In terms of value, the global prebiotic ingredients market is projected to register a significant CAGR of 10.5 per cent during the forecast period due to various factors,. Transparency Market Research (TMR) delivers key insights on the global Prebiotic Ingredients market in its upcoming outlook titled, ‘Prebiotic Ingredients Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment 2017-2027’.

On the basis of ingredients, the market is segmented into fructo-oligosaccharide, mannan-oligosaccharide, galacto-oligosaccharide, inulin and others. On the basis of source, the market is segmented into vegetables, cereals, roots and others. On the basis of end use, the market is segmented into clinical nutrition, dietary supplement functional food and beverage, dairy products, infant formula, breakfast cereal and cereal bars, meat products, animal nutrition and pet food.

Western Europe market has traditionally been a good base for prebiotic manufacturers. Consumers in Western Europe market have better awareness of pros and cons of prebiotics and probiotics than most other regions in the world. This is one of the major factors affecting prebiotic sales in the Europe market, currently.

In 2006, Council and Parliament of the European Commission passed a regulation on nutrition and health claims concerning ‘low fat’, ‘high fibre’ and ‘reduced cholesterol’ marketing strategies. This regulation was put forth in order to ensure that any health claims with regards to food labelling, presentation or marketing within the European Union should be clear, accurate and based on evidence supported by the scientific community.

These steps have ensured regularisation in the marketing procedure in Europe and increased awareness about prebiotics in the region, making the European consumers the most well-informed group of buyers and are the foremost consumers of prebiotics around the world.

The global dairy industry has grown significantly in the recent past. Foods such as yogurt, cheese, butter, gelato, ice cream, kefir and other such milk products are in high demand among the consumers. In addition, milk itself in various forms such as pasteurised milk, condensed milk, powdered milk, skimmed milk; whole milk and high-fat milk for infant formulae are also in demand. Since the beginning of the century, many of these milk products have been optionally offered by reinforcing them with prebiotic fibres to offer health benefits to consumers.

In Asia-Pacific for example, dairy product manufacturers have been taking steps to incorporate inulin as it shows organoleptic properties. Estimates show that approximately 20.3 per cent of yogurts manufactured in Asia Pacific contain prebiotic ingredients and about 3.5 per cent of these are based on oligosaccharides.

The ever increasing use of prebiotics in dairy products is a lucrative opportunity for prebiotic manufacturers as the global dairy market is a large industry and monetary gains are very high.

There is growing interest in Indian consumers for digestive health ingredients, particularly prebiotics, in food products. Since 2011, India has allowed regulatory approval for prebiotics in sweets, dairy products, frozen desserts, ice cream, baked goods, cereals, chocolates and meat products. With over 37 million diabetics and 400 million overweight people in India, there is growing demand for low sugar foods, which will continue to drive demand for prebiotic ingredients.

Meanwhile, India’s probiotics market is largely focussed on animal feed, and probiotic products for human consumption is still a niche sector. Small existing market focusses on dairy products such as yoghurts, buttermilk drinks and curds. Awareness activities by companies such as Yakult continues to drive consumer awareness about probiotic products that will in turn continue to fuel market growth.

Moreover, growing dairy consumption in China is driving demand for value-added dairy products. China’s dependence on imported dairy reduces its capacity to develop its own processes, and therefore tends to replicate technologies developed in Japan. China does have a large inulin source. Intellectual property protection for these products needs to be considered, with many imitator products known to exist. The health benefits of prebiotics and probiotics in China is currently unproven, hence the sales are typically driven by viva voce.

Lifestyle along with eating habit has transitioned from health-based food products to taste-based, particularly for kids in the Middle-East region. Busy life schedule of working parents limits their control on children’s eating pattern, which in majority of the case results into gastrointestinal related malfunctioning condition in kids. About, half a decade ago, consumers were not informed about the use of probiotic and prebiotic supplement and hence their large dependence was on medicine, which again led to other complications at several reported instances, across this region.