Food Grade Citric Acid Market Size, Share, Opportunities, And Trends By Form (Powder, Liquid), By End-User (Retail, Food Service), By Application (Beverages, Bakery & Confectionery, Dairy Products, Savory Products, Others), And By Geography - Forecasts From 2024 To 2029

The food-grade citric acid market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.49%, reaching a market size of US$3.941 billion in 2029 from US$3.017 billion in 2024.

Citric acid, also known as citrate, is a naturally concentrated acid that can be found in a variety of fruits and vegetables, commonly lemons and limes, and has low pH levels, which are between 3 and 6 in the pH scale. Citric acid is commonly used as a food additive for natural flavouring and as a preservative, which has a wide range of benefits such as preservation of food, antioxidant, helping kill harmful bacteria and infection on the skin’s surface, helps in brightening skin, correcting dark spots, and minimize fine lines, and has a wide range of application in commercial cleaning products. 

Introduction:

The global food-grade citric acid market will be expected to witness an increase in growth during the forecasted period, due to the increasing consumption of processed foods in the market, leading to an increase in demand for citric acid as a food additive in processed food products. 

Market Drivers:

• Increasing consumption of processed foods: Processed foods are one of the major users of citric acid in the market. The increase in consumption will provide a necessary boost in the food-grade citric acid market growth because citric acid is known to be used as a food additive that provides natural flavour to food products. It is also known for being used as an emulsifying agent and preservative and is most commonly used in canned and jarred food products to help in the prevention of botulism. Processed food products make use of citric acid due to such properties, which drives the market growth along with the growth in consumption of food products. For instance, the World Health Organization states that the total processed food sector in India has displayed a CAGR of 15.32% between 2011 and 2021, among which the total retail sales volume displayed a CAGR of 7.16%. The products that accounted for the majority of the growth increase include chocolate and sugar confectioneries, ready-made and convenience foods, and beverages, which accounted for 39%, 22%, and 19%, respectively, in the share of the market. The COVID-19 pandemic played an important role in the growth of the market, which displayed a significant increase in the processed food market growth and the total sales of processed food and beverage products. In 2021, Chocolate and sugar confectionery displayed a retail sales value of 8.64% and a volume of 4.01%, and Chocolate and sugar confectionery displayed a retail sales value and volume of 14.68% and 10.91%, respectively. The increasing significance of processed food and beverages in the market will drive the food-grade citric acid market growth, due to the dependency on citric acid in the food and beverage industry as a food additive and preservative. 

Key Players:

• Gadot Biochemical Industries Ltd. (GBI): A global multinational company known for the manufacturing and marketing of ingredients and fortifying minerals for the food, beverage, nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, and detergent industries, with a wide range of products which include sodium citrate, potassium citrate, calcium citrate, magnesium citrate, and many others.
• Cargill, Incorporated: A global leader and a food corporation known for its products and services in food, agriculture, and industrial applications. They are also known for the production of citric acid, which comes in liquid and anhydrous forms. 

Regional Analysis:

The North American region is expected to witness significant growth in the food-grade citric acid market during the forecasted period. The United States accounts for the majority of the growth in the region, due to the high levels of processed food consumption. Citric Acid is known to be a common ingredient in processed food and beverage products because citric acid acts as an emulsifying agent and preservative and is added to many canned and jarred food products for the prevention of botulism.  The United States accounts for one of the highest consumers of processed food and beverage products in the world and is expected to increase along with the steady increase of urbanization. Urbanization is one of the key factors that propel the consumption of processed foods, due to the increase in the number of people with busy lifestyles coupled with the increasing urbanization rate leads to an increase in demand for convenience food products. This allows consumers to have a quick snack or food consumption in between their busy schedules. The United States accounts for approximately 59% of the total world processed food consumption and will be expected to increase at a steady pace during the forecasted period. Also, the North American region has the highest level of urbanization as of 2022, with an estimated percentage of 83% of the total North American population. The significance of urbanization will further drive the growth of consumption of processed foods, helping boost the regional food-grade citric acid market growth during the forecast period. 

Market Developments:

• November 2022: Gadot Biochemicals Industries Ltd announced the release of their innovative blend of Calcium citrate and magnesium citrate for optimal bone health, dubbed Cal2Mag. This product is a composition of Calcium Citrate and Magnesium Citrate, which was submitted to a unique granulation process with a binder addition and helps in the prevention of osteoporosis, which is a disorder that affects the durability of the bones in the human body. Citrates support the reduction of kidney stones, and absorption is independent of the timing, further boosting the added value and absorbability of the product for the human body. The benefits of the product include high bioavailability, high mineral content, neutral flavour, mineral absorption is independent of gastric acid secretion, which will not cause stomach aches and can be taken on an empty stomach or with a meal, low interference with other minerals, and good compatibility with other nutrients.

Segmentation:

• By Form:
  • Powder
  • Liquid
• By End-User:
  • Retail
  • Food Service
• By Application:
  • Beverages
  • Bakery & Confectionery
  • Dairy Products
  • Savory Products
  • Others
• By Geography:
  • North America
    • United States
    • Canada
    • Mexico
  • South America
    • Brazil
    • Argentina
    • Others
  • Europe
    • United Kingdom
    • Germany
    • France
    • Italy
    • Spain
    • Others
  • Middle East and Africa
    • Saudi Arabia
    • UAE
    • Others
  • Asia Pacific
    • Japan
    • China
    • India
    • South Korea
    • Taiwan
    • Thailand
    • Indonesia
    • Others