The demand for malic acid continues to grow, and fermentation technology has great potential

Malic Acid, that is, 2-hydroxysuccinic acid, has an asymmetric carbon atom in its molecule, so it has two stereoisomers, namely D-malic acid (dextrorotatory form) and L-malic acid. Acid (Levorotary body), in addition to the above two forms, there is also a kind of DL-malic acid in nature consisting of its mixture. Among them, most of the natural malic acid is L-type malic acid, which is widely found in natural vegetables and most fruits, especially pome fruits.

The CAS numbers of malic acid are 617-48-1, 6915-15-7, chemical formula C₄H₆O₅, molecular weight 134.04, appearance It is white crystal or crystalline powder, has strong hygroscopicity, is easily soluble in water and alcohol, slightly soluble in ether, and insoluble in benzene. It has a special and pleasant sour taste and is mainly used in food, medicine, daily chemicals and other fields. In the food industry, malic acid is mainly used as a food additive and preservative to make flavored drinks, jelly, candies, etc.; in the pharmaceutical field, malic acid can be used in the production of tablets and syrups, and can also be used to reduce the impact of anti-cancer drugs on normal cells. Toxic effects, etc.; in the field of daily chemicals, malic acid can be used in the production of skin care products, toothpaste, perfume and other products.

There are three main production processes for malic acid: extraction, synthesis, and fermentation. Among them, the raw materials of the extraction method are unripe apple, pear, peach, grape and other fruit juices. The juice is boiled, then lime water is added to generate calcium salt precipitation, and finally processed to generate malic acid; the synthesis method uses benzene as the raw material. After catalytic oxidation, maleic acid and fumaric acid are obtained, which are hydrated under high temperature and pressure to generate malic acid; the fermentation method uses biological enzymes to generate L-malic acid. At this stage, the malic acid industry mainly uses synthetic methods for production. However, as environmental protection policies in various countries become stricter, more environmentally friendly fermentation methods have good development prospects.

At present, the main producing countries of malic acid in the world include the United States, Japan, Canada, etc. Among them, there are many large-scale malic acid production companies in Japan. Malic acid production companies represented by Fuso Chemical Co., Ltd., Mitsubishi Chemical Co., Ltd., Kyowa Hakko Co., Ltd., and Tanabe Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. have better product quality and more advanced technology. They are in the global market. Have strong competitiveness. In recent years, with the development of flavored beverages, daily chemicals, and pharmaceutical industries, the malic acid industry has developed rapidly, and its output has continued to increase. According to the “China Malic Acid Industry Segment Demand and Development Opportunities Research Report 2022-2026” released by the Industrial Research Center, In 2021, global malic acid production is 180,000 tons, of which L-malic acid production is approximately 56,000 tons per year.

Industrial analysts said that malic acid is an important organic acid, which is widely used in food, medicine, daily chemicals and other fields. Important chemicals closely related to people’s lives. With the development of flavored beverages, food and medicine, and daily chemical industries, their market demand will continue to grow, and the industry still has large room for development. At a time when global environmental protection policies are becoming stricter, the green and environmentally friendly fermentation process to produce malic acid may become the mainstream technology in the industry and has great investment potential.