Italy Industrial Starch Market Overview, 2030

Italy’s industrial starch market has evolved from a food-centric legacy into a multifaceted, innovation driven sector supporting packaging, construction, textiles, adhesives, and bioplastics. Historically, starch production in Italy was closely linked to its culinary heritage, but demand from the non-food sector has significantly reshaped the market. Industrial applications now account for a substantial portion of starch use, particularly as regulatory pressures around emissions, plastic waste, and fossil-based chemicals intensify. Multinational firms such as Cargill, Roquette, and Tate & Lyle operate alongside domestic processors like Unigra and Molino Peila, leveraging modular processing units that can pivot between food and industrial production lines. Innovation in Italy is centered on starches tailored for industrial performance such as enzyme-modified starches, oxidized starches, and cold swelling variants that serve adhesive manufacturers, paper converters, and bioplastic producers. Italian starch firms are increasingly producing thermal-stable and shear resistant starches for use in dry mix mortars, plaster adhesives, and textile pastes, especially in the north where construction and textile sectors are highly developed. Southern Italy is witnessing a surge in starch-based bioplastics, driven by agricultural plastic bans and the national plastic tax. Biodegradable films, cutlery, and agricultural mulch sheets are gaining traction, with starch offering a compostable, low-carbon substitute to conventional materials. The market presents opportunities in corrugated adhesives, eco-packaging coatings, textile sizing, and industrial encapsulation, supported by rising demand for alternatives to petrochemical derivatives.

According to the research report ""Italy Starch Market Overview, 2030,"" published by Bonafide Research, the Italy Starch market was valued at more than USD 2.64 Billion in 2025. Italy’s industrial starch industry is geographically concentrated in Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna, Veneto, and Piedmont, areas with advanced agricultural and agro-processing infrastructure. Facilities in these regions specialize in wet milling and starch modification, producing tailored starches for construction chemicals, adhesives, and technical paper. Italy exports industrial starches and derivatives to France, Spain, and Eastern Europe, while importing cassava, rice, and specialized starches from Thailand, Vietnam, and the Netherlands to serve demand in bioplastics and high-performance applications. The regulatory environment is shaped by EU-wide standards such as REACH and CLP, while enforcement in Italy falls under the Ministry of Health and Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS). For industrial starches, compliance with Directive 67/548/EEC, EU Regulation 1907/2006, and Dlgs 152/2006 (Environmental Code) governs emissions, waste handling, and chemical safety. Adhesives, coatings, and binders incorporating industrial starches must meet labeling, safety, and biodegradability standards, especially under EU Ecolabel and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) guidelines. Recent developments demonstrate the industry’s shift toward low-impact, high-performance solutions. In 2024, Roquette opened a production line in Lombardy for eco-adhesives and bio sourced industrial binders, targeting the construction and textile sectors. Cargill introduced oxidized and hydroxypropylated starches optimized for corrugated packaging and label adhesives, while Unigra developed thermal-stable starches for use in high-temperature building materials and engineered plasters. Across the board, Italian starch firms are investing in energy efficient dryers, closed-loop water systems, and carbon capture pilots, often backed by EU Green Deal subsidies. Trade integration under the EU’s single market enables seamless intra-European starch movement with minimal tariffs, providing Italian producers with strategic access to industrial export markets.

Italy’s industrial starch production relies heavily on corn and wheat, both sourced primarily from northern regions like Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna. Corn is the most extensively processed crop for industrial starch, used in producing oxidized starches, dextrins, and maltodextrin for applications in paper coatings, textile printing, and eco-adhesives. Corn starch is favored for its consistency, high yield, and compatibility with industrial processing equipment. Wheat starch is the second largest source, leveraged for its gel clarity and film-forming properties in biodegradable packaging, wallpaper adhesives, and textile sizing pastes. Wheat-based starches are commonly used in thermal cross-linked adhesives and as binders in construction fillers and laminated boards. Italy does not grow cassava or rice at commercial scale, but these starches are imported to support industrial applications requiring high purity, low viscosity, or freeze-thaw stability. Tapioca starch is used in bioplastic films, technical adhesives, and agricultural mulch sheets, while rice starch is used in pharma grade coatings and cosmetic emulsions. Potato starch plays a modest but strategic role, utilized in corrugated adhesives, paperboard laminates, and premium coatings. Italy’s climate and EU agricultural rules have prompted interest in alternative starch sources, such as pea, chickpea, and legume-based starches, which are being trialed for their performance in composite materials, foam boards, and bio-resins. Crop sourcing is increasingly guided by sustainability, traceability, and resilience to climate volatility.

Italy’s industrial starch product landscape includes native starch, modified starch, and derivatives, with demand concentrated in packaging, adhesives, construction, and textiles. Native starch, primarily from corn and wheat, is used in lamination adhesives, paper stiffeners, and biodegradable packaging films. Its use is especially prevalent in applications where clean label, low emission, or compostable characteristics are required by downstream manufacturers. Modified starches dominate industrial use, with oxidized, cross-linked, and hydroxypropylated starches supporting sectors that demand thermal stability, pH resistance, and adhesion control. These starches are essential in textile sizing, corrugated board adhesives, wallpaper paste, and mortar formulations. Pregelatinized variants are utilized in plaster adhesives, joint fillers, and high-speed paper machines for quick hydration and thickening. Roquette and Cargill offer industrial starches tailored to reduce processing energy and improve end-use performance. Starch derivatives, such as maltodextrin, dextrins, and cyclodextrins, are also produced and exported. While maltodextrin is commonly associated with food, dextrins are key for label adhesives, lamination bonding, and bookbinding glues. Cyclodextrins are being trialed for controlled-release encapsulation in paints, agrochemicals, and fragrance delivery systems. The increasing demand for starch blends that combine emulsification, adhesion, and stabilization functions is driving innovation toward dual-purpose additives. Italian manufacturers are developing performance-driven blends that meet both application specific performance and environmental compliance.

Italy’s food and beverage industry remains the primary application segment for starch, fueled by a vibrant processed food sector and strong culinary traditions. Starch is widely used in pasta, sauces, bakery, gelato, and beverages. Native and modified starches function as thickeners, stabilizers, and texturizers. Modified starches enhance freeze-thaw stability and viscosity in ready meals, dairy, and frozen desserts. The market for gluten-free and plant-based foods is expanding starch use in restructured products, meat analogues, and allergen-free baked goods. Maltodextrin and glucose syrup are key ingredients in sports drinks, candies, and dietary supplements. In the feed sector, starches are used as binders and energy enhancers in compound feeds for poultry and swine, although this remains a smaller segment. In pharmaceuticals, starch plays a critical role in tablet binding, disintegration, and encapsulation. Pregelatinized starches and cyclodextrins are particularly valuable for their solubility and stabilization properties in oral dosage forms. Italy’s strong cosmetic industry uses rice and corn starch for mattifying and absorption purposes in powders and creams. The industrial applications of starch are growing steadily, particularly in packaging, paper, and adhesives. Italy’s ban on single-use plastics and national plastic tax has led to increased demand for starch-based alternatives like biodegradable cutlery, films, and compostable bags. Starch is also used in wallpaper adhesives, textile sizing, and agricultural mulch films, supported by regulatory grants and R&D partnerships. Innovation in these segments is helping starch penetrate markets traditionally dominated by petrochemicals. Show more