Galacto-oligosaccharide Market Trends

Growth Indicators

• Effective Nutrient Provider For Lactose-Intolerant Population: Plant-based galacto-oligosaccharides have shown to be effective in meeting the lactose-intolerant population's nutritional requirements. This can be attributed to the presence of nutritional content of galacto-oligosaccharide which makes it preferable for infant formulations. As a result, there is an increase in the adoption rate of galacto-oligosaccharides for manufacturing infant formulations amongst the manufacturers. Moreover, galacto-oligosaccharides have therapeutic effects on immunity and gut health and further helps to reduce exogenous and endogenous intestinal infections. It has also been observed that the product lowers risk of colorectal cancer, which is caused due to lactose intolerance, as it produces short-chain fatty acids. Such factors are anticipated to drive the growth of the global galacto-oligosaccharide market during the forecast period.
• Increasing Health Awareness And Rising Geriatric Population: The major applications of galacto-oligosaccharides include functional food & beverages and dietary supplements. Rising geriatric population and increasing health awareness among the global population drive the demand for various dietary supplements. According to the statistics by the World Bank, global population aged 65 years and above increased from 8.427 (% of total population) in the year 2016 to 9.099 (% of total population) in the year 2019.
  
  Geriatric populations suffer from various ailments related to old age, which is raising the need for the consumption of dietary supplements. Galacto-oligosaccharide in dietary products shows various beneficial effects, including increased mineral absorption, improvement in bowel habit, control of serum lipid and cholesterol level, and reduced IBD inflammation. Moreover, with the increasing number of diabetes patients and the side effects of anti-diabetic drugs, the demand for new dietary supplementation from natural resources, especially functional oligosaccharides, is rising among the consumers. Functional oligosaccharides are potential anti-diabetic treatments on account of their non-digestible, low-calorie, and probiotic properties. Such factors are therefore anticipated to drive the growth of the global galacto-oligosaccharide market during the forecast period.

Challenges

• Presence Of Counterfeit Product As An Alternative: On account of the rising demand for nutritional products, counterfeited products are attracting the attention of the consumers owing to its availability at cheap rates, thus acting as a restraining factor for the growth of galacto-oligosaccharide market. Counterfeit products may contain harmful chemicals and can severely affect the health of the consumers. Counterfeited supplements replace the ingredients with other substances, and then misrepresent the ingredients on the label.