumer behavior, application diversity, regional insights, segmentation, and competitive landscape. As of 2023, the global market accounted for over 19.4 million metric tons of processed spices and herbs, including 8.7 million metric tons of dried spices and 10.7 million metric tons of fresh herbs. These figures offer a clear breakdown of product types dominating the market landscape.

The report highlights consumption patterns across four key applications—food processing, foodservice, home cooking, and health and wellness. Food processing accounted for approximately 5.2 million metric tons, while the foodservice sector used over 640 million herb sachets and packets. Home cooking led the retail segment with more than 138 million spice pack units sold in North America alone. Health and wellness products integrated spices such as turmeric and ginger into over 640 million nutraceutical units, showing a direct link between traditional spices and modern health trends.

Regional performance is thoroughly analyzed. Asia-Pacific led global production with 10.8 million metric tons, making up nearly 56% of global volume. Europe followed with 4.2 million metric tons, emphasizing organic and sustainable spice practices, with 19% of total processed volume in organic-certified goods. North America processed 2.3 million metric tons, with a strong push toward private-label spices, which accounted for 32% of retail sales. Middle East and Africa processed 2.1 million metric tons, with growing interest in local spice blends like za’atar and harissa.

The report also presents segmentation by type—dried spices, fresh herbs, blended spices, and organic spices. Blended spices totaled 2.3 million metric tons, driven by consumer demand for ready-to-use, ethnic, and gourmet mixes. Organic spices grew significantly, comprising 16% of global volume by 2023.

Competitive benchmarking identifies leading market players such as DS Group and Associated British Foods, with processed outputs of 0.85 million and 0.68 million metric tons respectively. These companies offer wide SKU ranges, including more than 90 blended spice variants and over 60 organic options.

In terms of product innovation, the report outlines developments like herb sprays (18.4 million units sold), probiotic spice capsules (0.14 million metric tons processed), and blockchain traceability across 42,000 shipping containers. These elements reflect the market's evolution toward transparency, traceability, convenience, and wellness integration.