Summary of Research Findings

Food additives are the substances often added to (or on) foods to meet the needs of food production, to improve its taste, preserve freshness, etc. For FY2020, the distribution volume of domestic food additives based on the shipment at manufacturers (as a total of 10 items: sweetener, flavors/flavor agent, food quality improver, thickening stabilizer, food color, emulsifier, acidulant, food enrichment, preservatives, and antioxidants) amounts to 2,874,000 tons, and the market size (the 10 items plus enzyme) is valued at 804,327 million yen.

Because of the self-imposed curfew during COVID-19 calamity, manufacturing fell mainly in beverages, foods for business use, confectionery gifts as souvenirs, and processed sea foods. The situation lessened the demand for food additives used for these products; in many product types of food additives, such as sweetener, flavors/flavor agent, emulsifier, and preservatives, distribution volume diminished. The distribution volume of food additives declined slightly in FY2020. Still, due to the soaring price of ingredients such as corn and locust bean gum, the market size for FY2020 showed moderate growth in value.

To maintain and grow business, it is important for the domestic food additive makers to procure raw materials sustainably and stably. For this sake, they are making various attempts, such as replacing costly ingredients with more accessible ingredients, securing production area for procurement of raw materials, making capital investments to streamline production, and recommending user companies to switch to synthetic ingredients.

Noteworthy Topics

Influence of COVID-19 Crisis on Food Additives Market

Viewing at the food additives market for FY2020, changes in consumer behavior led by COVID-19 calamity impacted products differently by type.

Since sales on vending machines, convenience stores, and restaurants dropped due to self-imposing curfew, demand diminished for vitamin C, which is added to soft drinks such as tea as sweeter or acidulant. Voluntary closures and shorter opening hours at restaurants generally dropped demand for food additives used for foods for business use. Demand for sweetener and food color used for confectionery gifts as souvenirs shrunk because of slowdown in tourism industry.

On the other hand, food additives for products for 'home-based' consumption, such as semi-prepped meal kit, noodles, bread/rolls, bulk snack foods, desserts at convenience stores, as well as those for alcoholic drinks consumed at home enjoyed strong sales. Moreover, health-conscious tendency increased by COVID-19 crisis gave rise to the demand for vitamins and food enrichments that are believed to boost immunity.

Research Outline