North America Alginate Market

Market Overview

Alginate is a naturally occurring polysaccharide derived from brown algae. Sodium, calcium, and potassium alginate are commercially available in flagellated and granular forms and can entangle with water to make a viscous gum. Alginate is therefore widely used to stiffen foods such as jellies, jams, ice creams, marmalades, frozen desserts, chocolates, and instant noodles. Textile, paper, and pulp handling are only a few of its various uses. Alginate is superior to other regularly used thickening agents in terms of biocompatibility, cost-effectiveness, and toxicity. The global alginate market is expected to develop significantly due to rising demand for the product in the production of culinary products such as ice cream, yoghurt, and bakery goods. Furthermore, key regulatory authorities, such as the FDA and the European Commission, have approved the use of alginates in the food and beverage industry, fuelling demand. Due to its greater solubility at low pH levels, propylene glycol alginate (PGA) is used in salad dressings and brews. Alginates are also commonly found in juices, salad dressings, ice creams, spreads, flans, bakery creams, meat and fish coatings, confectionary, and a variety of health foods.

The North America alginate market size is expected to reach a valuation of USD 276.41 million by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 3.6% during the forecast period (2022–2030). Due to widespread product penetration in the pharmaceutical industry, the United States is one of the world's main markets for alginates. The country's wound care market is well-developed, as seen by the widespread use of cutting-edge wound care treatments, such as alginates.

Market Dynamics

Market Drivers

• Penetration of Alginate in the Food Industry Is Increasing: Alginate is primarily utilised as an emulsifier, thickening agent, and gelling agent in the food sector. The strong demand for alginate in the food business is mostly due to its growing acceptance, which is fuelled by readily available raw materials. Sauces, pastry products, and confectionery items are all made with the product. Food and beverage industry expansion in North America is expected to be a significant driver for the shift due to rising domestic demand.

• Increased Usage in Pharmaceutical Industry: In the pharmaceutical sector, alginate is used as an emulsion stabiliser, thickening agent, disintegrant, and film-forming agent for tablets. Over the forecast period, increased demand for alginate in tablet coatings is likely to drive product demand. Sodium alginate is used as a capsule disintegrant, as well as a stabilising, suspending, emulsifying, gel-forming, and viscosity-increasing agent in compounded pharmaceuticals. Due to its low or benign nature, biocompatibility, and biodegradability, the product is getting a lot of traction in the drug manufacturing industry in North America.

Market Restraints

• Negative Environmental Impact on Seaweed Production: Due to unsustainable production processes, seaweed harvesting has major environmental and economic consequences. Climate change and overexploitation have an impact on seaweed harvests, which are predominantly from wild stocks. Unsustainable harvesting techniques in regions of conservation value, for example, have been discovered to disrupt animals by one of the major seaweed harvesters. As a result, there was a greater requirement for sustainable harvesting techniques, resulting in a decrease in the amount of seaweed produced. Concerns about environmental deterioration have arisen as the output of seaweeds from aquaculture has increased. Concerns about the detrimental impact of unsustainable farming are also expected to hinder seaweed growth, putting more pressure on the North American alginate market in the coming years.

Market Opportunities

• Fast Expanding Pharmaceutical Industry in North America: The pharmaceutical industry of North America has been expanding due to breakthroughs in science and technology. In the coming years, this trend is projected to continue, particularly in developing countries such as the United States, Canada, and Mexico. These economies have enormous market potential in the region's pharmaceutical business. These countries are evolving into markets that are equivalent to their mature Western counterparts in terms of size and nature. At the same time, these economies are growing more stable, making them even more appealing to global corporations looking to establish manufacturing plants and invest. Over the projection period, an increase in pharmaceutical exports from these nations is expected to raise alginate product demand.

Regional Analysis

By 2030, the North America alginate market is estimated to be worth USD 276.41 million, growing at a CAGR of 3.6% over the forecast period (2022–2030) and it is the second-largest market across the globe. Due to its widespread application in the pharma industry in North America, rising R&D spending is likely to increase demand for alginate over the forecast period. Over the projected period, increased consumer demand for culinary products such as chicken and beef nuggets, ice cream, and yoghurt in the region is expected to boost the need for alginate.

The United States is one of the world's largest markets for alginates, because of its significant product penetration in the pharmaceutical business. The wound care market in the country is well-developed, as seen by the widespread usage of cutting-edge wound care therapies such alginates.

This tendency is expected to continue in the coming years, particularly in developing countries like the United States, Canada, and Mexico. In the region's pharmaceutical industry, these economies offer considerable market potential.

Over the projected period, the Alginate market in Canada is expected to grow due to rising demand for convenience foods in the country. Due to the existence of numerous manufacturing and global food processing companies, the industry has grown, resulting in increasing demand for alginates and

The alginates market in Mexico is expanding at a rapid pace, owing to rising demand for alginates in food and drinks, as well as personal care products and the trend is anticipated to remain the same during the forecasted period.

Segmental Analysis

The North America alginate market is divided into four categories: product, type, application, and geography.

Sodium alginate, calcium alginate, potassium alginate, propylene glycol alginate, and others make up the region’s alginate market. In terms of volume, the sodium alginate segment is the most important, accounting for roughly 41.4% of the business. Over the projected period, an increase in demand for sodium alginate as an active dyestuff in the food & beverage, pharmaceutical, and textile industries is expected to fuel market expansion.

Although the product's consumption volume is relatively low, sodium alginate is widely used as a sizing agent in the paper sector. The substance is frequently used in the food sector as a thickening and gelling agent. In the food industry, sodium alginate is used to make sauces, dressings, whipped cream, and jellies, among other things. The application of sodium alginate in tissue engineering, medicinal formulations, and clinical wound therapy is likely to drive market expansion because to its outstanding physicochemical and biocompatible qualities. Furthermore, the pharmaceutical industry's manufacture of sophisticated sodium alginate-based solutions, such as gel matrix tablets, to promote targeted intestinal absorption is expected to boost market expansion.

The region’s alginate market is split into two types: High M and High G. The market is dominated by High G. Alginates with a high guluronic acid content are known as high G alginates. Food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals are among the applications for these items. The chain structure of high G-type alginates is buckled, and gel formation is slower than that of high M-type alginates.

In alginate-based medical dressings, the composition of high G and high M blocks differs depending on the manufacturer. Because of the product's improved gelling capabilities, high G alginate has a higher demand among food and beverage consumers. A higher G block concentration in the product leads to increased product flexibility, which is one of the desirable characteristics for its use in the pharmaceutical business and is projected to drive market expansion.

The region’s alginate market is segmented into culinary, pharmaceutical, industrial, and other applications. The food application category dominates the market in terms of revenue. Due to increased disposable income and high food consumption, as well as an increase in the worldwide population, the food business is expected to grow rapidly during the next eight years.

Furthermore, due to increased health-related concerns, the growing use of organically sourced goods such as alginate as a food ingredient is projected to emerge as the key driver for the alginate market's expansion. Ester alginate of propylene glycol is predicted to find rising demand in the region as a thickening agent, stabiliser, and flavouring adjuvant due to its improved product stability and performance throughout a wide temperature range.

Recent Developments

• Algaia began experimenting with seaweed-based biostimulants. The product was created specifically for leeks and is expected to take the place of chemical fungicides.