The sales of fructose are expected to surpass $7 billion in 2019. Gains of the fructose market are further underpinned by a slew of factors, including lower prices of fructose than that of sucrose, increased consumption of convenience foods, and easy availability of raw materials. These were the findings of a new study by FMI.
“The market for fructose is rising at a steady pace, owing to the rising health awareness among consumers globally and the reduction in sugar consumption in developed countries. Certain product types of the fructose market are gaining popularity among consumers, as well as the manufacturers and this has resulted in overall growth of fructose,” said the FMI report.
Fructose remains preferred, economic sweetener
According to the report, the use of fructose in food and beverages was more than that in any other application. The use of fructose in beverages is the highest amongst all applications, within which fructose being used in non-alcoholic beverages the most.
This is due to the ongoing demand for food products and beverages globally, especially in the developed countries. This demand has led to the fructose being in high demand as a sweetener in these products. Also, fructose is an economic sweetener if compared with sucrose to be added in food and beverages.
However, the demand of fructose in the food and beverage industry is reducing, owing to the increasing health-conscious population and the need for clean label products among the consumers.
But in the developing countries where the awareness among the consumers is less, the demand for fructose is high.
Even in the US, the use of high-fructose corn syrup is higher than that of sucrose, as it is an economical alternative. This will persist until a more economic alternative is available.
According to the report, consumers will reduce the use of fructose manufactured using corn, as there is an increase in the health-conscious population.
The demand for fructose manufactured from other sources, such as fruits and vegetables, is increasing with a very high CAGR. This is due to the shift of consumers from artificial ingredients to natural products.
The drawback of extracting fructose from this source is the high cost of production and high prices, which manufacturers are trying to overcome. However, it is expected to grow in the upcoming years as compared to all other sources.
Natural sweeteners continue to trend
The research analysis by FMI finds that consumer demand for products that are natural is increasing. This ongoing trend has led to the use of artificial products being reduced in products.
The synthetically-produced sweeteners market is getting affected by these products but the market demand for natural sweeteners has increased in food products. This is due to the increasing prevalence of health problems such as diabetes and obesity. These are more prominent in Asia Pacific and North America regions.
This health awareness has resulted in consumer preference shifting from artificial sweeteners in their food products to sweeteners obtained from natural products.
According to the report, fructose solids (crystalline/powder) and fructose syrups obtained from a source other than corn are being preferred by consumers even if they have to pay a premium price for it.
The demand for fructose solids and syrups is rising as there is no negative feedback or report on its effect on the health of consumers.