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Author: Kariya
According to the latest report of Valuates Reports, the global natural sweeteners market size is expected to grow from $22.49 billion in 2020 to $27.94 billion by 2026, with a CAGR of 3.7%. In this article, Food Research Hub will take stock of the market situation of major sweeteners in 2021 and new sweetener products.
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Erythritol
According to Innova Market Insights, between July 2016 and June 2021, the sweetener with the highest CAGR globally was erythritol, at 32%, while another popular sweetener, stevia, grew at a CAGR of 13%. Erythritol has become the most popular sweetener in the world.
Erythritol is currently on the market by biological fermentation natural transformation and extraction of the preparation of sugar alcohol products, belongs to zero calorie sweetener, does not participate in human blood sugar metabolism, and the sweet characteristics are similar to sucrose. Compared with synthetic sweeteners such as sucralose, erythritol can be classified as a natural sweetener; compared with natural sweeteners such as steviol glycosides, erythritol has a purer taste and no bitter taste, so it has been recognized by consumers.
However, the sweetness of erythritol is only 70% of sugar, and the amount of consumption is large, but the production capacity is seriously insufficient, so there is a shortage of erythritol supply worldwide. Since the beginning of this year, the market price of erythritol has been rising from 16,000 yuan / ton at the beginning of the year, forcing enterprises to reduce the amount of consumption in order to reduce costs, and how to reduce the amount of erythritol while maintaining the same taste has become a new issue in the industry.
How can I reduce the amount of erythritol?
1) Add the fiber
In addition to providing sweetness, some fibers can replicate the function of sugars and be used as flavor enhancers, leavening agents or extenders, while also adding intestinal health-promoting effects to the product.
Naturally occurring inulin is about 10% sweeter than sucrose, and if the inulin chain is shorter, the sweetness increases, and short-chain inulin can provide 60% of the sweetness level of sucrose. It can partially replace erythritol, providing sweetness and volume.
Another fiber that can be used to reduce erythritol usage is gum arabic. Due to its physical and functional properties, it is a good choice to increase the fiber content of food without compromising the appearance or flavor of food.
As a low-viscosity thickener, gum arabic helps compensate for the lost volume, texture and taste of sugar-reducing products, brings stability by reducing water activity, and improves softness and taste by increasing water retention.
2) Add the flavor
Another way to reduce the amount of erythritol is to add natural flavors, which are generally used with other high-power sweeteners, the main purpose of which is to reduce the bad taste of high-power sweeteners.
Natural flavors can provide aroma, make up for the real sucrose flavor that is missing when high-power sweeteners reduce sugar, speed up the rate of sweetness, eliminate sweet tongue and odor, thereby creating a pleasant overall flavor, even if the amount of erythritol is reduced, the main ingredients of this natural flavor are usually glucosyl steviol glycosides, African arrowroot extract (soma sweet) and so on.
Steviol glycosides
Consumer interest in stevia also continues to grow, with the number of products containing stevia launched worldwide growing by more than 16% per year between 2016 and 2020, according to Innova Market Insights.
The global stevia market was $637.1 million in 2018 and is expected to reach $1,169.4 million by 2026, with a CAGR of 8.0% from 2019 to 2026. According to Indredion's internal analysis, the size of the global stevia market is estimated to exceed $1.6 billion by 2028.
With the highly sweet and non-bitter aftertaste of steviol glycoside ingredients such as rebaudidin M and rebaudidin D, gradually occupying the mainstream market, the improvement of regulations in various countries has become a major event in the stevia industry in 2021.
In order to further regulate the steviol glycoside sweetener market, the European Union has issued new labeling guidelines, modifying (EC) No 1333/2008 and (EU) No 231/2012 to divide the original steviol glycosides (E 960) into two parts, including steviol glycosides from stevia (E 960a) and steviol glycosides from enzymatic production (E 960c). Provide consumers with greater clarity and transparency, help consumers better identify the origin of steviol glycosides used in food, and deepen their understanding of natural plant-derived stevia.
Monk fruit
The global monk fruit market was $396.34 million in 2019 and is expected to reach $532.17 million by 2026, representing a CAGR of about 4.3%.
Because it can be directly labeled as monk fruit in the label and is not an additive, monk fruit is considered a sugar substitute that meets the clean label. According to SPINS data, the use of monk fruit in food and beverages with clean labels in the U.S. market increased by 15.7% in 2020. With a number of health benefits, the market is likely to gain even greater momentum for growth in the coming years.
In addition to the great advantages in blood pressure and blood sugar management, monk fruit also has a certain alleviating effect on respiratory diseases including cough, in addition to its high antioxidant content and a long shelf life.
In terms of markets, the monk fruit market is divided into natural and organic markets. The monk fruit market can be divided into five main regions by region: Latin America, North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and middle east and Africa. The North American region is expected to make the largest contribution to the monk fruit market.
The European market will be one of the most profitable in the coming years, as there is a lot of demand for natural zero-calorie sweeteners from consumers in the region.
Markets such as Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa will be regions with high potential, which are underdeveloped and have the need to expand their business, especially in China, where monk fruit originates.
Allulose
In 2019, the FDA announced the exclusion of the low-calorie sweetener allulose from the "added sugar" and "total sugar" labels, while setting the calorie of allulose to 0.4kcal/g. This policy has promoted the large-scale production and use of allulose. In North America, the number of new products containing allulose tripled in 2020 compared to 2019. Futuremarketinsights expects the global market for allulose to reach $450 million by 2030, growing at a COMPOUND annual growth rate of 9.1%.
Currently, allulose is less recognizable to consumers, and in the 2020 Innova Global Health and Nutrition Survey, the label of sweetener in the minds of consumers is stevia: 30% healthy, 24% natural and 21% sustainable, and allulose is 15% healthy, 10% natural and 14% sustainable.
Although alulose cannot be used in China at present, some enterprises have begun the research and development and production of allulose.
Other new sugar substitutes for 2021
1) ADM: Low sugar glucose syrup
2) DouxMatok launches the first Finished Incredo Sugar product
3) Sweegen: Brazzein Brazilian sweetener
4) Supplant: Sugar from fiber
5) Fooditive: A sweetener based on banana waste
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