As a natural biopolymer material, gelatin market size continues to expand

Gelatin, also known as gelatin sponge, is a macromolecular hydrophilic colloid. According to different uses, gelatin can be divided into edible gelatin, photographic gelatin, industrial gelatin, medical gelatin, etc. Gelatin is also a protein product that can improve the body’s metabolism and promote bone growth.

Gelatin materials are animal skins, bones, and tanning industry waste. Cow hides, cow bones, and pig skins account for the largest production costs of gelatin. The supply of cowhide, beef bones and pigskin is closely related to the development of the animal husbandry industry. As the severe epidemic situation is gradually brought under control, my country’s beef cattle and pig slaughter volumes have begun to pick up. According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, my country’s beef cattle slaughter volume will reach 50 million heads in 2021, a year-on-year increase of 3.1%; my country’s pig slaughter volume will reach 670 million heads in 2021, a year-on-year increase of 27.3%. Benefiting from the sufficient supply of raw materials, my country’s gelatin production continues to grow. In 2021, my country’s gelatin production has exceeded 200,000 tons.

As a natural biopolymer material, gelatin is widely used in many fields, including chemical products, medicine, health products, food, etc. The food field is the largest demand side for gelatin. With the rapid economic development and the continuous improvement of national living standards, consumers’ expenditure on food continues to grow. According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, the per capita consumption expenditure of food, tobacco and alcohol among Chinese residents will reach 7,178.0 yuan in 2021, a year-on-year increase of 12.2%. Gelatin is mostly found in the form of additives in food, and can play a role in thickening and clarifying.

According to the “2022-2027 China Gelatin Industry Market Status Comprehensive Research and Investment Prospects Forecast Report released by the Industrial Research Center, in Driven by market demand, the development space of my country’s gelatin industry continues to expand. In 2021, my country’s gelatin market size will reach 2.215 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 14.2%. East China and western China are the main consumer markets for gelatin in my country. In 2021, the gelatin market size in East my country will exceed 800 million yuan, and the gelatin market size in western China will reach 400 million yuan.

In terms of market competition, influenced by positive factors such as the broad development prospects of the gelatin industry, many foreign brands have entered the Chinese market and gradually occupied a monopoly position in the industry. World-renowned gelatin suppliers such as GELITA AG in Germany, Rousselot in France, Nitta in Japan, and Piper Group PB in Belgium occupy a large share of the Chinese market. Due to factors such as high technical barriers and lack of industry standards, the quality of gelatin in my country is uneven and unable to meet market demand. Baotou Dongbao Biotechnology and Qinghai Gelatin are currently the gelatin companies with the highest production capacity in my country.

Industry analysts said that with the increasingly strong market demand, my country’s gelatin industry has developed rapidly. In recent years, driven by the trend of plant-based vegetarianism, xanthan gum, seaweed gum, guar gum and other colloids extracted from plants have been widely used. They have the advantages of long shelf life, high safety, health and environmental protection, which will have a great impact on the food industry. The development of the gelatin industry has had a certain impact. Production companies urgently need to adjust their industrial strategies and promote the development of the gelatin industry in a green direction.