Rising Application of Plant Sourced Antimicrobials in Food Preservatives Will Support the Natural Antimicrobials Market Growth Globally

Published On: March 2018

Global Natural Antimicrobials Market– Trends and Forecast till 2023

Natural antimicrobials are mainly derived from three sources which include plant source, microorganism, and animal source. The appropriate type of natural antimicrobials is used in various food products which is completely based on the nature and ingredients contained in food products. Microorganism sourced natural antimicrobials are used in dairy and meat products as they act against many gram-positive bacteria and especially, those that produce heat-resistant spores but have no or little activity against Gram-negative bacteria, yeasts, and molds. Some natural antimicrobials are undefined fermentates such as the Danisco MicroGARD range. They are less powerful than defined antimicrobials, but in the U.S. they are not subject to strict legislation and can be labeled as ‘fermented dextrose powder’ or ‘fermented milk powder’.

Fate of Natural Antimicrobials in the Global Market

The advancement and nonstop development of food preservation methods throughout the years have been fundamental for rising demand of natural antimicrobials. Continuous development of microorganisms, parasites, and other small-scale life forms are helping the food manufacturers to increase the shelf life. Natural antimicrobials market is highly influenced by rising health awareness and demand for chemical-free food preservatives in developed countries. New preservative solutions can be efficiently extracted from plant and microbes. Extraction of natural antimicrobials from herbs & spices would result in increased revenue of natural preservative market. Large-scale extraction of pure antimicrobial compounds from these will require strong R&D focus and investment. Strengthening this area will widen the opportunity for manufacturers to build product portfolio and business position in global antimicrobials market.  

The global natural antimicrobials market has witnessed constant demand during the last few years and is projected to reach USD 826.89 million at a CAGR of 7.38% by 2023. Rising demand for clean-label as well as vegan food products creates enormous opportunity for the manufacturers of natural antimicrobials to increase their production capacity of plant-based natural antimicrobials. Hence, the sector is projected to experience a boost during the review period. Additionally, the demand for essential oils and plant extract is also estimated to increase which further creates an opportunity for new players to enter the market and generate high revenue.

Globally, essential oils dominate the plant sourced antimicrobials market with a major market share in the year 2017. Among various essential oils, citrus oils will witness a higher growth rate of during the forecast period due to increasing application of citrus oils in various beverages and food products.

Market share of Natural Antimicrobials by Type in 2017

Plant-sourced natural antimicrobials hold a major market share of 41.84% in the year 2017. Based on the various compounds, plant-sourced microbial are further divided into essential oil, phytoalexins, phenolics, and others.The antimicrobial compounds present in plant materials are commonly found in the essential oil fractions obtained by steam or supercritical distillation, pressing, or extraction by liquid or volatile solvents. The more efficient the extraction, the greater is the range of compounds present in the extract. Furthermore, terpenes may have other antimicrobial mechanisms. It is suggested that essential oils may inhibit yeast enzymes resulting in energy depletion and interference with synthesis of structural components.

Significant contribution from Europe region:

Natural antimicrobials market has a strong presence in North America as the majority of key players are located in this region. Large cheese production and increasing demand for chemical-free food preservatives are changing the dynamics of natural antimicrobials market in North America. In the U.S., application of animal source natural antimicrobials in dairy & frozen desserts holds major market share in the year 2017 whereas, application in meat products will witness higher growth rate during the forecast period. Europe has very robust regulations policies for the use of preservatives as most of the preservative are only permitted to be used in certain foods and are subject to specific quantitative limits set by the European Union legislation. Availability of resources and government support is playing a major role in the market growth in China and India which is driving the growth of the market in Asia Pacific region.

Natural Antimicrobials Market Analyst View

Key players are more focusing on natural antimicrobials derived from plant and microorganism compared to the animal-sourced microbial due to increasing demand for natural food preservatives for vegan consumers. Research & development activities will also play the major role in upcoming years, and the market will be influenced by few key players especially in developed economies. Increasing demand for natural antimicrobials will support the growth of overall food preservative market across the globe. Growing popularity of organic, gluten-free, and other clean label commodities are directly influencing the positive growth of natural antimicrobials market. However, extraction and purification of antimicrobials compounds is a very critical process and to overcome this; manufacturers need to come up with ideas to reduce the cost by reducing efficient extraction process