Key messages

• The growing demand for oat-based products in Asia, driven by health and wellness trends, presents significant growth opportunities for the Western Australian oat industry.
• Health, convenience and product integrity are the most common claims on food labels in Asian markets. Sustainability claims are emerging in some markets.
• Insights into new product offerings entering the market and labelling trends can assist in the development of new initiatives that use the unique characteristics of WA oats to capture market share and establish a strong brand presence in key Asian markets.

Aims

Investments in oat manufacturing and infrastructure in Australia are creating new opportunities for Australian raw and processed oat products. These developments enhance Australia's capacity to meet rising global demand for high-quality oat-based products. This research, an investment of the Western Australian Government through the Processed Oats Partnership (POP), analyses new oat product offerings and labelling practices, and reviews branding strategies for oat-based products in key Asian markets. By examining the role of food labelling and brand positioning, the research provides insights into emerging trends and market demands. The findings will assist the oat industry in aligning consumer drivers and expectations with its targeted products and associated marketing strategies, enabling it to capture and expand its share in high-potential markets, particularly in Asia.

Introduction

The global demand for oat products has experienced consistent growth in recent years, driven by the rising focus on health and wellness, changing dietary preferences, and a growing awareness of versatility of oats in food and beverage applications (Tomar and Prabha, 2024; Singh et al 2025). Australia produces high-quality oats, with WA contributing significantly to the country's exportable surplus  Australia also produces a range of oat-based products, such as instant oats, oat milk, and functional snacks. This positions Australia to tap into emerging opportunities in high-growth international markets, particularly in Asia, where consumer interest in healthy and sustainable food options is increasing (ABARES, 2021). Understanding the evolving trends in these markets, including the types of oat products available and the way they are branded will be helpful in guiding future market strategies.

Food labelling is a powerful tool for communicating key product attributes to consumers, such as health claims, nutritional content, ingredients, and production methods, which are increasingly important in purchase decisions (Priya and Alur, 2023). Transparent and strategically crafted label claims allow manufacturers and distributors to differentiate their products in competitive markets and build consumer trust. Labelling strategies highlighting unique selling points for the Australian oat industry can drive consumer interest and brand loyalty. Furthermore, compliance with international regulatory standards ensures credibility and minimises legal risks. The Australian oat industry can strengthen its global position, foster long-term growth, and meet the demands of consumers.

Method

This study examined the introduction of new products that contain oats,  across 16 Asian countries over the last 20 years (2004–2024), focusing on new products that contain oats. We used the Mintel's Global New Products Database (GNPD) to count the annual new oat products released in the following categories: Baby Food, Bakery, Breakfast Cereals, Dairy Alternatives, Meals & Meal Centres, Processed Fish, Meat & Egg Products, Side Dishes, and Snacks. Product releases, diversity in labelling claims, and branding were analysed. Mintel data includes information from different sales channels including retailer, supermarkets and E-commerce websites.

Labelling claims were grouped into six categories and claim categories described here have been developed by AEGIC for use in this study as a means of pooling claims made on a wide range of oat product labels:

(i) Convenient, focusing on ease of use and practical benefits.

(ii) Health and Nutritional, emphasising health benefits or specific nutritional content.

(iii) Product integrity, ensuring traceability and product integrity.

(iv) Religious or Philosophical, addressing dietary or ethical compliance related to beliefs.

(v) Environmental or Sustainability Practices, highlighting eco-friendliness or sustainable production.

(vi) Ethical, showcasing a commitment to ethical sourcing and production.

By analysing these claims across different markets and timeframes, we inferred shifts in consumer preferences and branding approaches.

Results

Oats product availability, diversity, and Australian-made products in Asian markets

Mintel data showed that around 16,400 new products containing oats were introduced to the 16 Asian markets over the past 20 years. New products, new varieties, or range extensions comprised 75% of the product releases 20% featured new packaging, and 5% were product relaunches. We segmented the markets based on number of releases into three categories as in Table 1. The increasing number of new oat products released over time highlights the growing market demand for oats in Asia.

Table 1. The categories of new product releases in Asian markets

Assuming the past trends continue, there will be substantial product releases mostly in China and India with continued growth in other Asian markets (see Figure 1). The degree of annual new product launches in Asian markets are diverse.

Figure 1. Forecast average annual new oat product launches (2024 to 2028, AEGIC projections)

The distribution of new-release product categories across markets in different stages of product releases in Asian markets shows minimal variation (see Figure 2). Breakfast cereals, bakery items, and snacks continue to dominate, accounting for about 90% of the new product releases, reflecting the traditional uses of oats. Products such as dairy alternatives like oat milk, ready-to-eat meals/meal kits, oat-based side dishes (oat rice, oat pasta, oat noodles), and oat meat substitutes are nevertheless gaining traction in all markets. Notably, markets with low product releases that began introducing oat products since 2014 have exhibited similar product distributions to those markets with high and medium product releases. This suggests that all markets have similar trends.

Figure 2. Product share by categories (Source: Author’s calculation, Mintel, 2024)

The new oat products in Asian markets are either domestically manufactured or imported. China is the largest oat product manufacturer in Asia. Both domestically produced and imported raw and processed oats are available for use by Chinese manufacturers. However, anecdotal information indicates strong preference for imported high quality oats for food products with the oats imported mostly from Australia.

India, Japan, Malaysia, and Taiwan also have oat product manufacturing, predominantly using imported processed oats. Australia's key markets for processed oats exports are China, India, Malaysia, Japan, and Philippines. Other Asian markets show limited domestic manufacturing and mainly depend on imported oat products.

Products that are declared as being made in Australia account for 596 new releases into these markets during the last 20 years. Most Australian-made products are in the breakfast cereals (59%) or snacks (18%) categories. The primary markets for Australian-made new oat products include Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia (see Figure 3). The relative share of Australian- made is in Table 2.

Figure 3. Australian-made new oat product releases in Asian markets (2004–2024)

Branding of oat products in Asian markets

A wide range of claims have been used to brand oat products in Asian markets, and the number of unique claims has tripled over the past two decades. In 2004, only 31 distinct claims were used, by 2024, this number had increased to 95. Among these, the most prevalent claims include "high fibre" and "wholegrain," reflecting the continued emphasis on the health benefits of oats. Health-related claims have consistently been dominant in product labelling, but the relative share has declined somewhat over time as more diverse claims have emerged (see Figure 4). This trend highlights the ongoing importance of health messaging in the marketing of oat products, even as brands increase the focus on other attributes such as sustainability, product integrity, convenience, and ethical practices to appeal to a broader range of consumer values.

Figure 4. Distribution of claim categories over time

Recommendations

The WA and Australian oat industry can increasingly highlight the benefits of sourcing oats from Australia. For example, health and nutritional benefits of producing naturally matured oats without the need for herbicide desiccation or swathing, as occurs in some countries, can be illustrated through research and industry support. Additionally, traceability, sustainable farming practices and Australia’s fair labour practices could support product integrity, environmental sustainability, and ethical claims. Convenience claims related to easy preparation and religious or philosophical claims like halal or vegan certifications are linked to the later stages of product manufacture and marketing.

Conclusion

Growing consumer driven demand for oat-based products in Asia presents a significant opportunity for the oat industry, tapping into oat’s unique attributes, including their nutritional benefits and the environment in which they are produced.

Reference

ABARES. (2021). Growth juggernaut: Three billion empowered consumers.

Future Green Position. (2023). Our food, our future: Catalysing sustainable food transformation in Asia with a systems lens. Retrieved from https://futuregreen.global/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Future-Green-Position-Paper-Sustainable-Food-Transformation-in-Asia-May-2023.pdf

Priya, K. M., & Alur, S. (2023). Analysing consumer behaviour towards food and nutrition labelling: A comprehensive review. Heliyon. Retrieved fromhttps://www.agriculture.gov.au/abares /products/insights/megatrends-2021/growth-juggernaut#empowered-consumers-will-shape-markets

Singh, P., Tomar, M., Singh, A. K., Yadav, V. K., Arya, M., Jambhulkar, P. P., & Jain, D. (2025). Future Prospectives and Development of Novel Value-Added Oat-Based Superfoods. In Oat (Avena sativa) (pp. 362-382). CRC Press.

Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the WA government and the Processed Oats Partnership for funding this project and Mintel Group Ltd for granting permission to use GNDP data in this publication.

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