Glucose (Dextrose) - Market Share Analysis, Industry Trends & Statistics, Growth Forecasts (2024 - 2029)

The Glucose Market size is estimated at USD 0.9 billion in 2024, and is expected to reach USD 1.09 billion by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 3.66% during the forecast period (2024-2029).

Dextrose is often used as a sweetener in baking products. It can be commonly found in processed foods like bakery, dairy products, confectionery, etc., as it tastes 60-70% like sucrose. Dextrose is also used in confectionery applications to bring out their (fruity) flavors, provide a light cooling effect, and balance their sweetness. Some of its other application areas include beverages, ice cream, culinary and meat curing, and pharmaceuticals. In milk-based drinks (chocolate or other flavors), dextrose is widely used to control the overall sweetness in combination with other sugars.

Dextrose is very useful in soft-scoopable ice cream, ice lollies, water ices, and other frozen desserts where a clear, moderate sweetness is sought. Dextrose can enhance ice cream's palatability and favorable melt-down properties. The scoopable ice cream at - 18 °C benefits from glucose's ability to lower the freezing point. According to the US Department of Agriculture, in 2021, an average person consumed about 21.9 pounds of frozen dairy across the United States.

Changes in food habits and an inclination toward snacks and desserts, in which dextrose is used as an effective sweetening agent, are driving the use of dextrose in the food and beverage segment. The market is driven by increasing demand for convenience foods with the versatile application of sweeteners with additional health benefits in several industry segments, such as confectionery, bakery, and dairy products. The market faces challenges in terms of fluctuating prices of raw materials, primarily corn, with issues in the supply chain and rapid changes in the global economy. Sugar giants worldwide view wheat and cook starch as sustainable options to produce high-quality glucose syrups that can be used in baked goods, beverages, and ice creams. There has been a growing trend for a clean-label solution, which offers great potential for glucose (dextrose) manufacturers. Companies are upgrading their portfolio with product innovation supported by technological advancements.

Glucose Market Trends

Increasing Application in the Beverage Sector

The beverage industry, including alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, is booming with various new players entering the market, thus making the market more competitive. Players are developing innovative products to attract consumers, creating the need for better ingredients, including sweeteners. According to the National Bureau of Statistics of China, a total of 13.8 million metric ton of soft drinks were produced in China in December 2022, representing a 4.6% rise from the same time the year before.

Dextrose can precisely control the sweetness and flavor balance in soft drinks manufactured from concentrated or pulp fruit depending on the particular fruits utilized. Dextrose and high-intensity sweeteners are compatible for usage in different beverages. Additionally, while manufacturing low-calorie beers, the percentage of sugar instantly available for fermentation is increased by quickly adding fermentable dextrose to the wort made from malt and other adjuncts. This produces a low-calorie beer with a regular alcohol concentration. Up to three fermentation stages are used to create specialty beers with higher alcohol content. Inside the bottle, together with extra yeast, the final fermentation occurs. Dextrose is considered ideal as a sweetener in such products because it can be used for fermentation immediately. The versatility and compatibility of glucose with various ingredients are expected to drive the market during the forecast period.

Asia-Pacific is Expected to Emerge as the Fastest-growing Market

The Asia-Pacific region is projected to be the fastest-growing in the dextrose market for food and beverages due to the rising demand for low-caloric food and the large-scale availability and affordability of corn and wheat starch. The region's rapidly growing convenience food and pharmaceutical industries have led to increased consumption of glucose (dextrose) products. In order to maintain a healthy lifestyle, consumers are increasingly looking for energy drinks that contain a significant amount of glucose, thus driving the food and beverage sector, primarily in countries like China, Australia, Japan, and India. The rise in demand for beverages such as energy drinks has been driving the market across the region. Dextrose delivers readily absorbed carbohydrates necessary for sustained energy and endurance in energy and sports beverages.

Dextrose is widely used across the dairy industry. Dextrose enhances shelf life and is suitable for balancing sweetness in dairy and fermented desserts. Ice cream and sorbet's texture and mouthfeel are enhanced by preventing sucrose recrystallization with the addition of dextrose. Dextrose is frequently used in conjunction with other sugars to regulate the overall sweetness in milk drinks (chocolate or other flavors). According to the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, ice cream and frozen dessert sales in the Indian packaged foods market totaled USD 1.32 billion in 2021. Hence, the thriving dairy industry across the Asia-Pacific region has been propelling the market Aacross the region.

Glucose Industry Overview

The glucose (dextrose) market is highly competitive at the global level. The major players operating in the country, such as Cargill Incorporated, Archer Daniels Midland Company, Tereos SA, Wilmar International Limited, and Louis Dreyfus Holding BV, have strengthened the market through their product offerings. The major global players have vast product lines and geographical reach, which give them an upper hand. In the recent past, continuous product innovations with functional benefits have been the key competitive factor in the market. Key global players have intensified their R&D efforts to develop niche and innovative products based on the end-user industry's requirements. Tate & Lyle, one of the prominent players in the market studied, spent EUR 41 million on research and development in 2021, whereas Tereos SA spent EUR 17.2 million on R&D during 2021-2022.

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