Market Trends of Food Glazing Agents Industry
Rising Demand for Carnauba Wax and Stearic Acid is Supporting the Market's Growth
Glazing agents are used in ultra-processed foods (UPFs) as processing aids to improve the appearance and protect food. The increased demand for convenience and hyper-processed foods, such as ready-to-eat foods, ready-to-drink beverages, snacks, and frozen meals, is one of the significant factors driving the food glazing agents market across the world.
Food glazing agents are extensively used in these products to preserve the freshness, safety, taste, appearance, and texture of processed foods. For instance, carnauba wax is used as a thin coating for fruits and vegetables to preserve freshness and as a glazing agent for chocolate-coated bakery products, nuts, and sweets. Stearic acid is a coating agent that preserves freshness and prevents evaporation. Similarly, candelilla wax is used as a protective coating, a thickening agent, and sometimes as a vegan substitute for beeswax.
Ultra-processed foods are often made to look or taste more like a similar food, such as a microwaved burger with smoky flavorings. Rising consumer preference toward texture and appearance due to confectionery and bakery consumption, particularly in countries like China, India, and Brazil, is expected to drive the food glazing agents market in the mentioned countries. Such factors are driving the growth of food glazing agents in the ultra-processed food category.
Europe Holds a Prominent Share in the Market
Europe plays a crucial role in the food glazing agents industry, being a key player in the global market due to the high demand and prices of confectionery and bakery products. The region significantly contributes to the growth of cakes and bakery items, with a rise in the number of food processing units in recent years. For instance, in 2022, according to the Office for National Statistics (UK), the number of food product manufacturing enterprises in the United Kingdom was 2,020 in London, 14,20 in the South East, and 1,290 in the North West. The United Kingdom stands out as a profitable market for food additives due to its large consumer base and ongoing developments in new product launches and innovations.
Germany is the largest and fastest-growing food sweetener market in Europe. Germany also has a large domestic production of bakery products due to higher consumption. According to the Federal Office of Statistics, the production volume of fresh bread and bread rolls in Germany rose from 4.9 million tons in 2021 to 5.09 million tons in 2023. The country's growing bakery and confectionery industry is catering to the growth of the German glazing agents market. As Italy is a bread-loving nation, the demand for bakery and confectionery is high, and also a major consumer of food emulsifiers, thereby increasing the demand for food glazing agents across the region.
