The global market for Microcrystalline Cellulose (MCC) is expected to spike by 5.5% in the year 2020 and will continue to grow and reach US$1.6 billion by the year 2027, trailing a post COVID-19 CAGR of 8% over the analysis period 2020 through 2027. It is a massive opportunity in a healthcare crisis for functional foods and drinks, as all focus shifts towards boosting the immunity in fighting the disease in the absence of known cure and treatment. While rising focus on healthy diets with disease-preventing, longevity-increasing, and health-promoting functional nutrients has always been a key growth driver, the current pandemic has catalyzed the trend further. The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown the focus on boosting the immune system to fight infectious diseases. With more pandemics expected to follow coupled with climate change and nutrient depletion in food staples, functional food is emerging as the best strategy to tackle nutrition related immune system compromises. A robust immune system plays a key role in tackling unknown pathogens like COVID-19. With no vaccine on cards for another year, the immune systems will need to adapt unaided to fight COVID-19. The many benefits of functional foods that now make them now more than ever vitally important in diets include therapeutic benefits such as cholesterol reduction, weight management, etc.; disease preventive benefits such as reducing the risk of heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, diabetes, renal diseases etc.; and effective safeguard against dietary deficiency diseases.

Microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) is employed in the food processing and pharmaceutical industries for manufacturing in a wide range of functional foods, vitamin supplements and nutraceuticals. MCC is recognized as the diluent with most ideal binding properties and is acknowledged as one of the preferred direct compression binders. The compound is deployed as a diluent/binder in oral capsule and tablet formulations including wet granulation as well as direct compression processes. The use of MCC ensures high flow ability levels and excellent compression sequence to resolve issues that otherwise are common with poorly controlled raw materials. The compound also exhibits disintegrate and lubricant properties to be an ideal material for direct tableting processes. MCC can seamlessly bind other materials, even if used in small amounts, including poorly tablet able APIs. At the same time, MCC exhibits a high dilution potential, and the compound's broad particle size range offers optimum packing density and consistent coverage of other materials. The market therefore remains in an especially strong position given the robust R&D investments already sunk into food and nutrition sciences. More tighter food regulations in light of the fact that the novel corona virus emerged from the animal food market; improvements in safety profiles; rapidly aging, health-conscious population; development of new bioactive substances and modified food ingredients designed to provide health benefit beyond basic nutrition; rising wave of consumer self-care and adoption of preventive health maintenance strategies, bode well for the market's growth in the coming years.

The rise in demand for supplements and nutraceuticals augurs well for MCC market growth in the coming years. Post pandemic, the global market for nutraceuticals is projected to exceed $360 billion by 2024, driven by the nutritional benefits offered by nutraceuticals in disease prevention and health enhancement, growing prominence of preventive healthcare, and steady launch of targeted foods and supplements. Nutraceuticals are functional foods & beverages and dietary supplements that offer numerous health benefits along with providing the required nutritional value. Dietary Supplements contain amino acids, herbs, minerals, vitamins, botanical products and other dietary ingredients for supplementing regular diet. Nutraceuticals are garnering immense attention in recent years due to various trends including changing lifestyles, burgeoning middle-class segment across emerging economies, transforming dietary habits, aging population, and increased life expectancy. In addition, the focus of R&D based pharmaceutical sector on expensive specialty drugs is increasing the burden on the healthcare system as well as resulting in higher out-of-pocket costs for drugs driving the focus on prevention than intervention. The self-care trend across the world is driving strong demand for nutraceuticals including superfoods, food and dietary supplements, sports nutrition, and functional foods & beverages. Consumption of MCC is expected to grow in "engineered" food products due to the rising demand for microwave-compatible items, and low-fat, healthy products. Convenience foods manufacturers are capitalizing on this trend by offering customers convenience, manifested in a variety of low-fat foods in easy-to-use formats. Key factors driving demand for frozen foods include consumers' desire for convenient and faster-to-prepare foods. Innovation in frozen food product packaging, changing consumer perception over the nutritional benefits of frozen foods, technology developments in refrigeration technologies, and launch of healthy frozen foods with as low sodium, low calorie and high fiber ingredients.