The global gelatin market is estimated at USD 4.0 billion in 2024; it is projected to grow at a CAGR of 6.9% to reach USD 5.6 billion by 2029. The pharmaceutical grade of gelatin is one of the major drivers of the growth in the gelatin market. It grows because of its wide range of uses in food and beverages, medicine, and cosmetics. Collagen-derived protein gelatin has applications as a thickening, stabilizing, and gelling agent and finds an application in pharmaceutical purposes for capsules and tablets. Its application in cosmetics is realized owing to its film-forming and moisturizing properties. Technological advancements in the methods of production and the development of alternative gelatins make the market grow because of dietary and ethical purposes.
Based on applications, the pharmaceutical segment is estimated to grow at the significant CAGR during the studied period.
Consumers are increasingly turning toward healthy & nutritive pharmaceutical-grade products. The gelatin in the applications is majorly used in the form of hard gel capsule, soft gel capsule, and sponging agent. Hard gelatin capsules have several advantages that make them a reliable choice for pharmaceutical applications. They ensure secure containment of their contents and provide consistent performance. Some of the major advantages include fast release of drug, homogenous mixing of ingredients, and prevention from oxygen that leads to drug oxidation. Another advantage is that hard gelatin capsules are less expensive compared to the soft gelatin capsules because they demand less complicated machinery and fewer special ingredients.
The hard capsules segment will likely grow due to growing interest from biopharmaceuticals since the demand is on the rise for capsule dosage forms. For example, in May 2022, Lonza extended its Capsugel line with the introduction of TiO2-free white hard gelatin capsules.
The type A in the gelatin market size is forecasted to register the most significant CAGR over the projected period.
Type A gelatin has been proposed and evaluated as a 3D matrix for reconstructing skin collagen’s fibrillar pattern. Hence, cell-based gelatins developed skin dressings with very wide market usages. Consequently, Type A gelatin has the widest application in medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetic industries under various industries globally. This has further led the key players to develop a wide range of products within the category. Within the pharmaceutical industry itself, type A gelatin is redeveloped into nanospheres or nanoparticles or microspheres and then used as a drug delivery carrier.
The Asia Pacific region is anticipated to experience rapid growth between 2024 and 2029.
The demand for gelatin is growing in the region of Asia Pacific, driven by the rising demand from the pharmaceutical industry and changing consumer preference. According to the study by Torreya, the Chinese pharmaceuticals industry is projected to increase by 230% between the years 2017 and 2030, driven by government cost controls, aging population, and rising disposable incomes.
The rise in demand for pharmaceutical gelatin in the region is also explained by the fact that pharmaceutical production in China is independent and regulatory policies remain dynamic. Some consuming countries of gelatin are China, India, and Japan, mainly due to large population size and consumption of non-traditional food types such as functional and convenience foods that use gelatin as a fortification and stabilizing agent.
Key Market Players
Top gelatin companies include Darling Ingredients (US), Tessenderlo Group (Belgium), GELITA AG (Germany), Nitta Gelatin Inc. (Japan), Lapi Gelatine S.p.a. (Italy), India Gelatine & Chemicals Ltd. (India), Narmada Gelatines Limited (India), Nippi. Inc. (Japan), Weishardt (France), Trobas Gelatine B.V. (Netherlands), Sterling Biotech Ltd (India), Roxlor (US), Suheung (South Korea), Ewald-Gelatin GmbH (Germany), Geltech Co., Ltd (Korea).
Other players include Gelken (China), Kenney & Ross Limited (Canada), Jellice Gelatin & Collagen (Netherlands), Athos Collagen Pvt. Ltd (India), ITALGEL S.p.a. (Italy), Foodmate Co., Ltd (China), Xushang Gelatin Co., Ltd (China), ElNasr4Gelatin (Saudi Arabia), Boom Gelatin (China), Baotou Dongbao Bio-Tech Co., Ltd. (China).
These players in this market are focusing on increasing their presence through agreements and collaborations. These companies have a strong presence in North America, Asia Pacific, and Europe. They also have manufacturing facilities along with strong distribution networks across these regions.
