Market Overview

Starch derivatives, also known as modified starch, are prepared by enzymatically, physically or chemically treating native starch to alter its properties. Starch derivatives are used in a number of industries for various functions.

They are used as thickeners and stabilizers in the food and beverage industry, as a tablet binder in the pharmaceutical industry, as an emulsifier in cosmetics, and fiber additive in the animal feed. Some of the other functions of starch derivatives are flocculation, adhesiveness, film-forming, pH stability improvement, and shear stability, acid stability, and process tolerance enhancement.

It is possible to modify starches to increase their stability against excessive heat, cooling, acid, time, shear or freezing; to change their texture; and to increase or decrease their viscosity, depending on the application. The different stakeholders in the industry are product manufacturers, raw material suppliers, and processors.

Based on type, the market is classified into various segments such as Maltodextrin, Cyclodextrin, Glucose Syrup, Hydrolysates, and Modified Starch. Among these, glucose syrup holds a major market share, whereas Maltodextrin has the highest demand in the market. Glucose syrup finds its applications in various industries such as paper, feeds, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics.

Glucose syrup is often employed as a flavor enhancer, texture agent, volume-adding agent, and inhibitor of sugar from crystallizing in drinks. On the basis of application, the starch derivatives market is classified as Food & Beverages, Feed, Paper, Cosmetics, Pharmaceuticals, Bio-Ethanol, and other industrial applications. Among these, starch derivatives find their key application in food and beverages.

Increasing demand for convenience food and beverages in developing countries, rise in population, and increasing per-capita income are some of the key factors propelling the growth of starch derivatives market. Companies are investing large amounts of their capital on research and development.

These developments are bettering the prospects of starch derivative products in the global market. In addition, starch plays an important role in the bio-fuel, glue production, textile weaving and finishing, and the fermentation industries. However, implementation of bio-fuel policies and increasing raw material prices are some of the factors hindering the growth of the starch derivatives market.

Asia Pacific is the leading starch derivatives market and is likely to achieve the highest growth rate in the near future. This is due to the emerging economies of the two most populated countries in the world, namely, China and India. The starch derivatives market in North America and Europe is saturated. The demand for starch derivatives is increasing in Brazil and Argentina as these two countries have the fastest growth rate in the world.

Key players operating in the starch derivatives market include AGRANA Investment Corp., Archer Daniels Midland Company, Cargill Incorporated, and AVEBE.

Other prominent vendors present in the starch derivatives market are Tate & Lyle, RAQUETTE, Emsland-Starke Gmbh, Ingredion Incorporated, Grain Processing Corporation, BENEO, INGREDION INCORPORATED, LASENOR EMUL, S.L., Lipoid GmbH, Stern-Wywiol Gruppe GmbH & Co. KG, and Penford Corporation.