# Food and feed additives: Production Why China makes the world's amino acids and vitamins Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/food_additives/production/ Why China makes the world's amino acids and vitamins What this tab covers Who makes it and how much: world capacity and output, utilisation, the top producing countries and companies globally and in India, concentration, new capacity coming, and each region's position. | Measure | Figure | Detail | Source | |---|---|---|---| | **World capacity** | not published for the family | | no public database | | **World output** | about $113.7 billion of sales (2025): food $65.5 billion, feed $48.16 billion | | IMARC 2026; MarketsandMarkets 2026 | | **Capacity utilisation** | not published | Chinese amino acid and vitamin plants have run below capacity in price troughs (indicative). | indicative | | **Concentration** | company shares not published | Food additives are fragmented by product; some segments are concentrated (methionine: Evonik, Adisseo, Novus and a few Chinese makers; enzymes: Novonesis, dsm-firmenich, IFF) (indicative). | MarketsandMarkets 2026 key players; indicative | | **New capacity** | not published | Consolidation rather than greenfield: Novozymes and Chr. Hansen merged into Novonesis (2024); dsm-firmenich sold its feed enzymes share to Novonesis for EUR 1.5 billion (2025) and agreed in February 2026 to sell Animal Nutrition & Health to CVC for about EUR 2.2 billion. | indicative | #### Top producing countries Asia-Pacific (region, feed additives) 36.8% ยท about $17.7 billion of feed additives (2025) - **North America (region, food additives)**: largest food additive region (MarketsandMarkets) - **China**: largest maker of lysine, threonine and many vitamins (indicative) - **Europe**: home of Novonesis, dsm-firmenich, Kerry, Evonik and Adisseo's main plants - **India**: growth market within Asia-Pacific; maker of choline, niacin and emulsifiers (indicative) MarketsandMarkets 2026 (36.8% x $48.16 billion); MarketsandMarkets food additives press release; indicative; MarketsandMarkets 2026 key players #### Largest producers: global | Company | Country | Volume | Year | Source | |---|---|---|---|---| | **Kerry Group** taste and nutrition; volume up 3.0%, EBITDA margin 17.9% | Ireland | 6.76 EUR billion group revenue | 2025 | MarketsandMarkets food additives (key player); Kerry 2025 results via Checkout (Feb 2026) | | **Novonesis** merger of Novozymes and Chr. Hansen (2024); enzymes, cultures, probiotics; 7% organic growth and 37.1% adjusted EBITDA margin in 2025; sales derived from free cash flow of EUR 770.4 million stated as 19% of sales; bought dsm-firmenich's feed enzymes share for EUR 1.5 billion (2025) | Denmark | 4.05 EUR billion sales (derived) | 2025 | MarketsandMarkets 2026 (key player); Novonesis annual report 2025 via Inderes (Feb 2026) | | **dsm-firmenich** vitamins, Bovaer 3-NOP; agreed on 9 Feb 2026 to sell Animal Nutrition & Health to CVC (enterprise value about EUR 2.2 billion, keeping 20%); continuing group sales EUR 9.03 billion in 2025 | Switzerland/Netherlands | not published | n/a | MarketsandMarkets 2026 (key player) | | **Cargill and ADM** starches, sweeteners, lecithin, premixes; Cargill is private | US | not published | n/a | MarketsandMarkets (key players) | | **Evonik and Adisseo** largest methionine makers (indicative) | Germany; France/China | not published | n/a | MarketsandMarkets 2026 (key players) | | **Ajinomoto, IFF, Ingredion, Tate & Lyle, BASF** MSG and amino acids; food ingredients; starches; sweeteners and fibres; vitamins | Japan, US, US, UK, Germany | not published | n/a | IMARC 2026; MarketsandMarkets | #### Largest producers: India | Company | Country | Volume | Year | Source | |---|---|---|---|---| | **Jubilant Ingrevia** vitamin B3 and choline for feed (indicative); figures not verified | India | not published | n/a | MarketsandMarkets 2026 (key player) | | **Neospark Drugs and Chemicals** feed supplements; private | India | not published | n/a | MarketsandMarkets 2026 (key player) | | **Fine Organic Industries** oleochemical food and plastic additives; figures not verified | India | not published | n/a | indicative | | **Camlin Fine Sciences** food antioxidants (TBHQ, BHA) and blends; figures not verified | India | not published | n/a | indicative | India makes starches, emulsifiers, antioxidants, choline and niacin, and has a large maize and soybean base, but imports most methionine, lysine, vitamins A and E and enzymes (indicative). Asia-Pacific is 36.8% of the feed additive market and the fastest-growing region (MarketsandMarkets). #### Position by region | Region | Position | |---|---| | **US** | Largest food additive region (MarketsandMarkets); FDA scrutiny of synthetic colours and GRAS self-affirmation is rising (indicative). | | **EU** | Strictest rules: E-number approvals under Regulation 1333/2008; titanium dioxide (E171) banned in food from 2022; antibiotic growth promoters banned in feed since 2006. | | **India** | Fast-growing processed food and poultry sectors; FSSAI additive lists; colistin banned as a feed growth promoter in 2019. | | **China** | Dominant supplier of lysine, threonine, many vitamins, sweeteners and preservatives (indicative). | | **Japan** | Ajinomoto leads in amino acids and MSG. | | **Middle East** | Import-dependent for both food and feed additives (indicative). | ## Other sections - [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/food_additives/index.md) - [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/food_additives/overview/index.md) - [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/food_additives/correlation/index.md) - [Production route](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/food_additives/routes/index.md) - [Feedstocks](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/food_additives/feedstocks/index.md) - [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/food_additives/cycles/index.md) - [Trading](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/food_additives/trading/index.md) - [Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/food_additives/movement/index.md) - [Regulation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/food_additives/regulation/index.md) - [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/food_additives/characteristics/index.md) - [Emissions](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/food_additives/emissions/index.md) - [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/food_additives/links/index.md)