Agriculture & Food

According to MarketsandMarkets analysis, the global plant extract market is estimated to be worth US$23.7 billion in 2019 and is expected to reach US$59.4 billion by 2025, with a compound annual growth rate of 16.5% from 2019 to 2025.

As an important exporter of plant extracts, in 2020, my country’s export of plant extracts was 96,000 tons, a year-on-year increase of 11.0%, and the total export value was US$2.45 billion, a year-on-year increase of 3.6%. During the epidemic, it still achieved a good growth rate, especially There has been a surge in exports to the US market.

my country's plant extract export market in 2020

Source: Plant Extract Branch of China Medical Insurance Chamber of Commerce

It can be seen from the chart that the North American market, Oceania, and Europe will have rapid growth in export volume and value in 2020, while the Asian market is the only region that has negative growth in both export value and export volume.

The largest increase was in the North American market. Despite the constant trade frictions between China and the United States, with the outbreak of the new crown epidemic, this did not have much impact on the export of plant extracts. The North American market has been greatly impacted by the new crown epidemic, and the North American public has a higher acceptance of dietary supplements. Therefore, the demand for plant extracts with immune enhancement and stress relief is high, which in turn drives the growth of Chinese plant extracts. Exit.

In 2020, the value of plant extracts exported from China to the North American market soared by 36.8%, and the export volume soared by 49.7%. In 2020, the amount of plant extracts exported to the United States was US$610 million, an increase of 35.8% year-on-year, and the export volume was 24,000 tons, an increase of 48.8% year-on-year. The demand for plant extracts in the United States is strong. From a trend point of view, the US market has sufficient growth momentum, and the market growth rate will remain at around 8-10%.

Statistics of main export varieties

Source: Plant Extract Branch of China Medical Insurance Chamber of Commerce

In terms of export varieties, the top ten export varieties in 2020 have not changed much from the past. The top ten varieties are stevia leaf extract, pepper pigment, menthol, eucalyptus oil, marigold extract, and citrus young fruit extract. Extract, licorice extract, milk thistle extract, bilberry extract, ginkgo biloba extract. In addition, the export volume of ginseng extract ranked 11th, with an export value of 47.5 million U.S. dollars, and the United States accounted for more than 40%. Ginseng has a certain role in immune regulation, adaptogen, energy supplement, etc. It has also been frequently added to various food and beverages in European and American markets.

Stevia extract has been ranked first in the export of plant extracts for the past five years. In 2020, my country's total export of stevia extract is close to 300 million US dollars. From the perspective of specific export markets, the US market exports nearly 100 million U.S. dollars, which is the largest export market for stevia extracts. In addition, the Malaysian market is growing rapidly, because the stevia extract exported from my country will be further processed in Malaysia and distributed to all over the world. Countries such as the European Union, Japan, South Korea, Mexico also account for a large proportion.

In 2018, the global stevia market was US$637.1 million. It is expected that the market will reach US$1.1694 billion by 2026. The compound annual growth rate from 2019 to 2026 is 8.0%. It can be seen that my country’s stevia extract exports are still growing sustainably. space. However, the current stevia industry in my country has many problems including disordered varieties, lack of standardization of seedling breeding, lack of mechanized equipment, and excessive labor costs. With the upgrading of consumption, higher requirements are put forward for the taste of stevia, from medium RA to high RA to RA+RD+RM, which also puts forward higher requirements on the technological research and development capabilities of enterprises. Technological innovation and industrial upgrading will be a huge challenge facing my country's stevia extract production enterprises.

Source: Plant Extract Branch of China Medical Insurance Chamber of Commerce

In addition, under the influence of the new crown epidemic, consumers have a huge demand for immune and emotional supplements. In 2020, the global immune food supplement market is expected to be 15.1 billion U.S. dollars, and it will reach 22.5 billion U.S. dollars in 2027, with a compound annual growth rate of 5.8%. These two categories of plant extracts have a lot of room for market growth.

Which plant extracts are popular in the US market?

Based on the analysis of data from the market research agency SPINS and the North American raw material direct sales network, Shiyanhui concluded the following plant extracts that are showing a rapid growth trend in the US market, which are mainly used for immune regulation and emotional management.

1. Immune regulation

Elderberry extract

Elderberry extract is rich in bioflavonoids, anthocyanins, vitamins and other substances with high antioxidant capacity, which can improve immunity. SPINS data shows that in the 52 weeks ending on November 29, 2020, the sales of elderberry in the mainstream supplement channel in the United States increased by 168.9% to 265.8 million US dollars, while the sales in the natural supplement channel in the United States increased by 71.6%. , Reaching 53 million U.S. dollars.

According to data from Innova Market Insight, from 2017 to 2019, the volume of new elderberry-related food and beverage market launches increased by 12% every year. During the COVID-19 pandemic, consumer demand for elderberry products has increased by 400%. According to analysts at Technavio, the elderberry market will continue to grow at a compound annual growth rate of more than 7% by 2022.

Mushroom extract

SPINS data shows that compared with 2019, the sales of mushrooms in the U.S. market in 2020 increased by 46%, reaching US$14.7 million; in the immune health category, "Mushrooms (other)" increased by 53.8% to US$7.35 million In addition, Ganoderma lucidum increased by 37.8% to reach US$1.24 million; Cordyceps increased by 43.7% to US$900,000; Chaga increased by 11.9% to US$823,000.

The export value of Ganoderma lucidum extract in my country has also seen a big increase. The export value will reach 9.5 million U.S. dollars in 2020, and the US market accounts for about one-third.

Sea buckthorn extract

According to SPINS data, sea buckthorn extract supplements have increased by 87% in 2020. Sea buckthorn extracts include sea buckthorn fruit powder, sea buckthorn seed oil, sea buckthorn fruit oil, sea buckthorn flavonoids, proanthocyanidins, carotenoids and the like. A number of studies have confirmed that the active ingredients of sea buckthorn have the effect of scavenging free radicals in the human body, can increase the content of interleukin-2 in the body of elderly animals, affect its gene expression, and thus improve the body's immune function.

Oat beta-glucan

β-glucan was the fastest growing raw material in the US market last year, with an increase of 507%. The β-(1→3, 1→4) glucan in oats is abbreviated as oat β-glucan, which is a non-starch polysaccharide that exists in the cell wall of oat endosperm and aleurone layer, and is a non-specific immune regulation It can not only activate immune cells such as T, B lymphocytes, macrophages, natural killer cells, but also promote cytokine production and antibody production, and play a multi-faceted regulatory role on the immune system.

2. Mood

Bacopa oleracea extract

Bacopa monnieri (bacopa monnieri) is a commonly used herb in Ayurvedic medicine, mainly used to relieve stress and enhance memory. Studies have shown that Bacopa monnieri saponins can induce dephosphorylation of cell membranes, increase the renewal of proteins and RNA in specific brain regions, and increase the activity of hippocampal protein kinases, which may be related to their brain-building effects. At present, Bacopa monnieri has been widely used in various cognition-enhancing and brain-building supplements.

Ghana Seed Extract (5-HTP)

5-HTP (5-hydroxytryptophan) is a chemical by-product of protein structural unit L-tryptophan. At present, 5-HTP is mainly an extract from the seeds of the African plant Ghana, which increases the production of the chemical substance serotonin. It plays a role in the brain and central nervous system and can affect sleep, appetite, body temperature and pain. Because 5-HTP can increase the synthesis of serotonin, it is mainly used abroad to relieve emotional problems such as insomnia, depression, and anxiety.

Valerian root extract

Valerian root is famous for its sedative effect, and is listed as the most used sleep aid raw material in the US market alongside melatonin. A study published in 2002 evaluated the effects of valerian on insomnia. An 8-week study found that valerian had a certain effect on the treatment of insomnia and sleep disorders, and that participants had a good improvement in sleep problems.

γ Oryzanol (rice bran oil extract)

Gamma Oryzanol mainly acts on the autonomic nervous system and endocrine center of the diencephalon, can adjust the autonomic nerve function, reduce endocrine balance disorders, and improve mental nerve disorders. At the same time, it also has many physiological functions such as lowering blood lipids, lowering liver lipids, preventing lipid oxidation, and anti-oxidation. In addition, it can also reduce the excitability of myocardium by regulating the function of autonomic nerves.