Food Antifoaming Agents Market Size & Outlook, 2025-2033

Food Antifoaming Agents Market Overview

The global food antifoaming agents market size was valued at USD 55.44 billion in 2024. It is expected to reach from USD 58.10 billion in 2025 to USD 84.55 billion in 2033, growing at a CAGR of 4.8% over the forecast period (2025-2033). The growing use of antifoaming agents in food, beverages, and pharmaceuticals to improve efficiency, control foam, and ensure product quality is driving market growth.

Key Market Trends & Insights

• Asia Pacific dominates the global food antifoaming agent market and accounted for a 26% share in 2024.
• Based on Type, the silicone-based segment is expected to account for the largest market share owing to the array of applications these antifoaming agents find.
• Based on application, the beverages segment is expected to account for a prime share of the market, owing to the growth of the beverages market around the globe.

Market Size & Forecast

• 2024 Market Size: USD 55.44 billion
• 2033 Projected Market Size: USD 84.55 billion
• CAGR (2025–2033): 4.8%
• Largest market in 2024 : Asia-Pacific
• Fastest-growing region : Europe

Food antifoaming agents or defoamers are chemical additives used as ingredients in food or industrial processes to reduce and prevent foam formation or effervescence. Antifoaming compounds are insoluble in foamy mediums and possess surface-active properties. These are less dense, spread easily over foamy surfaces, and have a preference for the air-liquid interface, where they destabilize the foam lamellas, causing air bubbles to rupture and surface foam to break down. Foam creation generates a number of costly and time-consuming issues, such as product loss, pollution, and contamination. Each antifoaming Agent is customized to specific applications and markets.

On the market, antifoaming chemicals are readily accessible. To remove foams, common treatments include insoluble oil, silicones, alcohols, stearates, and glycol. Currently, these agents are employed in a number of industries, including detergents, food, paper & pulp, water treatment plants, and bio-chemicals. The demand for antifoaming agents is increasing with time. To address rising demand, an increasing number of large vendors are entering the antifoaming manufacturing market.

The report on the global food antifoaming agents market aims to identify emerging trends and opportunities in the global market with a detailed analysis of qualitative as well as quantitative aspects. Foam is an unwanted by-product produced during food production and processing; antifoaming agents are used to increase process efficiency and overcome food spoilage.

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Food Antifoaming Agents Market Drivers

Rising Antifoaming Agent Demand in the Market

Antifoaming agents are in great demand due to their capacity to reduce and prevent foam creation in industrially processed liquids by binding to the air-liquid surface and destabilizing the foam lamellas, resulting in air bubble rupture and surface foam disintegration. Breweries use antifoaming compounds largely to increase efficiency during the fermentation process. It is also used by other juice processing companies. The rapid expansion of the brewery and beverage sectors will have a substantial impact on the market for antifoaming chemicals.

Industrial applications of antifoaming agents have been steadily expanding with the increasing demand for bakery & confectionery, dairy & frozen, and other food products. Antifoaming agents are also widely used in breweries during the fermentation process to optimize efficiency. According to the Brewers Association, volume sales for craft beer, imported beer, and exported craft beer in the U.S. was up by 5.0%, 3.2%, and 3.6%, respectively, in 2017 as compared to 2016. Chemical additives used as antifoaming agents produce low VOC emissions, and thus, growing environmental concerns and a favorable regulatory scenario are some of the other factors supporting market growth.

Significant Expansion of the Pharmaceutical Industry

Foam development during the production of liquid dosage forms can be unwelcome and disruptive. Antifoaming chemicals work by reducing surface tension and cohesive binding of the liquid phase to prevent the production of stable foams. Antifoaming chemicals are extremely useful in liquid medications for preventing foam and maintaining stability so that the therapeutic effect is not compromised. As the pharmaceutical industry expands, the demand for antifoaming chemicals will increase.

Market Restraint

Lack of awareness in several industries regarding the use and benefits of antifoaming agents is anticipated to restrain the market growth. Some of the other factors that may deter market growth include negative marketing of food antifoaming agents and low adoption rate among some food & beverage industries.

Market Opportunity

In the near future, the Antifoaming Agent market is anticipated to expand due to its various uses. The global Antifoaming Agent market is propelled by a steady expansion of application sectors and a surge in demand from economies in transition. In addition, environmental concerns and government regulations regarding harmful emissions from specific businesses are other drivers driving market expansion. Regionally, APEJ and MEA are the most dynamic markets. Thus investors are anticipated to make substantial investments there. In the future years, the Antifoaming Agent market will be determined by these areas.

Regional Analysis

Asia Pacific dominates the global food antifoaming agent market, owing to the increasing consumption of food & beverage products in the region. Moreover, the demand for food antifoaming agents has been growing in tandem with the region's food & beverage industry. China, India, Indonesia, and Malaysia are some of the most potential markets for processed foods with high organic content (e.g., baked goods), as these items can give significant benefits by minimizing oil absorption or preventing sticking during pan-frying that can help in the expansion of the market.

Europe Market Trends

Europe is expected to witness steady growth as the usage of antifoaming agents in food processing, and production is restricted in various developed regions as per European regulations. The presence of prominent players such as Dow Chemical Company (U.S.) and Momentive Performance Materials Inc. (U.S.), together with their emphasis on R&D activities, will positively impact market growth over the projection period.

During the forecast period, North America is estimated to be one of the fastest-growing regions in the food antifoaming agents market. The growing demand for antifoaming agents in the beverage and pharmaceutical industries is anticipated to present huge market potential, primarily driven by Indian and Chinese industries.

Type Insights

The market can be segmented into water-based, silicone-based, oil-based, and others. Amongst the segments by type, the silicone-based segment is expected to account for the largest market share, owing to the array of applications these antifoaming agents find. Antifoaming agents based on silicone have properties such as low surface tension, chemical inertness, thermal stability, and complete water solubility. These heavy-duty antifoaming chemicals are ideal for neutralizing surface foam and releasing entrained air in non-aqueous foaming applications. Consequently, they have been favored for use in crude oil refineries.

As a result of North American and European environmental regulations, antifoaming products derived from silicone contain fewer volatile organic compounds. In comparison to other compounds, this antifoaming Agent is in great demand due to its optimum reactivity with process ingredients and long operation life. This aspect will fuel the expansion of the market for antifoaming agents based on silicone during the forecast period. The oil-based segment is expected to witness significant growth, followed by the water-based segment. The other segment is anticipated to account for the least market share during the forecast period.

Application Insights

The market can be segmented into bakery & confectionery, dairy & frozen, oil & fats, beverages, and others. Amongst the segments by application, the beverages segment is expected to account for a prime share of the market, owing to the growth of the beverages market around the globe. Various beverages, including carbonated drinks, non-carbonated drinks, beer, wine, and others, use antifoaming food agents. These substances inhibit the production of foam on the drink's surface, so preserving its clarity. During the production of carbonated beverages, antifoaming chemicals are added to prevent excessive foaming generated by the release of CO2 gas.

Polydimethylsiloxane is the most prevalent compound employed in this application (PDMS). The oils & fats segment is expected to experience rapid growth in the global market, owing to the increasing demand for fats & oils across many food product manufacturing industries. Dairy & frozen and bakery & confectionery industry segments are expected to register significant growth during the forecast period, 2023–2031.

List of key players in Food Antifoaming Agents Market

1. BASF SE (Germany)
2. Ashland LLC (U.S.)
3. Dow Corning Corporation (U.S.)
4. Wacker Chemie AG (Germany)
5. Air Products and Chemicals Inc. (U.S.)
6. Kemira OYJ (Finland)
7. HiMedia Laboratories Pvt. Ltd. (India)
8. Ecolab Inc. (U.S.)
9. Evonik Industries AG (Germany)
10. Elementis Plc. (U.K.).

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Recent Developments

• In August 2025 : Vantage Specialty Chemicals introduced a range of anti-foaming agents and defoaming solutions under the Hodag™ brand, designed to improve consistency and performance in nutrition beverages while reducing waste and increasing product yield.
  
• In June 2025 : Evonik launched TEGO® Foamex 8051, a siloxane-based defoamer designed for waterborne decorative coatings. The product offers highly efficient, long-lasting anti-foaming performance while containing no added mineral oils and exhibiting nearly zero VOCs and SVOCs. Its globally registered formulation ensures compatibility in international applications, and it supports eco-friendly coatings by adhering to strict environmental regulations.
• In June 2025 : Shenzhen International Defoamer Expo 2025 featured numerous suppliers and solution providers showcasing defoamers and water-based additives across multiple industrial applications, including food processing.