US food and beverage CO2 supply tightens: why regional suppliers need a holistic approach
gasworld.comCO2 supply for the US food and beverage sector is under pressure again, with tightness in the Southeast putting brewers and drink makers on alert. The article from gasworld argues that regional suppliers need a more holistic approach to reliability, not just short term fixes when plants go down. That matters because food and beverage grade CO2 is a small but essential input for carbonation, packaging, and preservation. Market research cited in the piece projects global food and beverage grade CO2 sales to climb from $8.8bn in 2026 to $14.6bn by 2036. The growth reflects rising demand for packaged drinks and food safety applications, but supply is still tied to industrial sources like ethanol, ammonia, and fertilizer plants. When those facilities shut for maintenance or face outages, the regional market tightens quickly. For buyers, the takeaway is that price and volume matter less than reliability. Suppliers that invest in storage, diversified sourcing, and better coordination with regional producers will be better positioned to serve the food and beverage sector as demand grows.