Dairy products and alternatives in 2025: The big picture
Value sales of dairy products and alternatives are expected to register marginal growth in 2025. In 2024, general and year-on-year inflation in El Salvador was 0.30% according to the Central Reserve Bank (BCR). The Consumer Price Index (IPC) for food and non-alcoholic beverages showed a decline in prices of 0.50%. In terms of remittances, upon which El Salvador is heavily reliant, family remittances to El Salvador surpassed USD7.56 billion from January to November 2023. President Trump, elected November 2024 in the United States, plans to accelerate deportations, curb immigration, and tax remittances and may restrict an important flow of capital and source of growth in the country. Given these changing circumstances, families receiving remittances in 2025, have been more cautious with their spending, trying to save more of it, in case remittances stop coming. Remittances in El Salvador decreased to USD677.13 million in January from USD832.73 million received in December 2024.
Key trends in 2025
Higher income consumers continue seeking health benefits in the products they consume. Their health awareness continues to increase and general wellness is an area of priority. Wealthier demographics are looking for diverse health benefits in dairy products, including digestive health (probiotics, kefir, lactose-free), and high protein.
Competitive Landscape
Cooperativa Ganadera de Sonsonate de RL de CV leads in dairy products and alternatives with its La Salud brand. Located in El Salvador's Sonsonate department, it is a leading dairy cooperative due to its strategic location and efficient dairy production processes. The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG) in collaboration with the private sector, announced in March 2025 an initiative to enhance the quality and competitiveness of El Salvador's dairy industry. This move seeks to provide high-quality dairy products while fostering economic growth within the industry. The initiative not only promotes excellence in production but also ensures that products reach consumers with safety and traceability measures. Companies seeking to market their products with this certification need to adhere to standards set by MAG. Quesos Petacones and La Cooperativa Ganadera Sonsonate with La Salud, Lactolac, and Los Quesos de Oriente are all involved in the process of joining.
Channel developments
Supermarkets remains the main distribution channel for dairy products and alternatives. Consumers find convenience in purchasing dairy products via this channel, as they do so when shopping for other groceries during regular shopping trips. Supermarkets often offer price promotions of well-known brands and have the latest innovations available. Consumer loyalty has become limited among brands, as consumers often purchase the brand that is promoted at the time of their visit. Supermarkets such as Super Selectos offers a wider variety of dairy products often not found in other channels. The supermarkets channel continued to grow in penetration, with Super Selectos and Walmart supermarket retailers being among the fastest growing companies. Moreover, ongoing inflationary pressures in the country continue boosting the growth of the Despensa Familiar and Maxi Despensa discount chains, as well as Dollar City.
What next for dairy products and alternatives?
Sales of dairy products and alternatives are set to see moderate growth over the forecast period. Greater variety of products is expected as local manufacturers seek to attract consumers with newer versions of their favourite products, such as flavoured cheese, milk, or spreads. A greater availability of imported products is also expected, driven by high tourism numbers.
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Overview:
Understand the latest market trends and future growth opportunities for the Dairy Products and Alternatives industry in El Salvador with research from Euromonitor International's team of in-country analysts – experts by industry and geographic specialisation.
Key trends are clearly and succinctly summarised alongside the most current research data available. Understand and assess competitive threats and plan corporate strategy with our qualitative analysis, insight and confident growth projections.
Data and analysis in this report provides further detailed coverage dedicated to a comprehensive range of core packaged food categories.
If you're in the Dairy Products and Alternatives industry in El Salvador, our research will help you to make informed, intelligent decisions; to recognise and profit from opportunity, or to offer resilience amidst market uncertainty.
The Dairy Products and Alternatives in El Salvador report includes:
- Analysis of key supply-side and demand trends
- Detailed segmentation of international and local products
- Historic volume and value sizes, company and brand market shares
- Five year forecasts of market trends and market growth
- Robust and transparent research methodology, conducted in-country
This report answers:
- What is the market size of Dairy Products and Alternatives in El Salvador?
- Which are the leading brands in Dairy Products and Alternatives in El Salvador?
- How are products distributed in Dairy Products and Alternatives in El Salvador?
- How is the rise of e-commerce and/or the expansion of modern grocery retail impacting traditional retail?
- What are the key health and wellness concerns driving, or challenging, sales in Dairy Products and Alternatives?
- How significant are vegan and vegetarian dietary requirements in determining sales growth in El Salvador?
- How has COVID-19 impacted consumer demand? To what extent have lockdown, home seclusion and stockpiling boosted sales? Will the longer term economic repercussions of the pandemic stimulate or suppress future growth?
- Where is future growth expected to be most dynamic?
- How significant will values-based claims, such as sustainability and ethical labelling, be in supporting future growth and brand equity?
Dairy Products and Alternatives in El Salvador
Dairy products and alternatives in 2025: The big picture
Key trends in 2025
Competitive Landscape
Channel developments
What next for dairy products and alternatives?
DISCLAIMER
Key Data Findings
2025 Developments
Consumers are drawn to prepared baby food due to convenience
Nestlé SA retains its outright lead in baby food
Supermarkets remain popular for their wider product variety
Prospects and Opportunities
Milk formula is increasingly embraced by busy parents over the forecast period
Caretakers increasingly seek out better-for-you options
Social media continues to provide opportunities for category growth
Category Data
Key Data Findings
2025 Developments
Consumers use dairy as an integral part of their diet
Cooperativa Ganadera de Sonsonate retains the lead in dairy
Supermarkets remains popular as these outlets offer more product formats and flavours than competing channels
Prospects and Opportunities
Local production remains insufficient to cover local demand therefore imports continue to rise over the forecast period
Consumers seek out better-for-you alternatives as health awareness grows regardless of income level
Premium imported products have potential to grow
Category Data
Key Data Findings
2025 Developments
Younger generations, higher income consumers, and tourists drive growth of plant-based dairy
Only a few brands compete in the growing plant-based dairy category
Supermarkets retains the lead as unlike other channels, it offers plant-based dairy products
Prospects and Opportunities
The avoidance of additives in plant-based products enables the category to grow over the forecast period
Plant-based cheese faces challenges
Higher income, younger generations continue to embrace plant-based alternatives
Category Data
The following categories and subcategories are included:
Dairy Products and Alternatives
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- Dried Baby Food
- Prepared Baby Food
- Other Baby Food
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- Liquid Standard Milk Formula
- Powder Standard Milk Formula
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- Liquid Follow-on Milk Formula
- Powder Follow-on Milk Formula
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- Liquid Growing-Up Milk Formula
- Powder Growing-Up Milk Formula
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- Liquid Special Baby Milk Formula
- Powder Special Baby Milk Formula
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- Butter
- Cooking Fats
- Margarine and Spreads
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- Spreadable Cheese
- Processed Cheese excl Spreadable
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- Packaged Hard Cheese
- Unpackaged Hard Cheese
- Soft Cheese
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- Dairy Only Flavoured Milk Drinks
- Flavoured Milk Drinks with Fruit Juice
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- Fat-free Fresh Milk
- Semi Skimmed Fresh Milk
- Full Fat Fresh Milk
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- Fat-free Shelf Stable Milk
- Semi Skimmed Shelf Stable Milk
- Full Fat Shelf Stable Milk
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- Goat Milk
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- Powder Milk
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- Sour Milk Products
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- Drinking Yoghurt
- Flavoured Yoghurt
- Plain Yoghurt
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- Chilled Dairy Desserts
- Shelf Stable Dairy Desserts
- Chilled Snacks
- Coffee Whiteners
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- Flavoured Condensed Milk
- Plain Condensed Milk
- Evaporated Milk
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- Cream
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- Flavoured Fromage Frais and Quark
- Plain Fromage Frais and Quark
- Savoury Fromage Frais and Quark
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- Soy Drinks
- Other Plant-based Milk
- Plant-based Yoghurt
- Plant-based Cheese
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This report originates from Passport, our Dairy Products and Alternatives research and analysis database.
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