Modified starch production in my country is gradually increasing, with papermaking being the largest application field
Modified starch is a starch that has undergone secondary processing to change its original properties. Through chemical, physical and other methods, new functional groups are introduced into the original starch to change the characteristics of the original starch and make it more consistent with certain application requirements. Compared with ordinary starch, modified starch has the advantages of good film-forming properties, high transparency, strong solubility, low gelatinization temperature, and good stability. At present, my country’s modified starch preparation technology has matured and can be roughly divided into extrusion method, dry method, drum drying method, wet method, organic solvent method, etc. Different types of modified starch products have different production methods.
With the gradual advancement of production technology, the variety of modified starch continues to increase. Common varieties on the market mainly include oxidized starch, acetate starch, compound modified starch, cationic starch, pregelatinized starch, etc. Among them, compound modified starch accounts for the largest market share, accounting for 20.3%; followed by oxidized starch, accounting for 18.4%; cationic starch ranks third, accounting for 13.2%.
At present, my country’s modified starch industry chain has basically taken shape. The upstream of the industrial chain is mainly the raw material industry, providing raw materials such as cassava starch, potato starch, and corn starch; the midstream is mainly the modified starch production industry, responsible for the production and manufacturing of different types of modified starch; the downstream is mainly the application field, mostly used in food , feed, construction, textile, papermaking and other fields. Among them, papermaking has become the largest application field of modified starch in my country, accounting for 57.8%; followed by the food field, accounting for 19.2%; and the textile field ranked third, accounting for 8.4%.
In the field of papermaking, modified starch is mostly used to produce paper surface sizing agents, which can improve the physical strength, folding resistance, water resistance, bursting resistance, and smoothness of paper. In the food field, modified starch is mostly used to make flour products, quick-frozen foods, baked goods, etc., which can improve the overall taste of food. Overall, my country’s modified starch has a broad consumer market.
According to the “China Modified Starch Industry Development Trend and Development Prospects Forecast Report 2023-2027” released by the Industrial Research Center, in the downstream Driven by market demand, my country’s modified starch enterprises have gradually expanded their production scale and increased their output. In 2022, my country’s modified starch output will exceed 1.8 million tons. From the perspective of output distribution, my country’s modified starch production areas are mainly concentrated in Guangdong, Shandong, Guangxi, Zhejiang, Jiangsu and other provinces. Among them, Shandong Province has become the province with the largest output of modified starch in my country, accounting for 36.6%; followed by Zhejiang Province, accounting for 15.3%.
Industry analysts said that at present, my country’s largest modified starch companies mainly include Xilai Starch, Fuyang Biotech, and Huimei Starch, Paper Friends Technology, Gaoyuan Starch, Xingmao Corn, etc. Among them, four companies, Fuyang Biology, Zhiyou Technology, Xilai Starch, and Xingmao Corn, have a large market share and have become leading companies in the industry. As my country’s industrial structure continues to upgrade, some backward modified starch companies are gradually eliminated, and market concentration is expected to be further enhanced in the future.