United States Butyric Acid Market By Type (Synthetic, Non-Synthetic), By End Use (Animal Feed, Chemical Intermediates, Pharmaceuticals, Food & Beverage, Others), By Distribution Channel (Direct Sales, Direct Import, Distributors/Suppliers/Traders), By Region, Competition, Forecast and Opportunities, 2021-2031F

Forecast Period	2027-2031
Market Size (2025)	USD 118.44 Billion
CAGR (2026-2031)	4.21%
Fastest Growing Segment	Animal Feed
Largest Market	Midwest
Market Size (2031)	USD 151.69 Billion

Market Overview

The United States Butyric Acid Market will grow from USD 118.44 Billion in 2025 to USD 151.69 Billion by 2031 at a 4.21% CAGR. Butyric acid is a short-chain fatty acid produced through chemical synthesis or fermentation that serves as a critical ingredient in animal feed to improve enteric health and as a vital intermediate in flavor and pharmaceutical manufacturing. The market is primarily propelled by the intensifying demand for antibiotic alternatives in livestock production and the critical need to optimize feed conversion ratios within the poultry and swine sectors. These factors represent a fundamental shift toward sustainable and efficient animal nutrition practices rather than temporary consumption patterns.

The sector's trajectory is reinforced by strong commercial activity in the broader nutrition field. According to the American Feed Industry Association, in 2024, exports from the U.S. animal feed industry reached $11.6 billion, illustrating the robust demand for high-quality feed inputs that supports the adoption of such additives. Despite this positive economic environment, one significant challenge that could impede market expansion is the compound's inherently noxious odor, which creates handling difficulties and often necessitates additional processing costs for encapsulation to ensure palatability.

Key Market Drivers

The rising adoption of butyric acid as an antibiotic substitute in animal feed is serving as a primary catalyst for market growth, particularly within the poultry and swine sectors. As regulatory bodies and consumers increasingly reject antibiotic growth promoters, livestock producers are transitioning to functional additives that maintain enteric health and performance. Butyric acid derivatives are essential in this shift, as they strengthen the intestinal barrier and improve nutrient absorption without contributing to antimicrobial resistance. The scale of this application is immense; according to the Institute for Feed Education and Research, February 2025, in the 'U.S. Animal Food Consumption Report', broilers alone consumed 61.5 million tons of feed in 2023, underscoring the massive addressable market for these health-promoting additives. This volume necessitates a robust industrial supply chain, which is reflected in the financial performance of key market players. According to Eastman Chemical Company, February 2025, in the 'Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2024 Financial Results', the Additives & Functional Products segment, which includes animal nutrition solutions, generated sales revenue of $2.86 billion.

Simultaneously, growing consumer awareness of gut health and dietary supplements is expanding the commercial potential of butyric acid beyond agriculture into human nutrition. Modern consumers are increasingly seeking products that support microbiome balance, driving demand for postbiotics and prebiotic formulations where butyrate plays a central role in managing inflammation and digestive disorders. This trend is evidenced by shifting purchasing behaviors in the wellness sector. According to WholeFoods Magazine, February 2025, in the article 'Highlights from CRN's 2024 Consumer Survey', the usage rate of prebiotics among supplement users grew to 7%, reflecting a broader movement toward preventative digestive health solutions. This rising clinical and consumer interest validates the compound's dual expansion in both feed and pharmaceutical grade applications, securing its position as a versatile ingredient in the U.S. market.

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Key Market Challenges

The inherently noxious odor of butyric acid presents a distinct operational barrier that significantly hampers the expansion of the United States Butyric Acid Market. This volatile characteristic imposes rigorous handling requirements on feed manufacturers, necessitating specialized ventilation and containment systems to ensure worker safety and prevent facility-wide contamination. These logistical prerequisites increase the complexity of the supply chain and deter potential adopters who lack the infrastructure to manage such potent compounds, effectively limiting the market’s accessible customer base to facilities with advanced processing capabilities.

Moreover, the financial implications of mitigating this odor through encapsulation create substantial economic friction. The additional processing required to ensure palatability directly elevates final product pricing, reducing competitiveness against alternative feed additives that do not require such costly interventions. This price sensitivity is acute within the high-volume feed sector. According to the American Feed Industry Association, in 2025, the U.S. animal food industry generated $98.4 billion in value-added economic benefits. Despite the massive scale of this parent industry, the incremental costs associated with odor neutralization erode the profit margins for butyric acid suppliers, restricting their ability to fully capitalize on this lucrative value chain.

Key Market Trends

The development of biodegradable packaging materials using butyrate derivatives is fundamentally reshaping the market's industrial application landscape. As environmental regulations tighten against single-use plastics, manufacturers are increasingly utilizing cellulose acetate butyrate (CAB) to create transparent, compostable films and rigid containers that offer superior mechanical properties without the ecological burden of petroleum-based polymers. This demand for sustainable material solutions is a primary revenue generator for major chemical producers transitioning toward circular economy models. According to Eastman Chemical Company, January 2025, in the 'Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2024 Financial Results', the Advanced Materials segment, which manufactures these cellulosic biopolymers, generated sales revenue of $3.05 billion, highlighting the commercial scale of this green material revolution.

Simultaneously, the market is witnessing increasing utilization as a precursor for renewable aviation fuels, driven by the aviation sector's urgent decarbonization mandates. Butyric acid serves as a critical intermediate in the alcohol-to-jet (AtJ) pathway, where it is reduced to bio-butanol and subsequently upgraded into drop-in kerosene synthesized paraffinic kerosene. This application expands the compound's value proposition beyond agriculture, positioning it as a strategic feedstock in the energy transition. The scale of this emerging opportunity is substantial; according to the U.S. Department of Energy, November 2024, in the report 'Pathways to Commercial Liftoff: Sustainable Aviation Fuel', announced projects represent over three billion gallons of annual domestic SAF production capacity by 2030, creating a massive potential sink for carboxylic acid platforms.

Segmental Insights

The Animal Feed segment represents the fastest-growing category within the United States Butyric Acid Market, driven by a critical industry shift toward antibiotic-free livestock production. This expansion is primarily necessitated by stringent regulations from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), specifically the Veterinary Feed Directive, which restricts the use of medically important antimicrobials for growth promotion. Consequently, livestock producers are increasingly adopting butyric acid as a viable functional additive to maintain animal health. Its proven ability to enhance gut integrity and improve nutrient absorption makes it an essential solution for poultry and swine producers, thereby fueling substantial demand in this sector.

Regional Insights

The Midwest stands as the leading region in the United States butyric acid market, primarily driven by its extensive animal husbandry and agricultural sectors. This area contains a high concentration of swine and poultry operations, creating significant demand for feed additives that utilize butyric acid to support animal gut health. Additionally, the region benefits from established infrastructure for bio-based chemical processing. Compliance with animal feed safety standards monitored by the FDA ensures consistent consumption of approved additives, thereby sustaining the Midwest's dominant market position.

Recent Developments

• In January 2025, Vigon International entered into an exclusive distribution agreement with Natara to market a broad range of botanical extracts and specialty molecules across North America. This collaboration significantly expanded Vigon's portfolio in the flavor and fragrance sector, a key end-use segment of the "United States Butyric Acid Market" where butyrate esters are essential for creating fruit profiles. The partnership aims to enhance the availability of sustainable and high-quality ingredients for US-based producers of consumer goods, strengthening the supply chain for these critical chemical intermediates.
• In December 2024, OQ Chemicals announced a price increase for its carboxylic acids, including n-butyric acid and isobutyric acid, specifically for the North American region. The adjustment, which was scheduled to become effective in January 2025, was driven by supply and demand dynamics within the chemical sector. This commercial development directly impacted the "United States Butyric Acid Market" by altering the cost structure for downstream manufacturers who utilize these acids in the production of animal feed, coatings, and flavorings.
• In October 2024, Kemin Industries showcased its specialized portfolio of functional ingredients, including the encapsulated calcium butyrate product ButiShield, at the SupplySide West trade show in Las Vegas. During this major industry event, the company highlighted the controlled-release mechanism of its butyric acid offering, which is engineered to support intestinal barrier integrity and digestive health. This activity demonstrated the company's continued focus on strengthening its position in the "United States Butyric Acid Market" by promoting advanced delivery technologies to manufacturers of health and nutrition products.
• In May 2024, NutraShure Distribution, LLC launched BIOMEnd, a new L-lysine butyrate ingredient designed to address common formulation challenges in the dietary supplement and functional food sectors. This product introduction targeted the "United States Butyric Acid Market" by offering a solution with improved solubility and palatability compared to traditional butyrate forms, which often struggle with odor and taste issues. The launch highlighted the company's effort to expand the application of butyric acid derivatives into powder, capsule, and liquid delivery formats for gut health and immune support.

Key Market Players

• Reverdia
• Eastman Chemical Company
• Perstorp Holding AB
• Jiangsu Sopo
• Butamax™
• Musim Mas Group
• Oleon NV
• Zhejiang Garden Biochemical High‑Tech Co., Ltd.
• Corbion
• Viking Chemical Company

By Type	By End Use	By Distribution Channel	By Region
Synthetic Non-Synthetic	Animal Feed Chemical Intermediates Pharmaceuticals Food & Beverage Others	Direct Sales Direct Import Distributors/Suppliers/Traders	Northeast Midwest South West

Report Scope:

In this report, the United States Butyric Acid Market has been segmented into the following categories, in addition to the industry trends which have also been detailed below:

• United States Butyric Acid Market, By Type:

• Synthetic
• Non-Synthetic

• United States Butyric Acid Market, By End Use:

• Animal Feed
• Chemical Intermediates
• Pharmaceuticals
• Food & Beverage
• Others

• United States Butyric Acid Market, By Distribution Channel:

• Direct Sales
• Direct Import
• Distributors/Suppliers/Traders

• United States Butyric Acid Market, By Region:

• Northeast
• Midwest
• South
• West