Specialty Starch - Global Industry Market Analysis Report 2020-2031

Specialty Starch is a type of starch product that has been modified by physical, chemical or biological methods and has special functions and properties to meet specific application requirements. Compared with ordinary starch, it has significant differences in structure and performance, and can provide better solutions for various industries.

The classification of specialty starch is rich and diverse. From the perspective of modification, physically modified starch includes pregelatinized starch, ultrafine powdered starch, etc. Pregelatinized starch is obtained by heating the original starch at a certain water content to gelatinize the starch particles, and then drying it. It can be dissolved in cold water and is often used in food thickening, building material bonding and other fields; ultrafine powdered starch is to refine the starch particles through mechanical crushing to improve its dispersibility and solubility, and is used in the pharmaceutical, cosmetics and other industries. Chemically modified starch includes esterified starch, etherified starch, cross-linked starch, etc. Esterified starch is produced by esterification reaction between hydroxyl groups in starch molecules and organic or inorganic acids. It has good emulsification and stability and is often used in food and papermaking industries. Etherified starch introduces ether groups through etherification reaction, which changes the water solubility and gelatinization properties of starch and plays a role in textile slurry, oil drilling and other aspects. Cross-linked starch forms chemical bonds between starch molecules through cross-linking agents, which enhances the acid resistance, alkali resistance and heat resistance of starch. It is often used for stable thickening in food processing and sizing agent in papermaking industry. Bio-modified starch is mainly enzymatically modified starch, which uses amylase and other enzymes to hydrolyze and modify starch to obtain products with specific polymerization degree and functions, such as in winemaking, sugar making and other industries to improve saccharification efficiency and product quality.

Specialty starch has many unique properties. In terms of rheological properties, many specialty starches can accurately adjust their viscosity and fluidity according to different temperature, pH value and shear force conditions, providing good controllability for the processing process in food, coatings and other industries. For example, in food processing, some specialty starches can form a stable gel structure during heating or cooling, and are used to make products such as jelly and pudding. In terms of stability, chemically modified specialty starches have stronger tolerance to high temperature, high salt, acidic or alkaline environments, and can still maintain stable performance under complex processing conditions to meet industrial production needs. In addition, specialty starches also have good film-forming properties, which can form transparent, flexible films with certain barrier properties. They are used in food packaging, edible films and other fields, which can not only extend the shelf life of food, but also reduce the environmental pollution caused by plastic packaging.

Specialty starches are widely used in many fields. In the food industry, it is an important additive used to improve the texture, taste and stability of food. For example, adding specialty starch to baked goods can make bread and cakes softer and extend the shelf life; in meat products, it can enhance water retention and improve the yield and taste of products. In the papermaking industry, specialty starches are used as sizing agents and reinforcing agents to improve the water resistance, strength and printing adaptability of paper. In the textile industry, it is used as a sizing agent for yarn sizing, reducing the yarn breakage rate during the weaving process and improving weaving efficiency. In the pharmaceutical field, specialty starch can be used as a drug carrier, disintegrant, etc., which helps the sustained release and absorption of drugs and improves the efficacy of drugs.

According to data from PACO Research, as various industries continue to increase their requirements for product performance, the specialty starch market has shown a good development trend. The global specialty starch market size in 2024 is about US$4 billion, and it is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of about 8% by 2030, and is expected to exceed US$6 billion. Due to the rapid development of industries such as food, papermaking, and textiles, the Asia-Pacific region has become the main consumer market for specialty starch, accounting for more than 45% of the global market share, and this proportion is expected to increase further with the continued expansion of regional industries.

Looking ahead, the development of specialty starch will focus on developing new modification technologies, expanding application areas, and improving the green sustainability of products. Researchers will continue to explore new physical, chemical and biological technologies to develop specialty starch products with better performance and more unique functions. At the same time, with the increase of environmental awareness, developing greener, more environmentally friendly and biodegradable specialty starches to meet the needs of various industries for sustainable development will become an important development direction in the future.

Report Scope

This report aims to deliver a thorough analysis of the global market for Specialty Starch, offering both quantitative and qualitative insights to assist readers in formulating business growth strategies, evaluating the competitive landscape, understanding their current market position, and making well-informed decisions regarding Specialty Starch.

The report is enriched with qualitative evaluations, including market drivers, challenges, Porter’s Five Forces, regulatory frameworks, consumer preferences, and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) factors.

The report provides detailed classification of Specialty Starch, such as type, etc.; detailed examples of Specialty Starch applications, such as application one, etc., and provides comprehensive historical (2020-2025) and forecast (2026-2031) market size data.

The report provides detailed classification of Specialty Starch, such as Corn, Potato, Wheat, Cassava, Rice, Canna, Pueraria, etc.; detailed examples of Specialty Starch applications, such as Food and Drink, Medical Insurance, etc., and provides comprehensive historical (2020-2025) and forecast (2026-2031) market size data.

The report covers key global regions—North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa—providing granular, country-specific insights for major markets such as the United States, China, Germany, and Brazil.

The report deeply explores the competitive landscape of Specialty Starch products, details the sales, revenue, and regional layout of some of the world's leading manufacturers, and provides in-depth company profiles and contact details.

The report contains a comprehensive industry chain analysis covering raw materials, downstream customers and sales channels.

Core Chapters

Chapter One: Introduces the study scope of this report, market status, market drivers, challenges, porters five forces analysis, regulatory policy, consumer preference, market attractiveness and ESG analysis.
Chapter Two: market segments by Type, covering the market size and development potential of each market segment, to help readers find the blue ocean market in different market segments.
Chapter Three: Specialty Starch market sales and revenue in regional level and country level. It provides a quantitative analysis of the market size and development potential of each region and its main countries and introduces the market development, future development prospects, market space, and production of each country in the world.
Chapter Four: Provides the analysis of various market segments by Application, covering the market size and development potential of each market segment, to help readers find the blue ocean market in different downstream markets.
Chapter Five: Detailed analysis of Specialty Starch manufacturers competitive landscape, price, sales, revenue, market share, footprint, merger, and acquisition information, etc.
Chapter Six: Provides profiles of leading manufacturers, introducing the basic situation of the main companies in the market in detail, including product sales, revenue, price, gross margin, product introduction.
Chapter Seven: Analysis of industrial chain, key raw materials, customers and sales channel.
Chapter Eight: Key Takeaways and Final Conclusions
Chapter Nine: Methodology and Sources. Show more