Sodium Benzoate Excipient Market - Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast, Segmented By Sales Channel (Direct, Indirect), By End Use (Liquid Formulations, Capsule Formulation, Cough Syrup, Geriatric Formulation, Others), By Region and Competition, 2021-2031F

Forecast Period	2027-2031
Market Size (2025)	USD 120.18 Million
CAGR (2026-2031)	6.02%
Fastest Growing Segment	Capsule Formulation
Largest Market	Asia Pacific
Market Size (2031)	USD 170.67 Million

Market Overview

The Global Sodium Benzoate Excipient Market is projected to grow from USD 120.18 Million in 2025 to USD 170.67 Million by 2031 at a 6.02% CAGR. Sodium benzoate excipient functions as a vital antimicrobial preservative in pharmaceutical formulations and acts to inhibit the growth of bacteria and fungi in liquid medicines or oral suspensions. The primary drivers fostering market growth include the expanding global production of generic medicines and the indispensable need for stabilizing aqueous drug formulations to prolong shelf life during distribution. These fundamental necessities ensure that pharmaceutical manufacturers continue to prioritize this excipient for maintaining product safety and efficacy across diverse therapeutic categories.

The market faces a significant hurdle regarding supply chain overreliance on concentrated manufacturing regions which creates vulnerability to trade disruptions and regulatory shifts. This geopolitical dependency is highlighted by recent industrial data regarding the broader chemical supply landscape which directly dictates ingredient availability. According to the European Chemical Industry Council, in 2025, China commanded a 46% share of global chemical sales which underscores the immense influence this single market exerts over the availability and pricing structures of essential pharmaceutical ingredients like sodium benzoate.

Key Market Drivers

The surge in production of generic medicines acts as a primary catalyst for the sustained consumption of sodium benzoate excipients. As healthcare systems globally strive to reduce expenditures, manufacturers increasingly rely on cost-effective, pharmacopoeia-compliant preservatives to maintain the stability of high-volume generic formulations. Sodium benzoate is favored in this sector due to its established safety profile and economic efficiency relative to newer antimicrobial agents. This trend is heavily supported by consumption patterns in major pharmaceutical markets where unbranded medications dominate volume. According to the Association for Accessible Medicines, October 2024, in the '2024 U.S. Generic and Biosimilar Medicines Savings Report', generic medicines accounted for 90% of all prescriptions dispensed in the United States, representing a massive volume of pharmaceutical units requiring reliable excipient stabilization.

Simultaneously, the increasing demand for liquid oral dosage formulations significantly propels market revenue, particularly to address the needs of patient demographics with dysphagia. Liquid preparations, such as syrups and suspensions, are inherently susceptible to microbial contamination, necessitating robust preservation where sodium benzoate is the excipient of choice. This demand is correlated with demographic shifts requiring geriatric-friendly drug delivery systems. According to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, July 2024, in the 'World Population Prospects 2024', global life expectancy reached 73.3 years, signaling a rising elderly population dependent on accessible medication formats. Furthermore, the expansion of manufacturing hubs to meet this global requirement is evident. According to the India Brand Equity Foundation, in 2024, Indian pharmaceutical exports grew to USD 27.9 billion, underscoring the widening industrial base that necessitates a consistent supply of essential chemical ingredients.

Download Free Sample Report

Key Market Challenges

The primary challenge impeding the expansion of the Global Sodium Benzoate Excipient Market is the acute vulnerability stemming from supply chain overreliance on concentrated manufacturing geographies. This intense centralization means that even minor logistical disruptions, regulatory updates, or geopolitical tensions in the dominant production region can trigger immediate global shortages. Pharmaceutical manufacturers consequently face heightened input volatility, which severely complicates long-term production planning and delays the release of finished drug formulations.

This dependency is empirically evident in recent trade volumes, which confirm the lack of diversification in sourcing essential ingredients. According to the China Chamber of Commerce for Import & Export of Medicines & Health Products, in the first quarter of 2025, the export value of Western pharmaceutical raw materials from the region reached 11.1 billion USD, reflecting a continued consolidation of the global supply structure. Such entrenched reliance hampers market growth by creating a high-risk procurement environment where buyers are frequently subject to pricing instability and supply bottlenecks, ultimately deterring the consistent utilization required for steady market advancement.

Key Market Trends

Pharmaceutical manufacturers are aggressively replacing paraben-based preservatives with sodium benzoate in liquid formulations to align with clean-label trends and heightened regulatory safety scrutiny. This substitution is driven by the industry's need for nature-identical ingredients that provide robust antimicrobial protection without the endocrine-disruption concerns linked to parabens. The shift is particularly acute in oral suspensions where "natural" formulation claims are becoming a key competitive differentiator for over-the-counter medications. According to Lanxess, April 2024, in a press release regarding its showcase at 'in-cosmetics Global', the company highlighted the growing market preference for its high-purity sodium benzoate series, positioning these nature-identical preservatives as the essential sustainable alternative to traditional synthetic agents for consumer health applications.

Simultaneously, there is rising adoption of sodium benzoate as a hydrophilic lubricant in Orally Disintegrating Tablets (ODTs) to overcome the dissolution challenges posed by hydrophobic lubricants like magnesium stearate. Sodium benzoate’s high water solubility allows ODTs to disintegrate rapidly upon contact with saliva, a critical performance metric for patient-centric dosage forms designed for geriatric and pediatric use. According to Adalvo, July 2024, in a press statement regarding the 'Launch of Desmopressin ODT in Europe', global sales for this specific orally disintegrating formulation reached USD 168 million in 2023, underscoring the expanding commercial volume of specialized tablet technologies that demand effective hydrophilic excipient systems.

Segmental Insights

In the Global Sodium Benzoate Excipient Market, the Capsule Formulation segment has emerged as the fastest-growing category. This expansion is primarily driven by the compound's increasing adoption as a hydrophilic lubricant, which resolves dissolution issues often associated with hydrophobic alternatives in capsule filling. Pharmaceutical and nutraceutical manufacturers prioritize this excipient to enhance bioavailability and ensure efficiency in high-speed manufacturing processes. Furthermore, the global surge in dietary supplement consumption, where capsules are the preferred delivery format, has significantly bolstered market demand. Compliance with rigorous pharmacopeial standards continues to validate its essential role in modern solid dosage development.

Regional Insights

Asia Pacific maintains a leading position in the sodium benzoate excipient market due to the extensive pharmaceutical manufacturing infrastructure in China and India. This region serves as a global production hub for generic medicines, generating substantial demand for chemical preservatives. The dominance is further supported by the availability of cost-effective raw materials and established supply chains that facilitate large-scale production. Continued industrial investments and the rising consumption of liquid pharmaceutical formulations in developing economies ensure the region remains the primary contributor to global market volume.

Recent Developments

• In September 2025, Lanxess announced a significant sustainability breakthrough at its production site in Botlek, the Netherlands, where it manufactures benzoic acid and sodium benzoate. The company successfully transitioned the facility to operate entirely on low-emission electricity, thereby substantially reducing the carbon footprint of its preservative products. This operational upgrade enabled the company to supply sodium benzoate with a reduced environmental impact to the food, beverage, and personal care markets, supporting customers in achieving their own climate targets while maintaining the technical performance of the preservatives.
• In September 2024, Merck KGaA achieved the industry's first EXCiPACT cGMP certification for Pharmaceutical Auxiliary Materials at its global cell culture media production sites. This certification, developed in collaboration with the non-profit organization EXCiPACT, verified that the company's manufacturing operations met stringent international standards for non-sterile pharmaceutical excipients. The achievement highlighted the company's commitment to quality and safety in the supply of critical raw materials, ensuring that excipients used in drug formulations comply with the rigorous requirements of the pharmaceutical industry.
• In June 2024, Wuhan Youji Holdings Ltd. completed its listing on the Main Board of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong, raising capital to support its strategic expansion. As the largest manufacturer of benzoic acid and sodium benzoate in China, the company allocated a portion of the net proceeds from the Global Offering towards the construction of new production facilities and the enhancement of existing manufacturing capabilities. This development was aimed at strengthening the company's supply chain and meeting the increasing international demand for food preservatives and pharmaceutical intermediates derived from toluene oxidation.
• In April 2024, Lanxess expanded its portfolio of preservatives with the launch of Purox S Scopeblue, a climate-friendlier alternative to its established sodium benzoate product. Introduced at the in-cosmetics Global exhibition in Paris, this new grade was produced using renewable raw materials and green energy, resulting in a carbon footprint up to 100 percent lower than that of conventional sodium benzoate. The product allowed manufacturers in the personal care and cosmetic sectors to formulate sustainable products without compromising on the preservation efficacy or purity required for sensitive applications.

Key Market Players

• Ganesh Benzoplast Ltd
• A.M. Food Chemical Co. Limited
• Tengzhou Tenglong Chemical Co Ltd
• WUHAN BIET CO.,LTD
• Liaoning Huayi Chemical Industry& Commerce Co.,Ltd.
• Tianjin Dongda Chemical Group Co.,Ltd
• Ujwal Pharma Pvt. Ltd
• MiSa FineChem Pvt Ltd
• KLJ GROUP
• Jiangsu Shunfeng chemical co., LTD

By Sales Channel	By End Use	By Region
Direct Indirect	Liquid Formulations Capsule Formulation Cough Syrup Geriatric Formulation Others	North America Europe Asia Pacific South America Middle East & Africa

Report Scope:

In this report, the Global Sodium Benzoate Excipient Market has been segmented into the following categories, in addition to the industry trends which have also been detailed below:

• Sodium Benzoate Excipient Market, By Sales Channel:

• Direct
• Indirect

• Sodium Benzoate Excipient Market, By End Use:

• Liquid Formulations
• Capsule Formulation
• Cough Syrup
• Geriatric Formulation
• Others

• Sodium Benzoate Excipient Market, By Region:

• North America
• United States
• Canada
• Mexico
• Europe
• France
• United Kingdom
• Italy
• Germany
• Spain
• Asia Pacific
• China
• India
• Japan
• Australia
• South Korea
• South America
• Brazil
• Argentina
• Colombia
• Middle East & Africa
• South Africa
• Saudi Arabia
• UAE