North America Rare Sugar Market size surpassed USD 490 million in 2019 and is predicted to register a growth of over 3.5% from 2020 to 2026.
Rare sugar is rarely present in limited amount in nature and there are more than fifty varieties of rare sugars, the most common being D-allulose. Rare sugar has less calories than sugars like fructose, sucrose, lactose, and glucose. Some of the common types of rare sugars are mannose, tagatose, allulose, xylose, and arabinose.
These sugars constitute less calories than their traditional counterparts, rare sugars are primarily used for treating and avoiding obesity and diabetes. Consumption of low-calorie foods has soared in United States and Canada as increasing number of consumers are adopting healthier diets and focus on weight loss. This rise in the demand for low calorie foods is expected to boost the market growth.
Depending upon products, the allulose segment accounted for USD 15 million in 2019. Allulose is mainly used by consumers as a low-calorie sweetener as it offers similar taste and texture that of tradition sugar and minimizes calorie intake. According to Food and Drug Administration, allulose offers nearly 0.4 calories per gram, which is significantly lower as compared to 4 calories per gram in traditional sugar.
Growing consumer consciousness on maintaining overall health for preventing chronic diseases from occurring has driven the adoption of healthier diets by individuals. This trend has augmented the demand for low calorie sweeteners in the market. Also, changing dietary patterns and rising consumption of fast foods has augmented the number of individuals suffering from obesity and diabetes, which is also responsible for stimulating the demand for low calorie sugars such as allulose.
Rare sugars are used for drug making processes as these do not cause any biochemical reactions that traditional sugars may cause. D-allose, type of rare sugar, exhibits anti-oxidant properties and can be utilized for controlling blood pressure. Growth in the demand for rare sugars for drug making applications can be attributable to soaring rise in the pharmaceutical industry in United States and Canada.
There has been rising prevalence of diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular diseases, which has bolstered the pharmaceutical industry in the region. This growth in the pharmaceutical industry should create new avenues for the North America rare sugar market.
The demand for rare sugars in Canada should be triggered by growing prevalence of diabetes and obesity. The number of people with type 2 diabetes is predicted to increase from nearly 3.5 million in 2015 to around 5 million by the end of 2025. Such a significant rise in the number of people having diabetes may drive the demand for low calorie sugar equivalent, propelling the demand for rare sugars in Canada.
Prominent companies operating in the market are Douglas Laboratories, Tate & Lyle, The Sanwa Starch Co., Ltd., DuPont de Nemours, Inc., Nutraceuticals Group USA, Samyang Corporation, Matsutani Chemical Industry Co., Ltd., Bonumose, Ingredion Incorporated, and Sweet Cures.