SPIRULINA MARKET ANALYSIS

The spirulina Market size is valued at US$ 484.7 Mn in 2024 and is expected to reach US$ 808.4 Mn by 2031, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.6% from 2024 to 2031.

Market Regional Insights:

• North America is expected to be the largest market for global spirulina market, which is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 38 % during the forecast period. The growth of this market in North America is attributed to increasing demand for spirulina in countries such as U.S., and Canada.
• Europe is expected to be the second-largest market for global spirulina market, which is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 29 % during the forecast period. The growth of this market in Europe is attributed to increasing demand for spirulina in countries such as France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Russia.
• Asia Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing market for global spirulina market, which is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 18 % during the forecast period. The growth of this market in Asia Pacific is attributed to increasing demand for spirulina in countries such as India and China.

Figure 1. Spirulina Market Share (%), By Region, 2024

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Analyst’s Views:

The global spirulina market appears promising over the coming years. The major driver for the growth of this market is rising health consciousness among consumers globally. Spirulina is considered a super food due to its high protein content and other health benefits. The demand for plant-based and natural food ingredients is increasing rapidly, which works in favor of spirulina. Furthermore, spirulina provides several nutritional and medicinal properties that help boost its consumption. It is a good source of iron, B vitamins, magnesium, and antioxidants. The spirulina market is expected to grow swiftly with rising awareness about these benefits. The development of innovative products containing spirulina extracts will also support market expansion.

The North America region is dominating this market presently due to high health supplement consumption in countries like the United States. However, Asia Pacific is identified as the fastest-growing market, with India and China leading the growth on account of the increasing population and changing lifestyles in these nations. A key restraint for the market could be the high production cost of spirulina, which impacts its pricing. The market also faces challenges from stringent quality and purity regulations. However, technological advancements to reduce costs and government support for spirulina cultivation can help overcome these restraints. Overall, the market appears promising given the associated health advantages and new product innovations.

Market Drivers:

Rising awareness about nutritional benefits of spirulina: The awareness about the nutritional benefits of spirulina is steadily growing worldwide and driving this market. Spirulina is a blue-green microalgae that is packed with various nutrients and health promoting properties. There is increasing consumer awareness about its high protein content, vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and antioxidant properties. Spirulina is considered a 'super food' due to its ability to boost immunity, energy levels, and metabolic function.

Many international health organizations and government agencies are actively promoting spirulina consumption for its benefits. For instance, in 2021, National Institutes of Health recognizes spirulina as a therapeutic and preventive tool against malnutrition especially in underdeveloped regions. It acknowledges spirulina richness in baby essentials like iron, B12, calories, which can effectively tackle infant mortality. Similarly, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has listed spirulina as a key component in sustainable food systems due to its high productivity in protein per acre compared to other sources. Food and Agriculture Organization has initiated several pilot projects across Asia and Africa utilizing locally produced spirulina to meet daily dietary requirements, especially for children and pregnant women. The nutritive value of spirulina, coupled with growing health consciousness among consumers has augmented the demand for spirulina based consumer products like tablets, capsules, powder, gummies, and beverages. Major Spirulina producing countries like the U.S., China, India, and France are witnessing rapid expansion of spirulina cultivation to fulfill the rising requirements. Leading players in spirulina market are heavily investing in innovations to launch more enriched products with enhanced tastes and delivery formats.

Rising awareness regarding benefits of plant-based proteins: Rising awareness regarding the health and environmental benefits of plant-based proteins has significantly contributed to the growth of this market. Spirulina is a type of blue-green algae that is known for its high protein content and various other nutritional values. With increasing health consciousness, many consumers are consciously reducing their meat consumption and opting for sustainable plant-based sources of protein. Spirulina fits well into this trend since it contains up to 70% complete protein and all essential amino acids. It also provides various other nutrients like B vitamins, minerals, carotenoids, and antioxidants. Regular consumption of spirulina is known to have several health advantages, such as boosting immunity, controlling blood pressure and blood sugar, improving digestion, etc. Furthermore, its production is considered environment friendly as it does not require the clearing of agricultural land and uses much less water compared to other vegetable or protein sources. With spirulina being promoted as a superfood, its demand has surged among health-conscious consumers, fitness enthusiasts, and individuals looking to adopt more sustainable diets.

The COVID-19 pandemic has further augmented this rising interest in spirulina as people focus more on boosting immunity and general health during these uncertain times.

Market Opportunities:

Innovation of new products fortified with spirulina: This market has seen steady growth in recent years due to increased demand for plant-based proteins and natural colorants. Spirulina is prized for its high concentration of nutrients, antioxidants, and other health-promoting compounds. However, to further expand the market and attract more consumers, product innovation fortified with spirulina could tap into new opportunities. Developing foods and beverages enhanced with spirulina nutritional profile has the potential to appeal to increasingly health-conscious customers. Various studies show consumer interest is high for fortified products that provide functional benefits. Innovating new products, especially those suited for everyday use, could help spirulina gain more widespread adoption. For example, staple foods like pasta, bread, cereals, or snacks enhanced with spirulina protein and vitamin content could appeal to mainstream buyers. Beverages are another promising category, with room for spirulina-fortified bottled waters, teas, juices and other drinks. This growth reflects a recognized need and interest for convenient, healthy options enriched with important micronutrients.

By developing spirulina into more customized, fortified products, the market can satisfy the needs of broader demographics. This strategy of meeting consumers where they already shop presents a major opportunity for future growth of spirulina sales and consumption rates. Widespread small-serving innovations could dramatically expand the market potential of this superfood over the long run. Ongoing research and development in novel formulations and applications of spirulina may ultimately accelerate its integration into everyday diets on a global scale.

Increasing investments in spirulina production: Spirulina is a nutritious microalgae that has high demands due to its various health benefits. It is rich in proteins, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Many health conscious consumers are increasingly incorporating spirulina supplements in their daily diets. This market has experienced significant growth in the past few years due to rising awareness about the nutritional value of spirulina. However, the market still has unfulfilled demands due to the lack of sufficient production capacities. Most spirulina is produced through farms and the yield is highly dependent on climatic conditions. Investing in advanced indoor production facilities could help stabilize spirulina supply and meet the growing demands.

More investments in indoor vertical farming and controlled-environment production technologies will help scale up spirulina production capacities substantially. These technologies allow year-round production and optimize production per square foot of land. As reported by the United Nations World Food Programme, indoor vertical farms can produce up to 350 times more food per square foot than traditional agriculture and use up to 95% less water. Increasing production capacities through such sustainable farming practices will propel this market to new heights by ensuring the availability and accessibility of spirulina supplies to more consumers worldwide.   

Market Trends:

Increasing consumer preference for naturally derived nutraceuticals: The increasing consumer preference for naturally derived nutraceuticals is having a significant influence on this market. With modern lifestyles and growing health consciousness, consumers are seeking nutrient-rich superfoods like spirulina that come from natural sources. Spirulina contains antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that support overall well-being. It is being popularly used as an ingredient in foods, dietary supplements, and cosmetic products due to its nutritional profile.

As consumers actively look for natural health solutions, the demand for spirulina-infused products is rising substantially. Market surveys show spirulina sales grew by over 15% in North America and Europe in 2021 compared to the previous year, with functional beverages and tablets being the top selling categories. This clearly depicts the spirulina mass-market appeal driven by its natural credentials. Food companies are innovating more product lines with spirulina to cater to this demand.

Rising popularity of cyanobacteria as a sustainable protein source: Rising popularity of cyanobacteria as a sustainable protein source is positively influencing this market. Spirulina is a type of cyanobacteria that is seen as a sustainable and environment-friendly source of protein and other nutrients. With growing concerns over the environmental impact of mainstream meat industry and demand for plant-based diets, spirulina is gaining traction as a superfood. Many health-conscious consumers are now incorporating spirulina powder and tablets in their daily diet due to its high nutritional value. Spirulina is a 65-71% complete protein and is a rich source of vitamins, minerals, Gamma Linolenic acid (GLA) and other phytonutrients. It requires much less water than traditional crop cultivation and has the ability to thrive even in alkaline waters. Its production does not lead to deforestation like cattle farming. All these properties make spirulina appealing for both health and environmentally-conscious consumers.

Market Restraints:

Limited scope of cultivation: The scope of Spirulina cultivation has remained very limited over the years owing to various challenges. Spirulina grows solely in alkaline environments and requires very specific conditions to thrive. Most commercially viable Spirulina production occurs in specially designed, closed-system ponds or tanks under controlled conditions. However, setting up such infrastructure requires large capital investments and expertise. This narrow window for cultivation has restricted producers to certain geographies that provide conducive natural environments like warmer temperatures, sunlight, and alkaline water sources. Even in these places, fluctuations in weather and availability of resources pose serious threats. For example, drought conditions in certain regions of Africa and Latin America in 2021-22 reduced water levels in the ponds and lakes used for production. This led to losses for many small farmers. With climate change increasingly creating uncertainties, further expansion of suitable cultivation areas seems difficult without significant technological advancements.

The limited scope also impacts forward integration opportunities for players in the market. With Spirulina cultivation possible only in particular controlled environments, producers are confined to these geographies and cannot leverage broader global opportunities for warehousing, packaging, or logistics under their purview. This fragmented production landscape has hindered the emergence of large integrated market leaders. Consolidation remains difficult without innovations that reduce cultivation dependencies. Unless new solutions are found to make production processes flexible enough to be replicated anywhere, the farming of Spirulina and the growth of the overall market will continue to face locational constraints.

Challenges in production process: This market is facing several challenges in the production process that are restraining its growth momentum. One of the major challenges is the inconsistent quality of spirulina produced. Spirulina cultivation is highly dependent on various environmental factors like temperature, light, potential of hydrogen, and nutrient levels. Maintaining optimal and consistent levels of these factors throughout the year in open pond systems is quite difficult. Even small fluctuations can adversely impact the quality and quantity of spirulina harvest. This leads to batch-to-batch variation and inconsistent supply to the nutraceutical and food industries, which demand standardized quality.

Another big hurdle is the high production costs involved. Spirulina farming requires intensive labor and material inputs. Land, equipment, monitoring devices, and resource management add significantly to the expense of cultivation. Post-harvest processing like drying and packaging further increases the costs. Moreover, the yields obtained from open pond systems are generally low averaging at around 1-2 tons per hectare per year. This makes spirulina production an expensive affair. The high costs challenge its wide adoption and applications, especially in developing countries.

Counterbalance: To overcome this restraint, the key market players need to expand their production capacity, which might increase the market's growth.

Recent Developments:

New Product launches:

• In November 2022, The GNT Group introduced an expansion to its selection of green EXBERRY Coloring Foods, unveiling a freshly powdered variant created from a combination of turmeric and spirulina. This new addition, known as EXBERRY Shade Bright Green Powder, is meticulously crafted to provide vibrant, bluish-green tones in dry and powdered applications, including bakery mixes and seasonings. GNT Group Company is a leader in providing natural coloring solutions for the food and beverage industry. It offers a wide range of plant-based, sustainable colors for various applications, including confectionery, dairy, bakery, beverages, and savory products. The company's products are created from edible fruits, vegetables, and plants using physical methods such as chopping and boiling, and are known for their vibrancy, versatility, and stability.
• In September 2022, DIC Corporation announced that it will make an environmental investment of approximately (US$ 9.0 Mn) at subsidiaries Earthrise Nutritionals, LLC, in the U.S. state of California, and Hainan DIC Microalgae Co., Ltd., in the People’s Republic of China (PRC), both of which produce edible blue-green algae Spirulina and Spirulina-derived natural blue food coloring LINABLUE. The objective of related environmental investments to date and this new investment is to enable both companies to achieve zero discharge of wastewater from their outdoor algae cultivation facilities by January 2023. DIC Corporation is a Japanese fine chemicals company that specializes in the development, manufacture, and sale of inks, pigments, polymers, specialty plastics, and compounds, and biochemicals.

Mergers and Acquisition:

• In October 2022, Sensient Technologies Corporation acquired Endemix DoÄŸal Maddeler A.Åž., a vertically integrated natural color and extracts company located in Turkey. This acquisition allows Sensient Technologies Corporation to further expand its vertical integration for key natural colors and add extraction and refining capacity, strengthening its position as a leading natural color solutions provider. Sensient Technologies Corporation is a leading global manufacturer and marketer of colors, flavors, and other specialty ingredients. The company uses advanced technologies and robust global supply chain capabilities to develop specialized solutions for food and beverages, as well as products that serve the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, cosmetic, and personal care industries.

Figure 2. Spirulina Market Share (%), By Form, 2024

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Top Companies in this Market

• Sensient Technologies Corporation
• Algaetech International Sdn Bhd
• DDW The Color House
• Algene Biotech
• Hansen Holding A/S
• Cyanotech Corporation
• DIC Corporation
• Fuqing King Dnarmsa Spirulina Co. Ltd
• Sunrise Nutrachem Group Co.Ltd

Definition: The spirulina is a biomass of cyanobacteria that can be consumed by humans and animals. The three species are Arthrospira platensis, A. fusiformis, and A. maxima. Cultivated worldwide, Arthrospira is used as a dietary supplement or whole food.