Pectins are the carbohydrates and fibers extracted from the fruits, vegetables, and seeds found in all primary cell walls of all seed bearing plants. Pectins are a high source of fibers and are mainly used in the food and medical industry. They are used to cure diarrhea, lower cholesterol, treat diabetes, weight loss, ulcerated mouth, sore throat, triglycerides, gastro esophageal reflux disease, colon cancer, and prostate cancer.

Pectins are high in fibers and also possess thickening properties, and hence used as a gelling and thickening agent in the food industry, particularly in jams and bakeries. They are also used as stabilizers in fruit juices and milk drinks.

Pectin Market Taxonomy

On the basis of product, the pectin market is classified into:

High methoxyl pectin

Low methoxyl pectin

On the basis of application, the pectin market is classified into:

Food and Beverages Bakery filling and topping Confectionary Dairy Product and Frozen Desserts Dietary Supplements Functional Food Jams and Jellies Meat and Poultry Products

Healthcare Cosmetics Personal care Pharmaceutical Weight Management

Other

On the basis of function, the pectin market is classified into:

Thickener

Gelling Agents

Fat Replacer

Stabilizer

Texturants

Coating

Other Functions

On the basis of sources, the pectin market is classified into:

Animals

Chemical manufacturing and processing

Marine

Micro organisms

Plants

High-methoxyl pectin is used for canning applications. It requires high amounts of sugar to gel and is sensitive to acidity. Low methoxyl pectins have contradicting properties to high methoxyl pectins. Low methoxyl pectins have low sensitivity to acidity and require low amounts of sugar to gel, thus used in low sugar jams.

The pectins are also used in the medical industry, due to its properties of thickening and stabilizing, absorbing moisture, increasing volume, thus being able to increase the shelf-life of products. Owing to its properties, pectins are added to medicines, baked goods, and dairy product.

Pectin Market Outlook –

Europe is the largest market in the world for pectin, due to its high availability of consumers.

Asia Pacific is the second largest market of pectin in the world, owing to the increasing population and increasing incidence of diseases amongst the population in this region.

North America is the major importer of pectin, whereas Mexico is the largest exporter of pectin. The trade agreement NAFTA makes the U.S. an attractive market for Mexican manufactured pectin.

Latin America and the Middle East, have low consumption of pectin due to the lack of knowledge among people in these regions.

The demand for pectins in convenience foods, is increasing day by day due to its beneficial properties. Also, the increasing growth of pectins in dietary foods is expected to increase in demand, during forecast period. Nowadays, pectins are majorly being used in treatments of diseases like diabetes, cancer, diarrhea, etc. For this reason pectins are in focus on expanding production. Also, rising demand for medical and cosmetic products, is expected to cause an increasing demand for pectin in the forecast period.

Pectin Market Challenges

Harmful chemicals are used in the preparation of pectin and the government has imposed regulations against its use. The availability of raw materials and many complexities while preparation, are the major challenges experienced by the pectin market.

Key Developments:

Various companies are focusing on developing large scale manufacturing facilities of pectin in order to strengthen their foothold in the global market. For instance, in December 2019, CP Kelco, a U.S. based manufacturer of GENU Pectin, announced 10% increase in production capacity of pectin at their Limeira, Brazil plant.

Moreover, in in September 2019, CP Kelco, a North-American manufacturer of various food ingredients, announced increase in production capacity of low methoxyl amidated (LMA) pectin by 15% at the company’s Denmark Facility (Lille Skensved) to cater to the increasing demand of pectin.

In February 2019, Royal DSM, a Netherlands based leader in the fields of nutrition, health, and materials, increased the company’s shareholding in Andre Pectin for approximately US$172 million. This raised the company’s shareholding from 29% to 75% in the Yantai based manufacturer of pectin dietary supplements.

In December 2019, Scientists of the Department of Food Science and Technology, Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU), had developed an energy drink based on pectin, whey, and nectar rich in minerals and vitamins. These new developments pave the way for the companies to compete in the global market by developing new products.

In August 2018, Cargill had announced plans to invest approximately $150 million in construction of an HM pectin production plant in South America to meet the rising global demand of pectin.

Some of the key companies dominating the market are CP Kelco, Cargill Inc., Devson Impex Pvt. Ltd., Nestlé S.A., Danone S.A., Unilever, Kellogg NA Co., Yantai Andre Pectin Co. Ltd., Danisco A/S, and B&V srl.