France Industrial Starch Market Overview, 2030

The industrial starch market in France is among the most advanced in Europe, shaped by a strong agro-industrial base and consistent innovation in non-food applications. While historically centered around native wheat and potato starches for traditional culinary uses, the sector has shifted significantly toward industrial-grade processing. France is a key European hub for producing starches used in paper, packaging, construction, adhesives, and bioplastics. Leading companies such as Roquette Frères, Tereos, and Cargill operate highly automated, vertically integrated facilities with wet and dry milling capacities that produce native, modified, and specialty starches for industrial clients. These players have cultivated a market focused on technical performance, sustainability, and customization across applications. France has emerged as a leader in clean-label and functional starch innovations aligned with industrial performance demands. The innovation pipeline includes starches engineered for improved tensile strength, heat stability, water retention, and biodegradability. Roquette has developed industrial wheat and pea starches for textile sizing, corrugated board adhesives, and biodegradable utensils, while Tereos is actively commercializing starch derivatives for construction binders and industrial coatings. Growing regulatory scrutiny around petrochemical use and carbon emissions is accelerating the use of starch in compostable packaging, eco-adhesives, and bio-insulation materials. Emerging opportunities exist in replacing fossil-based binders and fillers in paints, laminates, and dry-mix mortars, where starch blends are proving cost-effective and environmentally compliant. There is also expanding demand in bio-based lubricants, 3D printing composites, and agricultural films. French manufacturers are uniquely positioned due to their local access to raw materials, in-house R&D capacity, and compliance with both national and EU-wide sustainability mandates. With advanced infrastructure and an emphasis on value-added differentiation, the industrial starch market in France is moving steadily toward high-functionality, environmentally compliant applications across packaging, construction, and chemical processing industries.

According to the research report, ""France Starch Market Overview, 2030,"" published by Bonafide Research, the France Starch market is anticipated to add to more than USD 1.33 Billion by 2025–30. France’s industrial starch sector operates through a dense network of production clusters located in regions such as Hauts-de-France, Grand Est, and Normandy, which have access to abundant wheat and potato supplies. These regions host major starch processing facilities that cater to domestic and international industrial customers. The country maintains one of the largest starch capacities in Europe and is a net exporter of starch-based industrial materials, supplying markets in Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, and China. Imports primarily consist of tapioca starch, rice starch, and certain derivatives used in high-performance, allergen-free, and bio-based industrial applications. France adheres to stringent regulatory frameworks, with compliance governed by the REACH regulation, CLP (Classification, Labelling and Packaging) standards, and Code de l’environnement under national environmental laws. Industrial starches used in adhesives, coatings, and bioplastics must meet safety, emission, and biodegradability requirements. Facilities are required to maintain water usage permits, emissions tracking, and carbon reporting under France’s Energy Transition Law. Certifications such as ISO 14001, ISO 50001, and environmental product declarations (EPDs) are increasingly being adopted by starch manufacturers serving industrial verticals. Recent developments reflect a strong pivot toward green industrial solutions. In 2024, Roquette Frères launched a new line of biosourced adhesives and starch-based textile sizing agents from wheat and corn, offering low-carbon alternatives to synthetic polymers. Tereos introduced a new portfolio of industrial-grade dextrins and pregelatinized starches tailored for paper coatings and dry-mix mortar applications. These products offer reduced environmental impact and meet growing demand for compostable and recyclable inputs. Both firms are investing in closed-loop water systems, energy recovery, and low-emission drying technologies in line with France’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policies. With trade largely governed by EU single market rules, intra-European starch flows remain tariff free, while France continues to invest in infrastructure to handle starch based industrial exports to Asia and North America.

France sources raw materials for industrial starch production from wheat, potatoes, and to a lesser extent, corn, leveraging its strong agricultural ecosystem. Wheat is the dominant feedstock for industrial starches, cultivated extensively in northern and northeastern regions. Wheat starch is used in adhesives, textile sizing, and paper surface treatments, where its neutral color and gel properties are advantageous. Potato starch, cultivated in areas like Pas-de-Calais, is used in paper manufacturing, corrugated adhesives, and eco-packaging films due to its high clarity, viscosity, and low allergen city. Corn starch is gaining importance in industrial applications such as bioplastics, spray adhesives, and construction fillers, supported by corn cultivation in southwestern France and imports from EU countries. The functional properties of corn starch make it suitable for blending into bio-polymers and insulation foams, particularly in sectors transitioning away from fossil-based materials. Cassava (tapioca) starch is entirely imported, mostly from Thailand and Vietnam, and is utilized for biodegradable packaging, textile pastes, and low-viscosity coatings. Rice starch, though niche, is used in cosmetic binders, biodegradable packaging for personal care, and pharma-grade coatings, with sourcing mostly from Belgium, India, or Southeast Asia. Pea starch, an emerging input, is gaining traction in France's industrial sector due to Roquette’s significant investment in plant-based starches, used in industrial thickeners and bio-composite resins. French manufacturers are also exploring mixed-source starch blends to improve functional versatility while mitigating raw material price volatility. Sustainability now plays a central role in sourcing decisions, with processors prioritizing non GMO, low-emission, and regenerative agriculture supply chains. Certification for origin, carbon footprint, and environmental performance is increasingly required for B2B contracts in construction, textiles, and packaging sectors.

France maintains a comprehensive portfolio of industrial starch products, from native starches to highly engineered modified variants and functional derivatives, all designed to meet diverse industrial requirements. Native starch, primarily from wheat and potato, is used in adhesives, paperboard, and wall coatings, offering basic gelling and binding properties in applications where clean-label or low-modification inputs are needed. These starches are also incorporated in bio-plastics as filler and bonding agents. The dominant segment is modified starches, which undergo oxidation, cross-linking, acetylation, and enzymatic treatments to enhance thermal, pH, and shear stability. Industrial applications include corrugation adhesives, packaging coatings, construction adhesives, and textile sizing. Roquette’s modified starches are customized for biodegradability, viscosity control, and moisture resistance, critical for bio-industrial and construction materials. Tereos offers industrial pregelatinized starches for use in dry mortar mixes, plasters, and spray adhesives. Starch derivatives notably maltodextrin, cyclodextrins, and dextrins have specialized use in paper chemistry, laminated boards, and technical emulsions. Dextrins, in particular, offer strong bonding properties and fast tack time, making them ideal for label adhesives and bookbinding. Cyclodextrins are also being adapted for controlled-release coatings and functional encapsulation in industrial processes such as paint stabilizers and scent delivery systems. Recent product advancements include biodegradable starch-polymer hybrids, low-viscosity starches for high-speed paper machines, and functionalized powders for cement admixtures.

The food and beverage industry is the largest consumer of starch in France, with extensive applications across sauces, soups, baked goods, dairy, and processed meats. Native wheat and potato starches are used for their thickening, binding, and water-retention properties in traditional French cooking as well as in mass-produced ready meals and confectionery. Modified starches are crucial in heat-stable applications like ultra-processed dairy products, canned soups, and frozen foods. Glucose syrup and maltodextrin are integral to the beverage and confectionery segments, where they provide energy, viscosity, and shelf-life stability. The clean-label trend has increased the use of native and enzyme-modified starches. In the animal feed industry, starch serves as a binder and energy source in livestock, poultry, and pet feed. Modified starch is particularly important in pelletized feeds to enhance durability and nutrient absorption. The pharmaceutical sector uses pregelatinized starches and derivatives in tablet formulations, oral suspensions, and capsule filling, benefiting from starch’s disintegrant and stabilizing functions. Cyclodextrins are employed in drug delivery systems, with growing demand in solubility-enhancing applications. Other applications include industrial uses such as paper production, where starch is used in surface sizing and binding; textiles, where it functions as a warp-sizing agent; and adhesives, where it replaces synthetic resins in packaging and lamination. Biodegradable and compostable starch-based products are gaining regulatory and commercial traction, especially for use in disposable foodservice items and retail packaging. France’s leadership in environmental policy and its ban on certain single-use plastics have catalyzed starch adoption in bio-based materials. Cosmetic manufacturers use rice and corn starch for absorbency, mattifying, and thickening in powders and creams. Show more