Food Starch Market

Market Overview

The global food starch market size was valued at USD 23.50 billion in 2022. It is estimated to reach USD 38.37 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 5.6% during the forecast period (2023–2031).

A complex carbohydrate called food starch is derived from various plant sources, including corn, wheat, rice, potatoes, and tapioca. These sources extract the starch, refined to eliminate contaminants and enhance its useful qualities. Food starch is a useful ingredient in the food business that prolongs food's shelf life and stops it from degrading while being stored. Starch-based ingredients are used in various food products, including, but not limited to, sauces, snacks, soups, confectionery, bread, ice creams, soft drinks, and ready-made meals.

Many different kinds of food starch are available, each with special qualities and traits. For instance, some starches are more heat- and acid-resistant, making them perfect for processing at high temperatures or used in acidic meals. Alternative starches, which are more readily digestible, can be utilized in goods created for consumers with certain dietary requirements. Due to the food and beverage (F&B) industry's rapid expansion in recent years, food starch has become more popular.

Highlights

• Maize dominates the raw material segment
• Sweeteners dominate the type segment
• Business-to-business dominates the end-user segment
• Asia-Pacific is the highest shareholder in the global market

Market Dynamics

Market Drivers

Expanding F&B Industry

The global food and beverage market has witnessed robust growth in the last few driven by innovation in the food system, improved logistics, an increase in affordability, growth in global trade, and an increase in consumer spending. Similarly, the food and beverage industry has continuously evolved according to consumer requirements.

In addition, the demand for convenience foods has increased multifold, owing to consumer preference toward ready-to-eat (RTE) and cost-effective food. Recent years have seen the expansion of the food processing industry, which is expected to boost the demand for food ingredients, which, in turn, will positively impact the demand for food starch. All these factors collectively propel the growth of the global food starch market.

Diversification of Raw Material Base

Corn and wheat were considered the key raw materials for starch production; however, recent years have seen rapid expansion in the raw material bases used to manufacture food starch. For instance, pea starch has gained wide traction in the last few years, as it is a rich source of amylose. It also has enhanced thickening and gelling properties compared to its counterparts.

In addition, pea starch has higher temperature and acid resistance and superior shear stability. Starch is now extracted from rice, as rice starch has high freeze-thaw stability. Therefore, expanding the raw material base for manufacturing starch is expected to provide flexibility for the manufacturers and reduce dependency on a limited number of crops, thereby contributing toward global market growth.

Market Restraint:

Increasing Consumer Consciousness About Negative Effects of Starch-Rich Diet

Recent years have seen a transition in food-consuming habits of the population around the world. People are now becoming more concerned about the type of food they consume and monitoring the intake of calories and other vital nutrients. Starch is a high-calorie food product. Starch also lacks essential nutrients such as protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals. In addition, starches break down into glucose, which is expected to increase human sugar levels. A study by Princeton University revealed that laboratory rats that consumed HFCS gained substantially more weight than rats fed table sugar. Such negative health effects of starch and its derivatives negatively impact the overall market expansion.

Market Opportunities:

Clean Label Starch Gaining High Traction Among Consumers

The global food and beverage industry witnessed an increased demand for clean-label ingredients. According to Straits Research analysis, more than 60% of Americans consider natural products better, and more than 51% actively seek natural ingredients while purchasing their food products. In order to cater to the growing demand for clean-label ingredients, engaged stakeholders in the industry are now venturing into producing clean-label starch.

For instance, Beneo-Remy developed natural, native, and clean-label starch having performance comparable to chemically modified starches. Similarly, Cargill is involved in producing clean-label starch and is actively marketing the same through the SimPure brand. Therefore, an increase in the trend of clean-label food products is anticipated to provide remunerative opportunities for the players operating in the food starch industry.

Regional Analysis

Asia-Pacific Dominates the Global Market

Based on region, the global food starch market is bifurcated into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA.

Asia-Pacific is the most significant global food starch market shareholder and is anticipated to exhibit a CAGR of 6.8% during the forecast period. The major countries of the Asia-pacific market are China, India, Japan, and ASEAN countries. Significant growth in the food industry in Asia-Pacific is anticipated to propel the expansion of the global market. Moreover, the region has witnessed a steady demand for starch due to the expansion strategies adopted by several food and beverage companies in this region. The expansion of the Asia-Pacific market has been fueled by regional government cooperation and rapid industrialization. Furthermore, due to increased demand from the bakery and dairy industries, robust growth is expected in China and India. The rise in the need for processed convenience foods is also expected to drive the growth of the food starch market in the Asia-Pacific region.

North America is estimated to exhibit a CAGR of 4.2% over the forecast period. The three major countries of North America include the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. North America is the largest revenue contributor and is a mature market for food starch products. Early adoption of advanced technology in food and beverage industries and the introduction of non-GMO food starch are the key driving factors of the North American food starch market. Likewise, expanding the food processing sector in this area has sped up market expansion. Furthermore, advancements in starch formulation have helped find new raw material sources of starch in food and beverage apart from their conventional use, which significantly fuels the market's growth.

Britain, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain are some of the major European markets considered in the report. Europe has the most developed global market in the world. The surge in expenditure on R&D by engaged stakeholders fuels the growth of the market in the region. Moreover, an upsurge in demand for alcohol and bakery and dairy products in European countries is anticipated to create lucrative opportunities for food starch manufacturers. In addition, trends of clean labeling have gained traction across the region. Leading companies are now entering this niche to meet the rising needs of health-conscious consumers, fueling the market's expansion.

The LAMEA food starch market includes countries from Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa. Countries such as Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Turkey, Qatar, Argentina, and South Africa are major LAMEA food starch market shareholders. Leading players have significantly invested in advertising and marketing to garner significant regional share, fueling the market growth. An increase in demand from beverage production, food processing, baking, flour supplementation, dough conditioning, and dairy products is anticipated to fuel market growth in the LAMEA region. However, the lack of appropriate regulatory frameworks has resulted in the production of substandard or nonstandard starch. On the contrary, Africa and Brazil provide lucrative opportunities for starch manufacturing owing to abundant raw materials.

Segmental Analysis

The global market is segmented by raw material, type, and end-user.

Based on raw materials, the global market is divided into maize, wheat, and others. 

The maize segment is the most significant contributor to the market and is estimated to exhibit a CAGR of 5.1% over the forecast period. Maize, also known as corn, is widely adopted as a staple food across the globe. Maize is a key component for the production of starch, owing to its high content of starch content in it. Similarly, high-purity carbohydrate content makes it useful in several applications. Starch can be separated from maize through wet maize milling, steeping, grinding, purifying, and drying. Maize starch is generally white, odorless, and tasteless powder used extensively in the bakery and confectionary industries.

Additionally, the chemical formula of maize starch is (C6H10O5)n. It is extensively used in packaged food and food processing industries. Maize starch, extracted from the corn kernel, gives a variety of food products—from microwaveable items to canned, chilled, and frozen extruded snacks and dry mixes—a superior texture, increased viscosity, and other desired properties. It is also extensively used as a gelling and thickening agent for sauces and pudding soups. In addition, it serves as an economical option over other property enhancers, which fuels its demand, thereby boosting market growth.

Wheat starch is a carbohydrate extracted from wheat. Several methods can produce wheat starch and gluten. Tri-canter, Hydrocyclone, and Martin methods are commonly used for wheat starch manufacturing. Gluten is particularly important for the manufacturing of starch from wheat. Specialty wheat starch with unique properties can be manufactured by regulating the reaction conditions—such as pH, temperature, and additives. Wheat starch is pure carbohydrates, but a meniscal amount of lipids, ash, protein, and dietary fibers can be present. An ample supply of clean-grade wheat is advantageous for producing starch from wheat, which fuels the market's growth. In addition, wheat starch can easily be digested and thus is extensively used in bakery products, owing to its compatibility with wheat flour, further boosting market growth. Recent years have seen wide traction for non-GMO wheat starch.

Based on type, the global market is segmented into modified starch, native starch, and sweeteners. 

The sweeteners segment owns the highest market share and is estimated to exhibit a CAGR of 4.9% during the forecast period. The high amount of starch is concerted in sweeteners, majorly dextrose, glucose syrup, and high fructose syrup. Glucose syrup is used in the confectionery industry, whereas high-maltose syrup is used in the brewing industry. Corn is the primary source of high fructose corn syrup. HCFS was introduced to the food and beverage industry in the late 1960s and 1970s to enhance the stability and functionality of various foods and beverages. In addition, HFCS is one of the most multifaceted food additives available worldwide. It helps retain color, enhance texture and flavor, and maintain stability in various foods and beverages. Furthermore, ore HFCS helps formulators of food and beverage products to keep costs down. HCFS is an economical ingredient compared to its counterparts and offers a more stable pricing history than sugar.

Modified starch is prepared by enzymatically, chemically, or physically treating native starch to enhance its properties. Modified starches are extensively consumed in a plethora of end-user industry verticals. However, modified starches are used in the food industry as stabilizer thickening agents, emulsifier binders in coated paper, or pharmaceuticals as a disintegrant. Modification of starch is done to enhance its performance according to the requirements of its application. Starch is modified to increase its stability and resistance against acid, excessive heat, time, shear, freezing, or cooling; to modulate its viscosity; to change its texture; to increase its visco-stability; or to shorten or lengthen gelatinization time. In addition, modified starch is used to improve the appearance and gloss of food, which propels its demand in the food and beverage industry. It also reduces the overall food production cost and improves both the performance and quality of food, thereby driving the growth of the global market.

Based on end-user, the global market is bifurcated into business-to-business and business-to-consumer. 

The business-to-business segment dominates the global market and is predicted to exhibit a CAGR of 5.41% over the forecast period. The business-to-business segment refers to the consumption of food starch in the food processing industry. As an additive for food processing, food starch in foods is used as a viscosity modifier, gelling agent, thickener, and stabilizer. Products in which starch is extensively used include custards, soups, puddings, gravies, sauces, salad dressings, pie fillings, pasta, and noodles. In addition, the food processing industry is expected to witness strong growth in the coming years, owing to demographic change and changes in customer needs. Population expansion in developing countries, coupled with an increase in urbanization and a rise in the standard of living, augment the growth of the food processing market, backed by a dietary shift to higher value-added products. This, in turn, is expected to drive the demand for food starch in the business-to-business market.

Business-to-consumer sales channel includes specialty stores, convenience stores, hypermarket/supermarkets, and other distribution channels where consumers can directly buy goods. These physical stores are one of the traditional shopping channels spanning a large area and displaying a wide range of brands. The business-to-consumer sales channel allows customers to test and check the merchandise before purchasing, enhancing the shopping experience. Moreover, these stores provide attractive offers and discounts, which fuel the growth of this segment. The easy payment gateway offered by these channels also significantly contributes to the growth of this segment.

Recent Developments

• September 2022- Cargill inaugurated its new corn wet mill in Pandaan, Indonesia, on September 8. The new facility will help satisfy the demand for starches, sweeteners, and feed in Asia and Indonesia.
• July 2022- Grain Processing Corporation introduced Fybrin RS resistant starch at IFT FIRST, the annual convention, and the Institute of Food Technologists Expo held in Chicago. According to the Muscatine-based company, the corn-based, gluten-free resistant starch improves fiber in food formulations and contributes fewer calories than other carbohydrates. It is labeled "modified dietary starch."