There are three main companies in the world engaged in the processing and marketing of inulin, among which ORAFTI of Belgium handles more than 400,000 tons of chicory annually, followed by Cosucra, and Sensus of the Netherlands. 98% of the international market of inulin is occupied by these three companies. in March, 2012, the world's largest inulin producer Beno-Orafti announced that more than 350 kinds of food products in more than 30 countries around the world are added with inulin and fructan produced by the company.
China's inulin industry is just getting started. on March 25, 2009, China's Ministry of Health approved inulin as a new resource food. Before that, Gansu, Shanxi, Hubei, Ningxia, Qinghai and other places have some visionary and bold entrepreneurs invested in the inulin industry, and have built a certain scale of production line, which created a precedent for the development of China's inulin industry. As of 2012, China's annual production of inulin is more than 5,000 tons.
Chen Xiaoqiang, the general manager of Seputech Environmental Technology (Xiamen) Co., Ltd, who has a deep understanding of the European and domestic inulin market, believes that there is a big gap between the development of China's inulin market and the industry compared with that of Europe, and that the domestic inulin enterprises are not clear enough in terms of the market application and positioning of the development of inulin, and that there is no national standard for inulin. In addition, there is no national standard for inulin, and the testing method is not clear, and inulin producers know very little about inulin derivatives.
Despite this, the domestic inulin industry is still breaking ground and growing strong. Not long ago, the technical team of Saptec Environmental Technology (Xiamen) Co., Ltd. has just designed an inulin production line for an inulin manufacturer in Northwest China to successfully process 40 tons of high-purity inulin made from European chicory after local process adjustment. The successful industrialized production of European chicory proves that the inulin production line designed and supplied by SEPTEK's technical team is not only suitable for the production of taro, but also for the production of European chicory. This is the first time for domestic inulin producers to produce high purity inulin mainly from taro raw material and chicory raw material, or to produce high purity inulin mainly from chicory raw material and chicory raw material, which is still the first time in China.
Wang Yanping, general manager of Shanghai Bocheng Dietary Fiber Development Co., Ltd, who has rich experience in domestic and international dietary fiber market and business operation, reminded domestic inulin enterprises that consumers should know that inulin belongs to the major category of dietary fiber. Because consumers already have a general understanding of dietary fiber, it is easier for them to recognize inulin; then, it is necessary to grasp the concept of prebiotics. Inulin is not yet a mainstream product in prebiotics, so the market share is low. He reminded inulin market enterprises to seize the opportunity of national nutrition labeling standardization.
May 1, 2008, the national nutrition labeling health norms promulgated and implemented, before that, some added dietary fiber products add five ten thousandths of a percent, very little, but also claimed that high dietary fiber food. The implementation of the National Nutrition Labeling Health Code, such as to label high dietary fiber products, which dietary fiber content should be greater than 6%, standardized food processing enterprises to achieve an effective amount of conceptual additive to functional additive, which also provides an opportunity for the inulin industry.
For the enterprise how to do strong, Wang Yanping according to their own business experience put forward the view. He suggests that inulin producers should go through the hammering in the mature market, which is the export market. He said, it is difficult to realize internationalization without export, and it is difficult for us to grow without putting us in the hundred and one picks of developed countries. In the export competition we are facing is the competition of international leading products, we have to accept the mature market of developed countries on our various tests, we have to act in accordance with international standards, this is our shortcut to growth, but also our way to internationalization.
Enterprises that export their products know that although we do all kinds of certifications, every time a big international customer can ask new questions, which are very helpful for our growth. In addition, the amount of dietary fiber used abroad is much larger than at home, and getting out of the export barrier is also the best way for us to grow rapidly and expand our market size.
Wang Yanping reminded the enterprises concerned: any product will inevitably lead to homogenization in the end, and there will come a day when all of us do inulin at about the same level, and when you are able to replace the foreign products on that day, you will have completed the thrilling jump. Once we enter the international market, the market pattern will be redefined by us.
The main domestic inulin producers are: Dingxi Longhai Dairy Products Co., Ltd, Tianmen Haili Inulin Science and Technology Development Co., Ltd, Shanxi Yishengyuan Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Baiyin Xirui Bio-engineering Co., Ltd, Zhangye Yunpeng Biological Co., Ltd, Zhongxing Biotechnology Co., Ltd, and Qinghai Weide Biotechnology Co.
The executives of the major domestic inulin producers agreed that the domestic inulin producers should work together to make inulin industry bigger and establish their own organization, China Inulin Industry Development Working Group has been set up to further promote and implement the policy of inulin industry development and to advance the development of China's inulin industry.