Guar Gum Market

Market Overview

The global guar gum market size was valued at USD 1.16 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach USD 1.46 billion by 2031, with a CAGR of 2.6 % during the forecast period 2023–2031.

Guar Gum, also known as Guaran, is derived from guar beans. It is a free-flowing, white-to-yellow powder with a slight odor. Guar Gum is a galactomannan polysaccharide composed of mannose and galactose. It is particularly useful in the food industry because it is soluble, can absorb water, and forms a gel that thickens and binds products. Guar gum is a natural polymer that has several distinctive properties, such as binding, and thickening, among others. Guar gum is mainly produced in India and Pakistan from the annually-grown legume. A small amount of guar gum is also produced in the U.S. also. Guar gum is extensively used in the food industry.

The food industry is the major market for Guar gum, followed by pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics, among others. It is used in a number of food products, such as baked goods. It increases the dough yield, also enhances shelf life, and improves texture. In the dairy industry, it is used to thicken and stabilize kefir, yogurt, and some other liquid dairy products such as cheese. It is also used in meat and functions as a binder. It is also used in the food industry to improve the stability and appearance of barbecue sauces, dressings, and other condiments. It is very popular in the food sector owing to its thickening function; it has around eight times more thickening ability than corn starch. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has deemed Guar Gum safe for consumption in specified quantities in a variety of food products. Guar gum is typically low in calories and composed primarily of soluble fiber. The protein content is between 5 and 6%.

Market Dynamics

Market Drivers

Consumers' increasing concern for health and nutrition has fueled a market for organic and all-natural products like guar gum. The natural ingredient guar gum improves glucose tolerance and lowers serum LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, among other health benefits. Because of this, natural gums are being used increasingly in the food industry. Guar gum has numerous applications in the food industry, including as a thickener, stabilizer, emulsifier, binding agent, coating agent, texturing agent, gelling agent, and more. It is used in various foods and drinks, including frozen foods, baked foods, dairy products, sauces & salad preparations, candies & beverages, and even pet food. Guar gum's binding, fracturing, waterproofing, and gelling abilities make it a useful additive in many other fields besides food production, including oil and gas, mining, explosives, textiles, pharmaceuticals, and water treatment.

Guar gum is used extensively as an emulsifying and binding agent in the food industry. Its functions and properties, such as binding property, emulsifying property, and controlled release of the products, have made it important for the flavor industry. There are numerous types of flavors, such as color flavor, cloud flavor, emulsion flavors, and encapsulated flavors, among others. The demand for guar gum is increasing for making encapsulated flavors as it is an emulsifier with a great binding property; it helps in the controlled release of flavors in various food products by encapsulating the flavor. For instance, TasteTech Encapsulated Solutions has made flavoring for chewing gum with controlled-release technology, which helps to chew gum with long-lasting sustained release of flavors.

Market Restraints

Although Asia is the largest producer of guar and its derivatives, countries such as India and Pakistan lack general research and development facilities dedicated to the guar industry. These nations lack reputable R&D associations that focus on guar seed production, the development of industry-specific products, manufacturing & processing technology, and plant & machinery, as well as an adequate distribution infrastructure. Despite the fact that some institutions in the country are focusing on the development of certified seeds, agricultural universities and existing research institutions lack the necessary funds to conduct research on the development of new varieties, the optimization of product processing, and the advancement of technology. Even farmers who are willing to use certified seeds cannot afford to purchase them. In addition to these factors, the guar industry's human resources would need to be trained in order to develop a skilled workforce. For this purpose, Indian manufacturers must allocate a portion of export tax revenue to the establishment of national-level R&D institutes.

Market Opportunities

With busy consumer lifestyles, global demand for convenience food is increasing. Factors such as increased use of household technologies, longer working hours, and rising consumer incomes have all influenced global demand for convenience food. Guar gum is an essential food additive that improves the quality of convenience foods such as soups, cakes, pastries, bread, gravies, and snacks. An increase in consumer interest in processed food products is expected to boost the guar gum market's growth in the near future. Furthermore, the growing preference for low-calorie and low-fat foods containing guar gum has helped reduce the overall fat content in foods, benefiting the guar gum market. Guar gum is used as a fat substitute in processed foods. Globally, consumer demand for convenient food products that fit their lifestyles is increasing. Manufacturers continue to see convenience food and beverages as the most promising application for guar gum.

Regional Analysis

The global market for Guar Gum has been segmented based on geography into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and LAMEA.

In 2021, the region of North America held the largest market share at 43.2%. The growth of the guar gum market in the region is primarily attributable to the country's expanding oil & gas industry and the high demand for processed and frozen foods. The United States produced between 4,600 and 14,000 tonnes of guar between 2017 and 2022. Since 1999, gaur-cultivated land in Texas has increased from approximately 7,000 acres to 50,000 acres. In addition, the United States has established itself as the leading importer of guar gum, accounting for 41.2% of global imports. These factors also enhance North America's market share in the global gum industry.

Asia-Pacific increasing population, rising disposable income, and rapid urbanization have increased the consumption of processed foods. In turn, this is increasing product demand in this region. Due to the rapid growth of oil and gas exploration activities and the presence of vast technically recoverable resources, China and India are anticipated to be major consumers.

India is the largest producer of gaur in the Asia-Pacific region, positively influencing the demand for gaur in this region. India produces between 0.0025 and 0.003 billion tonnes of guar annually, accounting for approximately 65% of global production. In August 2021, India's guar gum exports increased by 10.48% to 18,262 tonnes, up from 16,530 tonnes in July 2021. In addition, gum shipments increased by 42.38 percent in August 2021 compared to August 2021. Approximately 5,401 tonnes of the total exported quantity are purchased by the United States, Russia (3,085 tonnes), Germany (2,535 tonnes), and China (959 tonnes).

In Europe, the food processing industry is one of the largest consumers of guar gum. It is anticipated that awareness of the product's weight-loss benefits will increase its demand. Despite disappointing exploration results and a lack of investments in the oil and gas sector, exploration drilling in Europe is anticipated to rebound, leading to an increase in product consumption.

Segmental Analysis

The global market for Guar Gum is categorized by Grade, Function, and Application.

The market is segmented by Grade into Pharmaceutical, Industrial, and Food. Due to the numerous uses of Guar Gum, the Food segment held the largest market share in 2021, accounting for 58.70% of the market. The food segment is anticipated to have the highest CAGR during the forecast period, at 7.8%. The global population's changing lifestyles, eating habits, and rising disposable income are driving an increase in demand for convenience foods. In addition, the rising demand for low-calorie and low-fat foods favors guar gum, which contributes to its market expansion. As demand for this segment increases, manufacturers focus on introducing advanced technology for the product, fueling the segment's rapid growth.

Huge quantities of industrial-grade guar gum are used in the hydraulic fracking process for the extraction of shale oil and gas, and demand is anticipated to increase in tandem with the shale oil and gas industry. As a result of its widespread applications in the health industry, it is anticipated that the Pharmaceuticals segment will experience substantial growth.

The market is segmented by Function into Stabilizers and Emulsifiers, Thickening and Gelling Agents, Binders, and Friction Reducers. The stabilizer and Emulsifier segment has dominated the Market and held 54.38% of the global market share in 2021. This segment is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 6.9% over the foreseeable future. Guar Gum is used in ice cream as a stabilizer to increase viscosity and shelf life by preventing ice crystallization during storage. In personal care products, emulsifiers are used to combine water and essential oils.

The market is segmented by Application into Oils and Gas, Food and Beverage, and Pharmaceuticals and Cosmetics. In 2021, the oil and gas industry accounted for 37.62% of the guar gum market. Thanks to the North American shale gas boom. A rise in exploration and drilling activities around the world is anticipated to stimulate segment expansion. Due to its functional properties, such as gelling, thickening, and reducing friction, industrial-grade guar gum is predominantly used in the oil and gas industry. Increasing oil well drilling projects and shale gas production are driving demand for guar gum in the oil and gas industry. Shale oil and gas extraction industries consume approximately 90 percent of India and Pakistan's guar gum production.

The Food and Beverage segment was the second-largest application segment in the guar gum market in 2021, accounting for 32.74 percent of the market share. Demand for guar gum is anticipated to be driven during the forecast period by the rising popularity of organic foods and processed foods.

Recent Developments

• In March 2019, the leading guar gum powder manufacturer, VIKAS WSP Ltd, was granted permission to export their DP guar gum products for fertilizer stabilizing applications.
• In 2017, Ingredion Incorporated (United States) acquired TIC Gums Incorporated. (U.S.). This acquisition helped Ingredion Inc. strengthen its product portfolio as TIC Gums (U.S.), which offers advanced texture systems to the food & beverage industry, including a wide variety of guar gum products.
• In December 2016, the global leader in ingredient solutions, Ingredion Incorporated, acquired all outstanding shares of TIC Gums Incorporated. TIC Gums was permitted to use a variety of ingredients derived from agriculture, such as guar gum and acacia. These natural ingredients serve as the basis for innovative solutions and permit clean-label reformulation.
• In June 2015, Expansion Lucid Group began processing guar splits at its new guar splitting plant in Meglasiya, Rajasthan. This backward integration allowed Lucid Group to control its supply chain completely.
• In September 2014, International Finance Corporation invested $27.5 million in Lucid Colloids, an India-based guar gum producer. This investment supported the company's plans to establish two guar splitting plants in Rajasthan, a research and development center, and a guar gum plant in Gujarat.