Amino Acids Market

Market Overview

The global amino acids market was valued at USD 31.23 billion in 2023. It is expected to reach USD 63.05 billion in 2032, growing at a CAGR of 8.12% over the forecast period (2024-32). Amino acids are key ingredients in pharmaceutical formulations, dietary supplements, and therapeutic treatments. Health benefits associated with amino acid supplementation, such as muscle recovery, immune support, and metabolic health, drive market growth in healthcare sectors.

Proteins are constructed from amino acids, which are chemical components. Amino acids and proteins make up the fundamental components of living things. A mixture of carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen and varying side-chain groups make up amino acids, which are organic substances. In both animal and human nutrition, amino acids play a significant role. They are essential to many biological functions in the human body, including producing hormones and neurotransmitters. In addition, twenty different amino acids are necessary for proper growth in the human body. Depending on several variables, amino acids can be categorized as conditionally essential, essential, or non-essential. All nine necessary amino acids are abundant in a wide variety of foods. They include meat, fish, poultry goods like eggs, and dairy products like milk and paneer. They are excellent for strengthening the immune system, battling cancer and arthritis, and treating tinnitus and rectal ailments.

Highlights

• L-glutamate dominates the product segment
• Plant-Based dominates the source segment
• Food and dietary supplements dominate the application segment
• Asia-Pacific is the highest shareholder in the global market

Market Dynamics

Market Drivers

Increasing Demand from Pet Food and Animal Feed Industry

Amino acids are bioactive additives in the animal feed business, providing many health advantages to animals. Moreover, they are essential in pet food and veterinary supplements to improve digestion and fortify the immune system. Feed-grade amino acids are in demand because they improve animal health, performance, and joint mobility. Due to the growing number of senior pets, specific dietary needs, and specialized diets, the animal feed industry anticipates a significant need for feed-grade amino acids.

Furthermore, the pet food industry has expanded rapidly as dogs, cats, fish, and birds have grown increasingly popular as household pets in recent years. In the following four years, more people are expected to own pets, presenting the potential for businesses that provide things for pets. The expanding adoption of cats and dogs has raised the need for pet food, medicine, and accessories. In addition, the increasing adoption of pets in households across several nations is anticipated to increase demand for pet food and the industry's requirement for amino acids. The mounting consumption of sodium amino acids in pet food, pet medicine, and veterinary supplements is expected to drive the market further.

Increasing Demand for Nutraceutical and Pharmaceutical Products

According to producers of foods and dietary supplements, the demand for amino acids is expected to expand significantly due to rising consumer spending power and public awareness of healthy lifestyles and preventative care. Amino acids are utilized in nutritional supplements to lessen fatigue, muscle soreness, and the risk of cardiovascular illnesses. Amino acids are also gaining popularity in nutritional sports supplements. Nutraceutical products are segmented into functional beverages, food, and dietary supplements. In addition, the critical factor driving the nutraceutical industry is the increased spending on organic and healthy food products. This is expected to augment the consumption of amino acids in the nutraceutical industry. Thus, the increasing consumption of pharmaceutical and nutraceutical products in developed economies is anticipated to surge the demand for amino acids over the forecast period.

Market Restraint

Inconsistent Supply of Key Raw Materials

The increasing processing and transportation costs of agricultural products are expected to result in a raw material shortage, restraining the growth of the global amino acid market. Increasing prices of raw materials such as corn, soybean, and wheat in recent years are expected to pose challenges to the market players. The significant challenges amino acid market players face are high raw material prices and reduced livestock production. Amino acid prices have grown considerably due to raw material unavailability in recent years. Several short-term obstacles, including rising energy prices, cause a lack of raw materials to manufacture amino acids. Expanding global population coupled with high-income levels is expected to increase the demand for grains and oilseed products, resulting in a further shortage of raw materials for amino acid production, hindering market growth.

Market Opportunities

Increase in the Number of Efforts Taken by Producers of Amino Acids

The manufacturers of amino acids will have more opportunities to grow the worldwide amino acids market as they debut new products, expand their operations, make investments, and make other efforts. Due to their numerous health benefits, including their ability to build muscle, support body tissue repair, and maintain healthy skin, hair, and nails, amino acids are becoming more and more in demand across a range of industries, including food and beverage, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and dietary supplements. As consumer awareness of the health advantages of amino acids grows, so will the market's need for them, allowing producers to introduce new goods, boost production capacity, and raise capital to produce a range of amino acid-based products for varied end-users.

Regional Analysis

Based on region, the global amino acids market is bifurcated into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Central and South America, and the Middle East and Africa.

Asia-Pacific Dominates the Global Market

Asia Pacific is the most significant shareholder in the global amino acids market and is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 8.7% during the forecast period. The growth of the Asia-Pacific region can be attributed to increased consumer spending, growing adoption of a healthy lifestyle, and expansion of end-user industries such as nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, personal care, and cosmetics. Increasing production of amino acids in the region and growing exports of feed additives from crucial countries such as China and Japan are anticipated to contribute to the market growth. Amino acids primarily treat liver and cardiovascular disorders and reduce muscle fatigue and breakdown. In addition, the burgeoning population in developing economies such as China and India and the presence of young people have resulted in high demand for amino acids. The need for amino acids in China is anticipated to increase because of the country's rising pork consumption. Furthermore, growing health concerns and increasing consumer medical expenditure are expected to fuel the demand for dietary supplements in China, which is expected to augment the demand for amino acids.

Europe is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 8.2% over the forecast period. Increasing consumption of processed food in the form of meat coupled with growing livestock production is expected to drive the market in Europe over the forecast period. European countries witnessed increased meat consumption over the past few years. The growing use of animal feed additives containing a proportionate amount of prominent amino acids such as lysine, methionine, and threonine for improving animal growth performance is expected to drive the market. In addition, major players in the market have diversified their operations and expanded their animal feed product lines. Increasing animal feed production and consumption are anticipated to fuel regional demand for amino acids over the forecast period. Moreover, the region's developed nutraceutical industry invests heavily in R&D activities. The development of nutraceutical products infused with amino acids is anticipated to drive the market over the forecast period further.

The market growth in the North American region can be attributed to the rising demand for amino acids from animal feed and nutraceutical industries. The increasing consumer awareness regarding safety and hygiene related to animal products, coupled with the outbreak of animal diseases, has augmented the demand for animal feed in the country. However, the stringent regulations on animal feed production in North America are expected to hinder market growth. Further, strong animal feed-producing countries such as the U.S. and Canada characterize the region. The presence of a robust pharmaceutical sector coupled with the presence of well-established amino acids manufacturers such as SGS S.A., Thera-Plantes, Inc., and CK Ingredients is expected to drive the market in the country.

The growth of the Central and South American region can be attributed to the rising consumption of meat and meat products. Countries such as Brazil and Ecuador are some of the significant meat consumers in the region. In addition, Brazil is one of the major producers and exporters of meat worldwide. Rising meat consumption in the country has propelled the demand for high-quality meat production, which is anticipated to drive the consumption of feed additives in the livestock sector. As a result, the market for feed additives is expected to see an increase in demand for amino acids.

In the Middle East and Africa, increasing demand for aspartame in the food & beverage industry is expected to remain a key factor driving the regional market over the forecast period. Aspartame consists of aspartic acid and phenylalanine and is rapidly used as a sugar substitute in several food formulations. The shift toward packaged food and beverage consumption is expected to fuel the demand for aspartame, augmenting market growth. In addition, the shifting consumer preference toward dietary supplements owing to increasing health concerns is expected further to fuel the demand for amino acids in the region.

Segmental Analysis

The global amino acids market is segmented by product, source, livestock, and application.

Based on product, the global amino acids market is divided into l-glutamate, lysine, methionine, threonine, tryptophan, leucine, isoleucine, valine, glutamine, arginine, glycine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, citrulline, creatine, proline, serine, and others. 

The l-glutamate segment is responsible for the largest market share and is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 7.5% over the forecast period. L-glutamate, also known as l-glutamic acid, is a non-essential amino acid. It is extensively used as a nutritional supplement, flavor enhancer, feed additive, and intermediate in manufacturing organic chemicals. In the food and beverage sector, sodium salt of l-glutamate, monosodium glutamate (MSG), also known as "seasoning salt," is commercially used to improve food palatability. Increasing demand for processed food products and growing product penetration in animal feed is projected to drive product demand over the forecast period.

Based on source, the global amino acids market is segmented into plant-based and animal-based sources. 

The plant-based segment owns the highest market share and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.0% over the forecast period. The plant sources for amino acids include soybean, wheat, corn, potato, and peas. Currently, soybean is used for the commercial sourcing of amino acids because of their high consumption and large-scale production. However, soybean processing is known to alter the amino acid composition, which proves to be a significant concern for amino acid sourcing. Production and consumption of plant-based amino acids are predicted to increase globally due to rising consumer awareness of natural and organic products. The increased social awareness surrounding animal slaughter is also anticipated to affect the demand for amino acids from plants favorably. However, plant-based amino acids are limited due to the need for more production technology and high capital cost. Further, key market players invest heavily in research activities to develop plant-based amino acids. These players have developed patented technologies for developing plant-sourced amino acids.

Based on livestock, the global amino acids market is divided into swine, poultry, cattle, and others. 

The poultry segment is the highest contributor to the market and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 7.7% over the forecast period. The market growth of the poultry segment can be attributed to the rising demand for meat and poultry products worldwide. The poultry segment consists of chicken, duck, turkey, and broiler. It is anticipated that the growing demand for chicken and broiler meat in nations like the United States, Russia, and Mexico will propel the poultry feed market and lead to increased use of feed additives such as amino acids like lysine and arginine. Furthermore, increasing fast food chains and growing demand for processed food in the Asia-Pacific and North America is driving the need for poultry products in these regions. This has resulted in an upsurge in poultry farming activities, driving the demand for poultry feed. However, the recent COVID-19 outbreak resulted in a worldwide shutdown, creating volatility in the availability and supply of poultry products.

Based on application, the global amino acids market is bifurcated into animal feed, food and dietary supplements, and pharmaceuticals. 

The food and dietary supplements segment owns the highest market share and is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 8.5% during the forecast period. Amino acids are used in food processing as flavor enhancers, preservatives, and nutrition enhancers. Glycine and alanine are commonly used as flavor and taste enhancers. As a flavor enhancer in canned vegetables, soups, processed meat, salad dressings, bread, carbohydrate-based snacks, and ice cream, monosodium glutamate (MSG), a derivative of glutamic acid, is frequently employed. Cystine is used in several beverages, such as fruit juices, as a preservative, whereas tryptophan and histidine are used as preservatives in milk powder. Phenylalanine and aspartic acid are combined to develop aspartame, which is gaining popularity as a sugar substitute in several soft drink formulations. In addition, SinoSweet Co., Ltd. is a prominent aspartame manufacturer, followed by Fouche International Corporation and NutraSweet Co, which supply the product to food manufacturers globally. Growing demand for sugar substitutes is expected to drive the aspartame demand, which is expected to drive the segment over the period.

Recent Developments

• May 2024 - Researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara, have developed a new method using light to generate non-canonical amino acids. This method involves interesting interactions between a photocatalyst and an enzyme, opening up new possibilities in synthetic chemistry and enzymology. The technique, published in Nature, could lead to fundamental scientific advancements in the field.
• July 2024 - A study has found that measuring the level of homocysteine, an amino acid, in the blood can help predict the risk of obstructive sleep apnea.The study was published in the European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology. This discovery could lead to new diagnostic methods for this common sleep disorder, providing a non-invasive way to identify individuals at risk.