Regional Category Spend, Price Analysis, Key Demand and Price Indicators, and Best Buying Practices by Sorbitol Industry Report

The global sorbitol industry reached a volume of around 2.53 MMT in 2021. In the projection period of 2022-2027, the industry is expected to grow at a CAGR of around 1.5 percent, achieving a producing a volume of about 2.73 MMT by 2027.

The sorbitol industry report broadly studies the industry, together with important segments, movements, drivers, constraints, the competitive landscape, and other critical market features. Sorbitol is deployed in several applications, primarily as a sweetened in medicaments and meals and drinks. The rise in popularity for medical and dietetic types of foods in the food and beverage industry is the primary factor which is driving demand. The Asia Pacific is the biggest category spender by region which is impelling the demand for the sorbitol industry.

Industry Definition and Segmentation

Sorbitol is an alcohol which is used as a sweetener in pharmaceutical dosage forms and an intermediate product, gentle exfoliant (a substance that maintains another component damp), and capsule adjuster. It has a pleasant taste that requires a year to decompose in the internal organs. This is produced by lowering glucose to shift the transformed aldehyde group (CHO) to a primary alcohol group (CH2OH). Potato starch is the most main occurrence of sorbitol, but can also be naturally found in apples, peaches, and prunes. As a sweetener, flavouring agent, and diuretic dehydrating agent, sorbitol is commonly used in food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and hygiene items.

It is a stevia sweetener which can be found in a variety of goods, notably sweets, confectionery, desserts, baked goods, skincare products, dental, sanitary products, and medications. The global sorbitol market is divided into segments based on region (North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East, South America, and the Middle East and Africa).

North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, and South America Regions are Driving the Growth of the Sorbitol Industry

The primary regions in the global Sorbitol market are North America, Europe, the Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa, with the Asia Pacific accounting for the largest market share. India's annual consumption is estimated to be approximately 90000 tonnes. Sorbitol is solely manufactured as a 70% solution in India, with a capacity of roughly 125900 tonnes per year. Global demand (including liquid and crystalline) is approximately 1.6 million tonnes per year, with a growth rate of around 3% per year.
 
The increased use of diabetic and dietetic food and drinks in the food and beverage segment primarily leads the industry's demand. With the growing popularity of sugar alternatives in consumer foods, the need for the product is expected to rise significantly. The increasing consumer shift towards products derived naturally and are organic is furthering the industry's expansion. Due to its nature of being metabolised at a slower pace than other sugar alcohols, sorbitol is increasingly being utilised in oral care products to prevent dental issues, including cavities and tooth decay. As a result, the demand for the product is increasing significantly. Sorbitol is also used as a humectant, sweetener, bulking agent, stabiliser, softener, and emulsifier in various sectors due to its varied functional qualities. These applications include its use in keeping food from drying out and ageing and increasing the shelf life of products and successfully preventing sugar precipitation, etc., furthering its market demand.

Other factors such as rapid urbanisation, increase in the number of working women, rising disposable incomes, and changing consumption patterns are propelling the market. Furthermore, the trend of transferring manufacturing capacity to the Asia Pacific due to lower production and labour costs has led to reduced sorbitol costs, resulting in increased demand from non-food uses.

Best Procurement Practices

The global sorbitol industry report by Procurement Resource gives an in-depth analysis of the best buying practices followed by major international sorbitol products utilising regions across the globe, such as engagement models, contract terms, and buyer and supplier negotiation levers, among others.

Category Management Studies

Sorbitol production includes producing the sugar alcohol sorbitol by hydrogenating an aqueous glucose solution in batches. Sorbitol is made from starch hydrolysates, dextrose syrup, or dextrose monohydrate, among other sources. Air Liquide Engineering & Construction can generate technical, culinary, or pharmaceutical grade sorbitol with this dependable technique. The feedstock for sorbitol manufacturing is glucose from wet milling facilities. A nickel or ruthenium catalyst is used to hydrogenate the glucose solution inside a batch reactor. The catalyst is recovered by filtering the product slurry after the reaction, which occurs at a temperature of 110 °Celsius and a pressure of 40 bar. Later, the crude sorbitol solution is refined and evaporated to its desired concentration using ion exchange. Melt crystallisation is an option for clients who want to make sorbitol powder. The advantages of the process are that sorbitol of technical, food, or pharmaceutical quality is produced in this process.

The Various Applications of Sorbitol in Dietic and Diabetic Food Products is Further Driving the Procurement of Sorbitol

Health-conscious consumers have increased the demand for sorbitol due to the increased prevalence of health conditions such as diabetes among middle and low-income countries. This leads to the hike in demand for sorbitol as it is used as a reduced-calorie substitute for sugar. Sorbitol is extensively used in manufacturing confectionery, baked goods, and chocolates due to its functions as a humectant, moisture-stabiliser, and texturiser, creating market opportunities for manufacturers in various industries. Owing to its extensive uses, it is expected that sorbitol will witness a robust demand during the forecast period. Sorbitol is also utilised as the other feedstock option in the manufacturing of propylene glycol, which in turn has numerous application areas like unsaturated polyester resins, functional fluids, food and feed, cosmetics, and many others. Hence, it is widely used in pharmaceutical, chemical, cosmetics, food, beverage, plastics, and other industries.

The regional markets for the industry can be divided into North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and the Asia Pacific.

Key Industry Players Mentioned in the Sorbitol Industry Report

• Roquette Frères
• Cargill Incorporated
• Ingredion Incorporated
• Pfizer Inc
• Tate & Lyle ADM
• Merck KGaA

Market Landscape

The COVID-19 pandemic had an overwhelming impact on the sorbitol industry. However, manufacturers are progressively focused on the production amount of sorbitol produced from non-GMO crops in response to the increased demand for non-GMO components in the food and beverage, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics sectors. Additionally, producers are focused on procuring critical raw materials locally to decrease transportation costs and the overall production process environmental imprint.

Key Initiatives by Companies

• Some firms that import sorbitol from their foreign production sites in Turkey and India include PT Ecogreen Oleochemicals, Gujrat Ambuja Exports, and Gulshan Polyols. These businesses are concentrating on tailoring their goods to meet the specialised needs of the industrial and food processing industries.
• In May 2019, there was a definitive distribution agreement between Lupin and Aptissen S.A. This contract gave Lupin the exclusive rights to market, distribute and trade the present Aptissen products in Canada. 
• Sorini is one of the leading manufacturers and sellers of sorbitol, which runs seven production facilities in Indonesia'sIndonesia's East Java and Lampung territories. In December 2018, Cargill acquired Sorini (T SoriniAgro Asia CorporindoTbk), Indonesian Sorbitol Giant, for USD 245 million.