The global omega-3 PUFA market is growing at a CAGR of 8.2% during the forecast period (2020-2025).

  • The market growth is fueled by factors such as rising consumer awareness of the health benefits associated with omega 3 PUFA and a rise in its application in the industrial sector. On the segmentation font, EPA and DHA are gaining importance and becoming a part of the consumer’s daily diet owing to the increased prevalence of maladies and people taking preventive healthcare measures. Moreover, emerging applications of EPA and DHA in food, dietary supplements, and clinical nutrition are further stimulating market growth.
  • In terms of application, dietary supplements hold the largest shareholding category of the market, followed by infant nutrition and pharmaceutical, due to the growth of the dietary supplements market in Asia-Pacific, Europe, and the Rest of the World. Geographically, Asia-Pacific and North America together contributed more than 70% of the global market. The Asia-Pacific region is the fastest-growing region, owing to consumer awareness in developing countries.
  • However, few of the regulations from the regulatory bodies are the factors restraining the global market growth. For instance, according to the IEG (International Expert Group) recommendations, the content of EPA in infant formula should not exceed the DHA content, which is creating a barrier for key players who are willing to introduce EPA-based infant formula products.



Key Market Trends

Demand for EPA to Drive the Market

The increasing focus on EPA omega-3 containing products is mainly due to the growing awareness about EPA omega-3 fatty acids’ health benefits. The EPA is extensively utilized in combination with developing effective infant nutrition solutions. Also, the prenatal daily supplementation of EPA has been found to offer enhanced protection against allergic outcomes in infants and children up to school-going age. Other applications of EPA include animal feed and clinical nutrition application. The fortification of pet food products with EPA has gradually increased, with strong demands for nutritional ingredients in pert food. Furthermore, the companies are moving toward algae instead of fish to produce 100%-EPA products, due to the varied advantages that algae offer, which are expected to change market dynamics, in upcoming years.

Asia Pacific to Witness the Fastest Growth in the Global Market

Asia- Pacific is the fastest-growing region for the omega-3 ingredient market with major markets of China and Japan. China is the largest market, followed by Japan and Australia. The strong manufacturing base, increasing middle-class population, disposable income, and health awareness are fueling the market for omega 3 PUFA, especially the consumption of EPA and DHA ingredients in China. The high birth rate and the recent abolition of the one-child policy in China are expected to fuel the demands for DHA-based ingredients for infant nutritional formulae. Infant formulae followed by dietary supplements are two major application areas in the Chinese EPA and DHA market. The dietary supplements sector in the China marketplace is expected to emerge as a lucrative application sector for EPA and DHA ingredients amid an increase in discretionary spending.

Competitive Landscape

The global market for omega-3 PUFA is fragmented, owing to the presence of a large number of regional and domestic players in different countries. Emphasis is given on the merger, expansion, acquisition, and partnership of the companies along with new product development as strategic approaches adopted by the leading companies to boost their brand presence among consumers. For instance, In October 2015, DSM launched a new line of high concentrate DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) products sourced from fish oil and a high concentrate docosahexaenoic acid from the vegetarian algae oil, where the products contain 85% omega 3 to support cardiovascular and cognitive health. In 2015, Croda introduced Incromega DHA, which is ideal for cognitive health and has certification of EFSA (European Food Safety Authority).

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