The phycocyanin market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.93%, reaching a market size of US$321.595 million in 2030 from US$230.077 million in 2025.
Phycocyanin, an algae-derived blue pigment, is produced from cyanobacteria, including Spirulina. This blue pigment is celebrated for its color as well as its health properties, including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits. Due to its nutritional and therapeutic uses, it is commonly found in beverages, dairy products, confectionery, dietary supplements, and cosmetics, as well as in natural food colors. The future of phycocyanin looks promising as demand for its natural properties continues to grow across various industries. Its potential applications are expected to expand with the increasing public interest in algal products and advancements in extraction technology, enhancing its viability as a natural ingredient in health and wellness.
Consumer demand for natural and clean-label products is one of the major drivers behind the development of the phycocyanin market. Recently, consumers have become increasingly aware of the rising demand for natural ingredients across food and beverage products, as well as supplements, thus boosting their popularity among health-conscious individuals who are aware of the potential harm caused by synthetic additives. Phycocyanin, a blue pigment derived from spirulina, is widely accepted as a natural food coloring due to its bright color and health benefits, including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. The movement toward natural colorants for clean-label products has significantly increased the demand for phycocyanin across various applications.
For instance, Nestlé has infused—and continues to infuse—a more sustainable and natural touch into its products by using phycocyanin as a natural colorant in beverages and confections. This aligns with the company's overall strategy to meet consumer demand for clean-label goods while minimizing environmental impact. The efforts of these significant players in the industry highlight how important phycocyanin will become in the food and beverage sectors, driving both innovation and market growth.
The constantly growing demand for powdered phycocyanin has been a major propelling factor for the global market of phycocyanin. The sector is highly inclined toward the usage of powdered phycocyanin as it is quite stable and remains for much longer while finding a lot of use across the food and beverage, dietary supplement, and cosmetic industries. Its compact structure makes transportation and storage easier and therefore reduces cost and increases supply chain productivity.
Further, the market is stepping ahead with increasing demand for powdered phycocyanin in all those industries that tend to require reliable, long-lasting natural colourants. Easy application in a formulation that has immediate solubility in beverages and certain cosmetic products makes liquid phytocyanin the second fastest-growing market. The easy use and rising demand for natural colourants, albeit with a shorter shelf life, and ready-to-use, have played a role in the steady development of the market for liquid phycocyanin.
The demand for phycocyanin is expected to flourish tremendously as spirulina gets hyped because of its abundant phycocyanin content and high acceptance in the nutrition and health industries. This blue-green algae is rich in protein and is one of the most potent sources of phycocyanin, the naturally occurring blue pigment associated with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Spirulina's popularity as a natural colourant and health supplement will increase the production and consumption of phycocyanin, further growing the market as consumer preference shifts toward these types of natural, functional ingredients.
The increase in synthetic colourants that are more stable and cheaper poses serious threats to phycocyanin market growth. Manufacturers invariably turned to synthetic colourants, even though they know natural ones are far superior, because of consistent performance, cheaper prices, and longer shelf life. In this light, synthetic colourants gain extra consideration when it comes to large-scale production in food and beverage manufacturing, where efficiency and cost become the main determinants in making decisions.
Moreover, the historic culture of using synthetic colourants continues to be the worst setback that has ever happened to the cause of phycocyanin, even when faced with the increased need for natural and clean-label products. New extraction and production technologies have made phycocyanin more competitive among recent developments. Companies are supporting research for increased output and stability of phycocyanin to cut prices and widen applications.
North America's phycocyanin market is growing due to growing applications of phycocyanin in various key industries, including food and beverage, personal care, and pharmaceutical sectors. Moreover, consumers are shifting to natural colours due to the increasing incidence of diseases associated with artificial colours, and this is projected to heighten the demand for the product over the period. According to some analysts, the strong US food and beverage and healthcare industries will be the strongest possible push for the phycocyanin market in that country. National spending increases in drug development are likely to favourably impact growth in the market, along with rising awareness of the use of these products as anticancer components. The growing requirement for functional beverages in the USA is then to be spurred by changes in lifestyles, further reinforcing market growth.
| Report Metric | Details |
|---|---|
| Study Period | 2021 to 2031 |
| Historical Data | 2021 to 2024 |
| Base Year | 2025 |
| Forecast Period | 2026 – 2031 |
| Report Metric | Details |
| Phycocyanin Market Size in 2025 | US$35.798 billion |
| Phycocyanin Market Size in 2030 | US$45.796 billion |
| Growth Rate | CAGR of 6.93% |
| Study Period | 2020 to 2030 |
| Historical Data | 2020 to 2023 |
| Base Year | 2024 |
| Forecast Period | 2025 – 2030 |
| Forecast Unit (Value) | USD Billion |
| Segmentation |
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| Geographical Segmentation | North America, South America, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Asia Pacific |
| List of Major Companies in the Phycocyanin Market | |
| Customization Scope | Free report customization with purchase |