Editorial Department, China Chemical News and China Chemical IndustryYearbook
There was a marked increase in the production of food additives in 2000 compared with 1999, with the exception of the restriction imposed by the government on the production and consumption of saccharin. The total output for the year reached 1.8 million tons, including products for the fermentation industry such as monosodium glutamate, citric acid, enzyme preparations , etc, a rise of 14 per cent over the preceding year. In 2000, production of several food additives increased significantly.
Product | Output (thousand tons) |
---|---|
Monosodium glutamate | 700 |
Citric acid | 340 |
Enzyme preparations | 250 |
Yeast | 100 |
Flavouring essences and flavorants | 35 |
Colourants | 28 |
of which natural colouring matters | 25 |
High-intensity sweeteners | 44 |
of which saccharin | 19.6 |
Sodium cyclamate | 20 |
Stevioside | 1.2 |
Aspartane | 1.2 |
AK sugar | 2 |
Nutritive sweeteners | 112 |
of which xylose and xylitol | 12 |
Sorbitol | 100 (and 70 imported) |
Preservatives and antioxidants | 80 |
Nutrition enhancers | 58 |
of which vitamins | 46 |
mineral elements | 12 |
Emulsifiers, thickeners and quality ameliorants | 60 |
In order to prolong the quality guarantee period and shelf life of food, the output of preservatives and anti- staling agents rose sharply. In 2000, output of sodium benzoate came to about 70,000 tons; its domestic sale was around 50,000 tons, and over 10,000 tons were exported.
The catering business flourished in 2000. Its sales value was 263.8 billion yuan from January to September 2000 and was expected to exceed 370 billion yuan for the year. The domestic output of special flavourings based on sodium glutamate, guanylic acid (GMP) and inosinic acid (IMP) surged.
With improvements in quality of life, functional food additives (functional factors) and ingredients also increased.
It can be seen from Table 6.5.2 that the export of major food additives saw a substantial increase in 2000. Total export was 388,000 tons, 12.2 per cent more than the preceding year. Those with export volumes of over 10,000 tons and a large increase were: citric acid, with an increase of 12.3 per cent; citrates (12.2 per cent), benzoic acid and sodium benzoate (11.44 per cent), vitamin C (12 per cent) and monosodium glutamate (15.8 per cent), the highest increase.
2000 | 1999 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Product | Volume (tons) | Value (US$ million) | Volume (tons) | Value (US$ million) |
Citric acid | 225,415.7 | 188.70 | 183,312 | 159.43 |
Citrates | 32,762 | 27.80 | 26,740 | 22.89 |
Lactic acid and lactates | 3,720 | 3.90 | 4,249 | 5.30 |
Tartaric acid | 4,107.6 | 10.16 | 2,350 | 3.42 |
Gluconic acid and gluconates | 3,509.4 | 18.02 | 2,394 | 13.01 |
Monosodium glutamate | 21,238 | 25.52 | 13,432 | 17.38 |
Mannitol | 1,221.9 | 1.56 | 697 | 1.17 |
Benzoic acid and sodium benzoate | 16,133.6 | 22.15 | 14,098 | 36.31 |
Saccharin | 14,818.3 | 36.42 | 14,914.6 | 36.31 |
Natural flavorants | 9,716 | 60.96 | 11,192 | 67.44 |
Vitamin C | 34,675.9 | 173.88 | 28,793 | 146.26 |
Vitamin E | 8,595.7 | 69.30 | 6,471 | 85.78 |
Sodium cyclamate | 6,508.5 | 8.62 | 4,384 | 5.53 |
Live yeast | 5,767.7 | 11.41 | 4,878 | 8.69 |
Total | 388,090.9 | 647.57 | 317,905 | 588.443 |
Imports of major additives showed an increase of 5.9 per cent on 1999 (see Table 6.5.3).
2000 | 1999 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Product | Volume (tons) | Value (US$ million) | Volume (tons) | Value (US$ million) |
Sorbitol | 79,187 | 30.04 | 72,600 | 26.87 |
Propionic acid | 9,109 | 5.51 | 10,364 | 6.36 |
Glutamic acid | 7,293 | 6.01 | 15,818 | 10.09 |
Other amino acids | 2,777 | 22.23 | 2,239 | 18.37 |
Arabic gum | 725 | 1.71 | 639.8 | 1.00 |
Locust bean and guar gum | 3,207 | 4.87 | 6,687 | 6.65 |
Total | 102,298 | 70.37 | 108,347 | 69.33 |
Both import and export volume in 2000 were higher than the preceding year, but the FOB and CIF prices per unit of product were lowered . Competition in the global food additive market was very intense , and it was a case of survival of the fittest. Food additives companies abroad were carrying out readjustments, mergers and intensive operations to improve their competitive power. With imminent entry to the WTO, the domestic food additives industry must face new challenges: make efforts to improve quality, increase product variety and lower costs.
The total output of domestic food additives (including products from the fermentation industry) in 1991 was 476,000 tons, with a value of 5.2 billion yuan. In 2000 these figures went up to over 1.8 million tons (abut 20 billion yuan), so that in ten years output increased by 3.78 times and output value by 3.85 times.
Product | 1991 | 1995 | 2000 | Factor increase between 1992 and 2000 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Monosodium glutamate | 250 | 522 | 700 | 2.88 |
Citric acid | 65 | 154 | 320 | 4.92 |
Sodium benzoate | 4 | 70 | 17.5 | |
Dietary gourmet powder | 13.9 | 13 | 35 | 1.84 |
Colourants | 3.2 | 11 | 28 | 8.75 |
Xylose and xylitol | 2.7 | 6 | 12 | 4.44 |
Sorbitol | 20 | 50 | 100 | 5.00 |
Vitamins | 4 | 20 | 38 | 4.75 |