Phytosterols are plant stanols and sterols that are similar to cholesterol. By displacing cholesterol from micelles, phytosterols interfere with intestinal absorption of dietary cholesterol reducing the risk of obesity. Unrefined vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains are good sources of phytosterols. According to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), if a person consumes 1.5 to 2.4 gm of plant sterols and stanols per day, then the blood cholesterol level can be reduced by 7 to 10%.

In 2015, approximately 17.7 million people died from cardio vascular diseases, out of which approximately 7.4 million deaths occurred due to coronary heart diseases (CHDs). Obesity has become a major concern for consumers, especially in the developed regions such as North America, and Europe. The average money spent on obesity related disease in the U.S. was approximately US$ 383.0 Mn in 2016. Phytosterols are being perceived as the additives that will aid in reducing the cholesterol content by replacing margarine without causing any side effects in dairy and confectionery products.

Beta-sitosterol is the largest product segment in the market. The easy extraction process coupled with the fact that it is naturally available is driving market growth. The growing use of beta-sitosterol in margarine to reduce the cholesterol content is expected to positively impact future market demand. The market growth is boosted by approval of regulatory bodies regarding the use of phytosterols in end use products. Regulatory bodies promoting phytosterols as being heart healthy is expected to drive demand.

Phytosterol Market Taxonomy:

On the basis of product type, phytosterol market is classified as:

β-Sitosterol

Campesterol

Stigmasterol

Others

On the basis of end-use industry, phytosterol market is classified as:

Food & Beverages

Pharmaceuticals

Personal Care

Animal Feed

Others

Phytosterol Market Outlook:

North America is the largest market for phytosterols. U.S is the leading market followed by Canada. According to American Heart Association, approximately 39% adults in the U.S. have a cholesterol level of 200 mg/dL, while 11.9% have 240 mg/dL. CVD causes around 801,000 deaths in the U.S. each year. Cardiovascular diseases lead to around 2,200 fatalities in the U.S. each day. This creates a large target group for producers of phytosterol. The shifting preferences of consumers towards healthy food and consumer awareness regarding natural ingredients in low fat milk and yogurt products is expected to boost demand for the same in the region.

Europe is the second-largest market, driven by countries such as Germany, UK, Spain and Italy. The rising demand for nutritional drinks is expected to boost demand. The major driver in the region is European Food Safety Authority ruling that states if Phytosterol is consumed in the quantities of 1.5-3gm per day then it can result in reduction of cholesterol and also reduce the risks of coronary heart disease.

Asia Pacific is the fastest growing market for Phytosterols. China, India, Indonesia and Singapore are the major contributors to the growth of the phytosterols market in Asia Pacific. The availability of raw materials and presence of large number of local manufacturers such as Matrix Fine Sciences and Pioneer Herbal is boosting market demand. Australia and New Zealand are expected to witness high demand, owing to heightened awareness regarding gut health and cardiovascular disorders.

In May 2017, BASF announced that it will partner with Aenova and Kappa to launch Vegapure, which is a plant sterol ester for application in food and food supplements within Europe. The additive helps in reducing the cholesterol value and has also received approval from EFSA (Europe Food Safety Authority).

Some of the key market players in phytosterol industries are BASF SE, Pharma-Chem Laboratories Inc, Raisio Plc., Bunge Limited, DuPont, ADM, Cargill Inc., HyPhyto Inc., Gustav Parmentier and Arboris, LLC.