The consumer industry continues to be a hotbed of patent innovation. Activity is driven by environmental sustainability, convenience, and aesthetics, and the growing importance of personalized nutrition, food safety and transparency, and digital food management technologies. In the last three years alone, there have been over 52,000 patents filed and granted in the consumer industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Innovation in consumer: natural complex preservatives. Buy the report here.
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However, not all innovations are equal and nor do they follow a constant upward trend. Instead, their evolution takes the form of an S-shaped curve that reflects their typical lifecycle from early emergence to accelerating adoption, before finally stabilizing and reaching maturity.
Identifying where a particular innovation is on this journey, especially those that are in the emerging and accelerating stages, is essential for understanding their current level of adoption and the likely future trajectory and impact they will have.
30+ innovations will shape the consumer industry
According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which plots the S-curve for the consumer industry using innovation intensity models built on over 12,000 patents, there are 30+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.
Within the emerging innovation stage, microencapsulated proteins, plant-based cheese substitutes, and texturized vegetable proteins are disruptive technologies that are in the early stages of application and should be tracked closely. Beverage pods, edible oil non-spreads and recombinant steviol glycosides are some of the accelerating innovation areas, where adoption has been steadily increasing. Among maturing innovation areas are anabolic muscle supplements and protein-fortified beverages, which are now well established in the industry.
Innovation S-curve for the consumer industry
Natural complex preservatives is a key innovation area in consumer
Natural complex preservatives are plant-derived compounds used to extend the shelf-life of food products by preventing bacterial, fungal, and oxidative spoilage. These preservatives are becoming increasingly popular as consumers demand natural, healthier, and more sustainable food options.
GlobalData’s analysis also uncovers the companies at the forefront of each innovation area and assesses the potential reach and impact of their patenting activity across different applications and geographies. According to GlobalData, there are 90+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established consumer companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of natural complex preservatives.
Key players in natural complex preservatives – a disruptive innovation in the consumer industry
‘Application diversity’ measures the number of applications identified for each patent. It broadly splits companies into either ‘niche’ or ‘diversified’ innovators.
‘Geographic reach’ refers to the number of countries each patent is registered in. It reflects the breadth of geographic application intended, ranging from ‘global’ to ‘local’.
Patent volumes related to natural complex preservatives
| Company | Total patents (2021 - 2023) | Premium intelligence on the world's largest companies |
| Mizkan | 37 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Consumo Em Verde Biotecnologia Das Plantas | 27 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Jeneil Biosurfactant | 20 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Agri-Neo | 20 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Ecolab | 19 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Buckman Laboratories International | 16 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Buhler | 14 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Mars | 12 | Unlock Company Profile |
| CMS Technology | 11 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Anheuser-Busch InBev | 9 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Raps | 8 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Danaher | 8 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Gruppo Mauro Saviola | 8 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Satake Engineering | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Saraya | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Chacha Food | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Stalam | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Uni-President Enterprises | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Nagase | 4 | Unlock Company Profile |
| BASF | 3 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Hefei Zhuguang Grain & Oil Trade | 3 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Standard Foods | 3 | Unlock Company Profile |
| International Flavors & Fragrances | 3 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Satake | 2 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Wei Wei | 2 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Nexyst 360 | 2 | Unlock Company Profile |
| BST | 2 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Vomm Impianti E Processi | 2 | Unlock Company Profile |
| ARCHANGEL | 2 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Zhengzhou Souqu Information Technology | 2 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Lotus Innovative Health | 2 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Uni-President China | 1 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Zhang Mei | 1 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Suzhou Kegu Rice | 1 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Guangxi Lipu Anjili Wood Industry | 1 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Shucheng Shenggui Food | 1 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Qingdao Donghao Software Technology | 1 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Hunan Nongyou Machinery Group | 1 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Winner Medical Group | 1 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Sanshan Branch of Wuhu Haoyikuai Food | 1 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Anhui Youyuan Food | 1 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Hefei Fulaiduo Food | 1 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Ambiente E Nutrizione | 1 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Raytheon Technologies | 1 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Three Squirrels | 1 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Ajinomoto | 1 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Anhui Yanzhifang Food | 1 | Unlock Company Profile |
Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics
Mizkan is one of the leading patent filers in natural complex preservatives. Some other key patent filers in the space include Consumo Em Verde Biotecnologia Das Plantas, Jeneil Biosurfactant, and Agri-Neo. Agri-Neo has formed a collaboration with Alpacasa, a prominent food processing firm in Paraguay. Alpacasa will leverage Agri-Neo's Neo-Pure pasteurization technology to deliver premium ingredients and solutions, enhancing value for both its domestic and global customers.
In terms of application diversity, Sanshan Branch of Wuhu Haoyikuai Food leads the pack, with Suzhou Kegu Rice and Vomm Impianti E Processi in the second and third positions, respectively. By means of geographic reach, Sanshan Branch of Wuhu Haoyikuai Food holds the top position, followed by J-Oil Mills and Hunan Nongyou Machinery Group.
As consumer preferences shift towards more natural, healthier, and environmentally sustainable food choices, the food industry is expected to increasingly adopt natural complex preservatives.
To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the consumer industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Consumer.
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GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article.
GlobalData’s Patent Analytics tracks patent filings and grants from official offices around the world. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
