Joanna Cosgrove12.02.10
The current and future potential for crustacean shell-derived chitin and chitosan (the deacetylated form of chitin) in biomedicine, nutrition and food processing are vast and exciting, according to a new report from San Jose, CA-based Global Industry Analysts (GIA). The materials are used in applications ranging from antibiotics and surgical sutures to dietary supplements, food and pet foods and cloth for socks and undergarments and are thought to be especially important in the realm of cholesterol control due to their fat-absorption and lowering of cholesterol-level properties.
"Chitin & Chitosan: A Global Strategic Business Report" is forcasting that the global market for chitin derivatives will reach $63 billion, while the global chitosan market will reach more than $21 billion by the year 2015. Chitosan, the report stated, is more useful for biomedical applications and dehydrations of aqueous solutions than chitin, since it possesses both hydroxyl and amino groups, which can be easily modified.
Chitosan, the natural biopolymer, is incorporated into a wide array of applications and ranks as the most popular natural food additive used as a preservative. For example, adding chitosan to turkey and ground beef significantly decreases the germination and outgrowth of Clostridium perfringens spore during the process of chilling. Chitosan is also stable at high temperatures and as such prevents oxidation in food products.
In the supplement realm, the GIA report pegs the ingredient’s natural biopolymer as an “excellent fat trapper due to its remarkable property of binding with lipids and fats.” Chitosan, taken prior to meal, can “remarkably reduce absorption of dietary fats into the body” and is often recommended as an add-in to a well-balanced weight management program.
In addition, chitosan is used in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome, as the fiber has cleansing attributes that help facilitate a better digestive process. The report noted that as a dietary supplement, chitosan also offers support for blood pressure management.
“Various new applications of chitin and chitosan have been identified in recent years with the players waiting for FDA approval for commercializing of patents,” the report stated. “On obtaining the approval, the market would grow at a tremendous rate, particularly in the health sector. Japan represents an established market for chitin and chitosan. Scarcity of pure water in Japan has resulted in an increased demand for biopolymers as flocculent.”
Coupled with the aforementioned avenues for applications, additional factors responsible for market growth, according to the report, include increased demand from developing markets, such as Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Middle East.
The global market for chitosan was estimated at 13.7 thousand metric tons for 2010, with a positive projected of 21.4 thousand metric tons expected by 2015. The Asia-Pacific region (including Japan) was the leading chitosan market with an estimated 7.8 thousand metric tons in 2010 and a projected 12 thousand metric tons by 2015. The US represented the second biggest market for chitosan, with an estimated market size of 3.6 thousand metric tons in 2010.
Major issues impacting the chitosan market, according to the GIA report, include high production costs, a lack of quality chitosan available in the market, production shortages, and heavy pollution during the production process. Water treatment represented the largest end-use segment for chitosan. However, the agrochemicals end-use category was projected to witness the fastest growth from 2007 to 2015.
One of the most important derivatives of chitin is glucosamine. “Cornering an estimated market share of more than 60% of the total chitin derivatives market in 2010, glucosamine is portended to continue its dominance over the coming years,” the report noted. “Chitosan represents the other prominent segment within the chitin derivatives market globally. Among the end-use applications of chitosan, water treatment represents the largest end-use application. However, the agrochemicals segment represents the fastest growing end-use, with consumption of chitosan surging at more than 12% over the analysis period.”
