The global demand for nutraceutical ingredients is forecast to rise 7.2 percent annually to $30 billion in 2017, serving end product markets totaling $369 billion, according to a report released by Reportlinker. The best growth prospects will exist in substances with clinically supported health benefits and broad applications in foods, beverages, dietary supplements,and adult and pediatric nutritional preparations.

Included in this group are soy proteins; oat bran, psyllium, and soy fibers; Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus probiotics; omega fatty acids; cranberry and garlic extracts; calcium, magnesium, and zinc minerals; and vitamins A and C.

Emerging market to witness fastest growth
Countries such as Brazil, China, India, Mexico and Turkey will be among the fastest growing consumers and producers of nutraceutical ingredients worldwide. Increasing economic prosperity will enable these countries to expand and diversify their food and beverage, processing, and pharmaceutical industries. In 2017 China, alone, will absorb more than 16 percent of the value of global nutraceutical ingredient demand and will account for over 18 percent of the value of related world shipments. Because of maturing markets, the supply and demand of nutraceutical ingredients in the United States, Western Europe, and other developed economies will increase more slowly than the average worldwide pace. Nonetheless, food, beverage, and pharmaceutical companies in these economies will continue to pursue opportunities in conventional and specialty nutritional products and natural medicines. As a result, they will remain key customers for nutraceutical ingredients.


Nutrients to remain top-selling ingredients
Nutrients, including proteins, fibers, and various specialised functional additives, will remain the top-selling group of nutraceutical ingredients worldwide. Proteins will post the fastest demand gains as food and beverage makers throughout the world introduce new high value-added nutritional preparations. Functional additives and fiber nutrients will also fare well in the global marketplace. Demand for these ingredients will gain upward momentum from increasing clinical evidence of health benefits and expanding applications in specialty foods and beverages.

Herbal and other extracts to be fastest growing products
Naturally derived substances, consisting of herbal and botanical extracts, and animal and marine-based derivatives, will command the fastest growth among the three major groups of nutraceutical ingredients. Among these substances, omega fatty acids derived from fish oils and other marine sources will lead gains, reflecting clinically proven cardiovascular benefits and expanding use in dietary supplements and nutritional therapies.

The rising popularity of homeopathic remedies, coupled with widespread trends promoting preventive medicine and self treatment, will impact favorably on global demand for numerous other natural extracts and derivatives, including cranberry, garlic, ginkgo biloba, ginseng; and glucosamine and chondroitin.

Well established applications in food and beverage fortification; infant, adult, and pediatric nutritionals; and dietary supplements will continue to underlie a large global market for mineral and vitamin ingredients. Within this group, essential minerals such as calcium, along with vitamins A and C  substances, will post the fastest gains in world demand.