Food Thickeners Market

Global Food Thickeners Market Size 

The size of the global food thickeners market was expected to be worth USD 12.46 billion in 2024 and is anticipated to be worth USD 21.41 billion by 2033 from USD 13.23 billion in 2025, growing at a CAGR of 6.20% during the forecast period. Thickeners are mainly used in foods to increase viscosity. They are mostly used in bakery and confectionery products to avoid the deformation of the product.

Food thickeners are food agents that help increase the consistency or thickness of a food without affecting the taste or other properties of the food. Food thickeners absorb liquids from beverages and concentrate them. In the food and beverage industry, these thickeners are widely used to increase the viscosity of drinks, including sauces and puddings combined with food and various ingredients. Food thickeners are used or applied to substances that increase the consistency or thickness of a solution without changing the taste or properties. When a food thickener is added to the drink, the thickener absorbs the liquid, and the drink becomes concentrated.

The removal of the thickener reverses the established action, and almost all the water in the drink is provided as a liquid that is absorbed by the body. Food thickeners are used in the food and beverage industry to increase the viscosity of food and beverages, such as puddings and sauces, along with various ingredients such as gelatin, eggs, and starch, such as wheat flour, rice flour, corn starch and arrowroot. Furthermore, food thickeners can be defined as specially modified vegetable gums, food starch or polysaccharides. Food thickeners absorb liquid and are added to beverages as the liquid concentrates. Vegetable gums commonly used as food thickeners are agar-agar, lignin, pectin, gums and alanine, grasshopper bean gum. The introduction of prepared foods and the increasing demand for sugar-free confectionery products are expected to play an essential role in driving market demand.

MARKET DRIVERS

Lifestyle changes, higher disposable income, and higher consumer spending on convenience and processed foods are supposed to drive market growth during the outlook period positively.

The global industry is defined by the appearance of numerous manufacturers of food thickeners worldwide. The leading players in the market have adopted a variety of strategies, such as joint ventures, acquisitions, collaborations, and contracts, to gain a competitive advantage. These key players are also actively investing in regional expansion strategies and new product launches. Food thickeners are increasingly used in a variety of beverages, such as fruit pulp, juices, and energy drinks, as they help improve food texture without achieving the desired viscosity and degrading nutritional value. Market growth is expected to accelerate as demand for these beverages increases due to their favorable properties.

Factors such as increased demand for prepared foods, consumers who prefer a healthy lifestyle, increased awareness of a healthy diet, and various benefits and functions associated with food thickeners will accelerate demand for food thickeners in the global market. Food concentrator manufacturers continue to work on product innovation to expand their product portfolio and invest heavily. All of these factors are driving the food concentrator market. Other factors contributing to the market growth are improvements in the functional and other sensory properties of the product. Food thickener manufacturers continue to invest and focus on product innovation to continue expanding their product portfolio and improve functional features such as aroma, texture and other organoleptic properties of the product, driving demand in the global market for thickeners of foods.

Moving consumer preferences toward healthier diets and better sensory properties will increase the size of the food thickener market. As the demand for nutritional convenience products has increased, the use of thickeners has increased due to beneficial properties, including emulsion and palatability of ingredients, accelerating industrial growth. Thickeners change the viscosity of diet preparations, beneficially serving indigestion patients with functional features, including bolus control, lung aspiration, and ease of swallowing, driving growth in the global market.

MARKET RESTRAINTS

Factors that inhibit market growth are the high costs involved in research and development of food thickener production and changes made to raw materials, which have a negative impact.

REPORT COVERAGE

SEGMENTAL ANALYSIS

By Type Insights

The Hydrocolloids segment holds the largest market share, accounting for more than 41% of the global revenue in 2019. Hydrocolloids, including alginate, pectin, locust bean gum, guar gum, xanthan gum, carrageenan gum, and beta-glucan, are widely used in the food and beverage industry due to their ability to enhance viscosity, stabilize emulsions, and improve texture. Their stable nature under low pH conditions and fiber-rich composition make them valuable in various applications, such as sugar substitutes in whipped creams, wheat flour substitutes in cookies, and bulking agents in ice cream and yogurt.

The Starch segment is anticipated to witness a CAGR of 5.5% from 2020 to 2027. Starch is widely used as a food thickener due to its high viscosity, stability, and low cost. Major sources of starch include tapioca, rice, wheat, and corn. It is commonly used to provide a thick-base texture to sauces and soups, improving mouthfeel and texture without imparting any foreign taste when used in appropriate concentrations. The growing demand for gluten-free products is also expected to drive the use of starch as a food thickener.

By Source Insights

The Plant source segment dominates the market, accounting for approximately 65.4% of the global revenue in 2023. This dominance is driven by the rising demand for natural and clean-label ingredients. Consumers are increasingly seeking food products free from synthetic additives and chemicals, favoring plant-based thickeners such as pectin, guar gum, and starches. These thickeners are widely used in products like jams, jellies, sauces, and dairy alternatives, aligning well with consumer preferences for natural ingredients.

The Microbial source segment is the fastest-growing, with a projected CAGR of 5.91% during 2022-2031. Microbial thickeners, such as xanthan gum and gellan gum, are produced through fermentation processes involving microorganisms. These thickeners offer consistent performance and stability in various food formulations, making them valuable in applications like beverages, sauces, and bakery products. The growth in this segment is attributed to advancements in fermentation technologies and increased research and development efforts, leading to improved product offerings and expanded applications.

By Application Insights

The Bakery & Confectionery segment holds the largest market share, accounting for approximately 38.6% of the global food thickeners market in 2023. This dominance is driven by the essential role of thickeners in providing texture and stability to baked goods and sweets. Thickeners are crucial in enhancing the consistency, moisture retention, and shelf life of products like cakes, pastries, cookies, and candies.

The Beverages segment is the fastest-growing, with a projected CAGR of 6.0% from 2022 to 2031. Thickeners are utilized in beverages to improve mouthfeel, stability, and consistency. They help in suspending particulates, preventing separation, and ensuring a uniform drinking experience in products like smoothies, milkshakes, and nutritional drinks. The increasing demand for functional and ready-to-drink beverages is a key factor driving the growth of this segment.

REGIONAL ANALYSIS

The Asia-Pacific region is likely to secure large quantities in the global market. One factor contributing to this growth is the increased consumption of many types of food concentrators in the Asia Pacific market. This is because food and beverage manufacturers are playing an essential role in terms of health, improving functional functions, including texture and taste, and are starting to innovate products. The Indian commodity market is expected to increase at a compound annual rate of 7.1% during the forecast period. The country's high growth rate is attributed to growth in the food and beverage industry, rising disposable income, and changes in consumer food preferences. Therefore, this factor is anticipated to drive demand for bakery and confectionery products and the food thickener industry.

The rapid expansion of the food and beverage industry in Venezuela, Peru, Brazil and Argentina is presumed to accelerate the growth of food hubs in Central Africa and South Africa. Changes in food patterns, rapid urbanization, and increased disposable income of citizens in this region are foreseen to promote growth in the end-use sector, which in turn will drive demand for products. Due to the high consumption of hydrocolloids, starches, proteins and starch derivatives, North America will achieve a high value in the food thickener market, as it is increasingly used in food and beverage applications. Europe is also showing significant market growth.

KEY PLAYERS IN THE GLOBAL FOOD THICKENERS MARKET

Major key players in the global food thickeners market are CP Kelco, Archer Daniels Midland Company, Cargill Inc, Tate & Lyle PLC, E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, TIC Guns, Ashland Specialty Ingredients, Ingredion Incorporated and Others.

DETAILED SEGMENTATION OF THE GLOBAL FOOD THICKENERS MARKET INCLUDED IN THIS REPORT

This research report on the global food thickeners market has been segmented and sub-segmented based on type, source, application, and region.

By Type

• Hydrocolloids        
• Protein        
• Starch

By Source

• Plant  
• Animal        
• Microbial     

By Application

• Bakery         
• Confectionery        
• Sauces        
• Beverages    
• Marinades & Gravies        
• Dairy 
• Convenience Foods          

By Region

• North America
• Europe
• The Asia Pacific
• Latin America
• The Middle East and Africa