Fat replacement trend drives European demand for emulsifiers
The report says that the global food emulsifiers market is set to reach 933,400 tonnes by 2018 as the fat reduction trend continues to grow – meaning that emulsifiers now represent the fastest growing segment of the food additives market.
“Health concerns, consumer awareness, flourishing functional food market, confections and bakery are some of the key factors driving the segment’s increasing demands for food emulsifiers,” the research organization said in a statement.
“Further, the application of modern food processing techniques is driving the expansion of food production and new product development in diverse segments such as dairy, bakery, confectionery, processed foods, fats, as well as oils, and this is likely to spur the growth of the food emulsifiers markets. Governments worldwide are developing policies and regulations to penalize unhealthy diets and support healthy ones.”
At the moment, Europe is the largest market for emulsifiers, but it is reaching maturity, the research organization said. Meanwhile, demand from developing economies in the Asia Pacific region in particular is likely to grow faster than the global average, as average per capita wealth and demand for processed food increases.
“China and India are at the forefront of this growth trend,” it said. “The flourishing food processing industry and the increasing consumer awareness regarding benefits of low fat foods are the key elements driving the markets in these regions.”
The main ingredients in the emulsifier marker are di-glycerides and derivatives, in terms of value as well as volume.
While bakery has been the dominant sector for emulsifiers, demand from the confectionery sector, meat, dairy, other convenience foods, and beverages is also gaining momentum, it said.
