Folic Acid Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Application (Food & Beverages, Pharmaceuticals, Nutraceuticals), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2018 - 2025

Industry Insights

The global folic acid market size was valued at USD 665.2 million in 2015. The use of advanced medical technologies for manufacturing high-quality folic acid tablets to be used as an essential supplement during pregnancy is expected to impact future market growth positively. Folate consumption helps to minimize the risk of congenital disabilities such as neural tube defects (NTDs/) in infants.

Folic acids or vitamin B9 is a form of water-soluble vitamin required by the body to manufacture red blood cells, and lack of the substance causes anemia. Also, it is involved in the normal body growth & development, production of genetic materials such as DNA and RNA, and several other bodily functions. Daily usage of vitamin B9 tablets has proved to be safe for consumption with no health side effects.

U.S. folic acid market volume, by application, 2014 - 2025 (Metric Tons)

China is a key manufacturer of folic acid in the world. Due to the execution of the Environmental Protection Law in mid-2015, a few Chinese producers were compelled to close down operations, prompting to worldwide supply squeeze and cost increments.

Addition of vitamin B9 powder in food grains and pulses to increase folic acid food fortification has been made compulsory in many developed economies such as the U.S., New Zealand, UK, and Australia, thus boosting the further market demand in the coming years. These products have promising applications in the medical sector and are widely used as nutrition supplements in pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, food, beverages, animal/agriculture feed, cosmetics, and others.

Despite a relative abundance of folic acid in food products, its deficiency is frequent and can arise as a consequence of chronic illness, poor diet, malabsorption, and drugs. Folic acid is widely used as feed additives to enhance nutrient uptake and provide nourishment to the animals, if lack of it, poultry and livestock lead to poor feather growth and loss of appetite.

Application Insights

The application segment includes food beverages, pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, and others. Folic acid is widely used in the nutritional therapy to treat nervous system, urinary, and cardiovascular system disorders in the pharmaceutical sector. In the nutraceuticals industry, this product is utilized in the production of vitamin supplementary tablets, powders, and in cosmetics. It is extensively used as skin-care products for pregnant women in the cosmetics sector.

Folate is available as an oral preparation-both in combination with other minerals and vitamins, or alone and as an aqueous solution for injection purposes. It is added to a variety of food products such as flour, breakfast cereals, salt, soft drinks, beverages, and baby foods. Rising market demand from end-users is expected to augment vitamin b9 production and demand in the coming nine years.

Folic acid market share by application, 2015

Regional Insights

Asia Pacific was the most dominant regional market and held over 30% of the total industry demand in 2015. Therapeutic and medical sectors are the major cash cow of the region. Huge investment in product innovation and R&D facilities are frequently witnessed in the region. Increased manufacturing base in the area coupled with implementation of advanced technologies and expertise is expected to trigger the regional growth over the next nine years.

Europe witnessed remarkable growth for folic acid materials. The existence of stringent regulation about consumption of additional nutraceuticals along with proper diet has been responsible for such demand. Moreover, favorable regulations and amendments by the European Union are expected to drive the regional growth over the forecast period.

Folic Acid Market Share Insights

Key industry players operating in the global folic acid market include BASF SE, Zydus Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Medicamen Biotech Ltd., Jiangxi Tianxin Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., DSM N.V., and Emcure Pharmaceuticals Ltd. The industry is concentrated with the top few players and is characterized by continuous developments, diversified product portfolio, and increasing regional presence. Acquisition and new product development are some key strategies adopted by the industry players to increase their revenue share as well as improving their value chain integration.

Most of the key market players such as Jiangxi Tianxin Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. and Xinjiang Wujiaqu Xingnong Cycle Chemical Co. Ltd. have concentrated on capacity expansion across China. In September 2016, Xinjiang Wujiaqu Xingnong Cycle Chemical Co. Ltd. announced their plans to build a folic acid manufacturing plant with a capacity of 100 tons per annum in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomus Region, with a total investment of USD 4.7 million.

Report Scope

Segments covered in the report

This report forecasts volume and revenue growth and provides an analysis on the industry trends in each of the sub-segments from 2014 to 2025. For the purpose of this study, Grand View Research has segmented the global folic acid market on the basis of application, and region:

• Application Outlook (Volume, Metric Tons; Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025)

  • Food & beverages

  • Pharmaceuticals

  • Nutraceuticals

  • Others

• Regional Outlook (Volume, Metric Tons; Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025)

  • North America

    • The U.S.

  • Europe

    • Germany

    • UK

    • France

    • Italy

    • Spain

  • Asia Pacific

    • China

    • India

    • Japan

    • Australia

  • Middle East & Africa

  • Central & South America