Sodium Nitrite Market Analysis

Global Sodium Nitrite Market Overview

Sodium Nitrite Market size is projected to reach approximately USD 0.2416 Billion by 2032, at a CAGR of 3.9% from 2024 to 2032. 

Sodium nitrite is an antioxidant and a salt used to cure meat like hot dogs, bacon, and ham. This salt hampers the growth of botulism-causing bacteria and averts spoilage. In addition, it provides cured meats with their characteristic flavor and color. It is coded as E250 by the European Union (EU).  The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) expert committee on food additives has statedan acceptable daily intake (ADI) of 0-0.06 mg/kg. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) specifications state that sodium nitrite content should not exceed 200ppm in finished products. Using sodium nitrite is banned in countries including Sweden, Norway, Germany, and Canada.

COVID-19 Impact Analysis

The impact of COVID-19 has negatively affected the distribution and sales of different products across several industries. Many countries worldwide are under lockdown and have sealed their borders to control the spread of the virus. The impact of COVID-19 on logistics has disturbed the supply of raw materials. Owing to this, the production capacity has decreased and, thus, there is a shortage of products. These factors are likely to cause a price rise in products in the short run.

The supply chain of the sodium nitrate market comprises manufacturers, distributors, and end user. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the supply chain, as many countries are under lockdown and have sealed their borders to control the spread of the virus. The global economy is struggling with the pandemic situation currently. Due to this, it has impacted the global sodium nitrate market. The impact is growing owing to the rapid weakening of global investment flows. Moreover, the government has imposed strict containment and preventive measures in several countries for controlling the impact of the outbreak. This has led to a significant restriction in transportation, driving a knock-on effect globally. These effects are expected to continue owing to the uncertainty in the global market and measures to address the supply/demand imbalance.

However, the demand for sodium nitrateis expected to experience a positive impact as the consumers are demanding natural and healthy food owing to the COVID. This has resulted in the rising demand for sodium nitratein recent years. This, in turn, has helped in the growth of the global sodium nitrate market.

Market Dynamics

The global sodium nitrite market has witnessed moderate growth in recent years. The anti-meat spoilage potency of sodium nitrite also fights the effects of bacterial overgrowth that leads to unfavorable meat characteristics like undesirable meat odor, rancidity in meat products, and unacceptable flavor. The increasing adoption of organic farming practices across the globe is also creating an opportunistic market for the players which are offering sodium nitrite for fertilizer applications.

Drivers

• Increasing Adoption of Organic Farming Practices in Emerging Economies

The growing demand for organic products worldwide has led small-scale farmers in developing economies to implement organic farming practices. Growth is especially high in emerging economies such as Brazil, China,India, and Argentina, owing to the rising awareness among farmers about the hazards of chemical fertilizers. Considerable investments are being made in organic production in these countries in an effort to shift away from conventional farming practices. In Asia-Pacific, there was a large market for organic packaged food products in Japan and South Korea. However, there have been substantial developments in countries including China and India recently. The focus of the agricultural sector in such countries is shifting from exports to consumption of domestic products. Support of government for promoting organic farming also plays animportant role. In Thailand, the government launched a large-scale project in 2017 for farmers to receive financial support for buying organic seeds, reducing their dependence on pesticides, and building physical barriers to prevent contamination from neighboring farmlands. This scheme was launched with the aim to reduce the area of standard rice cultivation by 1m rai (160,000 ha) by 2022. Thus, a shift to organic farming practices in emerging economies offers lucrative growth opportunities to market players.

Restraint

• Risk of Excess Usage of Sodium Nitrate

Excessive consumption of sodium nitrate causes many health problems such as colorectal cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, heart disease, leukemia, and stomach, ovarian, pancreatic, esophageal, and thyroid cancers. Sodium nitrate is used as a preservative in the production of some processed meats, such as jerky, bacon, and luncheon meats. This can lead toan increase inthe risk of heart disease. Nitrates can also affect the way body uses sugar, which may develop diabetes. These health-related risks of excessive use of sodium nitrate can be a restraining factor for the global sodium nitrate market.

Opportunity

• Increasing Demand for Convenience Snacks

Rapid changes in consumer tastes and preferences in recent years, along with the changing lifestyles,have created a high dependency on convenience snacks such as hot dogs and bacon. The trend of consuming convenience snacks took place in western countries and has spread in other regions rapidly.

Segmentations

By Grade

Based on grade, the global sodium nitrite market has been divided into food-grade and industrial grade. The food-grade segment accounted for the largest market share in 2020 and is expected to rise at a decentrate during the forecast period. The increasing product demand from the food industry for food preservation is likely to drive the demand for foodgrades.

By Application

By application, the global sodium nitrite market has been segmented as food processing, fertilizer, pharmaceutical, rubber processing, and others. The food processing segment recorded the largest market share in 2020 and is expected to rise at a decent pace during the forecast period. The increasing demand to inhibit the growth of bacterial spores that causes botulism is anticipated to drive the demand for sodium nitrite for food processing application.

Global Sodium Nitrite Market Share, by Region, 2020 (%)Sources: MRFR Analysis

Regional Analysis

By region, the global sodium nitrite market has been divided into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Rest of the World.North America held the largest market share in 2020. Asia-Pacific is projected to exhibit the highest CAGR during the review period.

• North America

North America dominated the global sodium nitrite market in 2020 and is also expected to dominate the market during the forecast period. The increasing preference forready-to-eat food products is likely to drive the demand for the sodium nitrite industry during the forecast period. Furthermore, high meat demand in the US is expectedto support the growth of the sodium nitrite. According to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), red meat and poultry consumption was 222.4 pounds on a per capita retail weight basis.

• Asia-Pacific

Asia-Pacific is expected to grow at the fastest pace during the forecast period. The growth of the sodium nitrite market in the Asia-Pacific region is anticipated to be driven by various factors, with countries such as China, Japan, and India are majorly driving the growth owing to several factors such as rising per capita disposable income coupled with a shift in taste and preference for international food cuisines. China has accounted for the significant market share in the Asia-pacific market of sodium nitrite in 2024 and estimated to retain its dominance throughout the forecast period.

Competitive Landscape

The market comprises tier-1, tier-2, and local players. The tier-1 and tier-2 players have reach across the globe with diverse product portfolios. Companies such asBASF SE (Germany)and Shandong Haihua Group (China)dominate the global sodium nitrite market due to product differentiation, financial stability, strategic developments, and diversified regional presence. The players are focused on investing in R&D. Furthermore, they adopt strategic growth initiatives, such as expansion, product launches, joint ventures, and partnerships, to strengthen their market position and capture a large customer base.

Prominent players in the global sodium nitrite market are BASF SE (Germany), Airedale Chemical (UK), SNDB (India), Shandong Haihua Group (China), Shandong Xin Hao Chemical Co., Ltd (China), Radiant Indus Chem Pvt. Ltd (India), Nilkanth Organics (India), Yingfengyuan Industrial Group Limited (China), SINOY GROUP LIMITED (China), Anmol Chemicals (India), and The Deepak Group (India).

Recent Trends

Market Consolidation A handful of major players control the sodium nitrite market, prompting strategic acquisitions and mergers to broaden their market presence. While no significant acquisitions have occurred recently, companies such as BASF and The Deepak Group remain vigilant for growth prospects.

Sustainability Focus The sodium nitrite sector is increasingly prioritizing sustainable manufacturing practices. Companies are dedicating resources to research and development aimed at reducing environmental footprint throughout the production process.

Scope of the Report

Sodium nitrite, by Grade

• Food-grade


• Industrial Grade

Sodium nitrite, by Application

• Food Processing
  
  
  
  • Fertilizer
  
  
  • Pharmaceutical
  
  
  • Rubber Processing
  
  
  
  


• Others

Sodium nitrite, by Region

• North America
  
  
  
  • US
  
  
  • Canada
  
  
  • Mexico
  
  
  
  


• Europe
  
  
  
  • UK
  
  
  • Germany
  
  
  • France
  
  
  • Italy
  
  
  • Spain
  
  
  • Rest of Europe
  
  
  
  


• Asia-Pacific
  
  
  
  • China
  
  
  • India
  
  
  • Japan
  
  
  • Australia & New Zealand
  
  
  • Rest of Asia-Pacific
  
  
  
  


• Rest of the World
  
  
  
  • South America
  
  
  • Middle East
  
  
  • Africa
  
  
  
  

Recent Development

Trecora LLC purchased Chemtrade's lubricant additives business, which was located in Lawrence, KS, in November 2023. Among North America's major sellers of sulphuric acid, spent acid processing services, inorganic coagulants for water treatment, sodium chlorate, sodium nitrite and sodium hydrosulfite are Chemtrade.

A significant collaboration between Vink Chemicals and DKSH's Business Unit Performance Materials began in October 2023. DKSH is a well-known distributor that focuses on specialty chemicals and ingredients, while Vink Chemicals was looking to access the wider range of market services that included sales logistics & distribution for its biocides as provided by DKSH BUs, like marketing and business development.

In May 2023, "Climate-smart meat" was a pilot project that was launched by BASF in collaboration with Danish Crown, which is Europe's largest pork producer. In this context, BASF wants to demonstrate how its nitrification inhibitors can reduce nitrous oxide generation through fertilization of feed crops by up to 50%. The innovation has led to a decrease in carbon footprint per kilogram of pork by 3-5%. It involves 84 farmers over more than 20,000 hectares in Denmark.

In Japan chemical industry's ammonium nitrate fuel oil explosives had a production volume of approximately 19.75 tonnes for the year 2022, up from 19.48 tonnes as published by METI (Japan). This marked the first time that Japan's production increased over five years, showing recovery. Additionally, predictions are pointing towards a rise in output volumes during the next forecast period.

In July 2022, Häffner GmbH & Co. KG joined forces with BASF SE to be among the distribution partners for Sodium Nitrate and Nitrite below 20 Tonnes.

In July 2022, USD18.18 million went into greenfield projects from Deepack Nitrite Ltd and Deepak Phenolic Ltd aimed at high value solvents indispensable for life sciences mainly pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals driving the nitrites market forward.

Merck KGaA made an announcement in 2020 about the acquisition of AmpTec-a German-based RNA technology firm. Merck expects this acquisition will support their existing research capacity on RNA while also increasing their portfolio scope onto other categories such as sodium nitrite among others.

Intended Audience

• Sodium nitrite Producers


• Raw Material Suppliers


• Retailers, Wholesalers, and Distributors


• Governments, Associations, and Industrial Bodies


• Investors and Trade Experts