Catechin Market Size & Share, Industry Growth Analysis Report, 2025 (Includes Business Impact of COVID-19)

                                          
Industry Insights, Market Size, CAGR, High-Level Analysis: Catechin Market


The global catechin market size was valued at USD 15.6 million in 2018 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 3.0% over the forecast period. Increasing demand for functional food & beverages along with technological advancements in the polyphenol extraction process are projected to drive the market growth over the forecast period. Green tea is known to be the most popular and commercially used raw material for catechin extraction owing to its high catechin content and easy availability.

Catechin has been extensively utilized in functional food & beverage market owing to the rising inclination of consumers toward a healthy lifestyle to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases and treat obesity. Functional beverages market has witnessed considerable growth in the past few years on account of changing consumer perception toward their dietary habits. This change has been primarily driven by evolving consumer lifestyle, including long working hours and increasing health risks.

Lack of awareness among the lower-middle-class population in developing countries such as China and India regarding the benefits of consuming green tea polyphenols is projected to remain a key challenge for market growth. However, campaigns and initiatives planned and implemented by key manufacturers of green tea polyphenols are expected to influence market growth positively.

Over the past few years, the government bodies of Germany and Spain have successfully launched and implemented several health campaigns to promote a healthier lifestyle by introducing innovative health products to reduce cholesterol levels, obesity, and diabetes. This trend is expected to play a crucial role in promoting the demand for catechin-infused products in Europe over the forecast period.

Manufacturers are focusing on securing sustainable raw materials with an efficient manufacturing process. The players are shifting toward sustainable techniques to manufacture the product. For instance, Botaniex, a prominent catechin manufacturer, has introduced an ethyl acetate-free process for decaffeination and extraction of catechin. Moreover, manufacturers are focusing on backward integration and are engaged in tea cultivation for obtaining catechin to reduce the operational cost of the final product.

Application Insights of Catechin Market

Catechin is used in pharmaceutical applications for the prevention of various diseases. However, the extracted product may contain impurities. Hence, safety tests are carried out to check the purity of the products that are sold as medicines. Catechin-based products are sold as FDA-approved prescription drugs; topical gels are sold for the treatment of perianal and external warts.

Catechin is used in the preparation of a variety of beverages. Products such as instant green tea are prepared by crushing green tea components into powder form. The extract is added to double the content in ordinary green tea. The addition of catechin to green tea gives rise to astringency, which is suppressed by adding matcha. Due to higher content of green tea polyphenols, the product is gaining popularity worldwide. Its extracts are also added in functional drinks along with other types of plant extracts.

The green tea extracts containing catechin are used as ingredients in gums, capsules, tea drinks, and powders. These products are marketed as health promoters owing to the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and weight-reducing properties of catechin. Catechin-based supplements help improve liver functions by reducing oxidative stress and inflammation.

Frequent consumption of these supplements may result in decreased low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels, thereby leading to a reduction in the cholesterol levels, which, in turn, lowers the risk of heart disease in humans. Moreover, the product is used in supplements for animal feeds to reduce atherosclerotic plaques and improve animal health.

Regional Insights of Catechin Market

In 2018, China emerged as the largest catechin producer and consumer in the Asia Pacific region. This growth is attributed to the high employment rate, increasing disposable income, and high spending on functional food & beverages. Countries such as India and Japan have observed positive growth in functional food & beverage industry in the past decade owing to changing lifestyle, increasing the employment rate, and inclination toward ready-to-eat products. In addition, catechin is witnessing increased consumption in anti-aging products in the cosmetics industry. The aforementioned factors are anticipated to drive the product demand in the region.

The U.S. emerged as the largest market for catechin in North America, with a market share of over around 50% in 2018. Growth in this region is primarily driven by rising health concerns, which has boosted the demand for healthy & innovative dietary supplements and functional food & beverage products. Factors such as the development of preventive healthcare measures and government focus on improving the national health standard are contributing toward the development of dietary supplements market, which is further anticipated to drive the product demand in the country.

Increased consumption of polyphenol-infused pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals is anticipated to drive the market in Europe. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) evaluated the use of catechin from dietary sources owing to concerns regarding the harmful effects of catechin on the liver.  After assessing the detrimental impact of the product, EFSA concluded that catechin extracted from green tea is safe. This is anticipated to drive the product demand in the nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industries in the region.

Market Share Insights of Catechin Market

The key market players intend to achieve optimum business growth and higher profit margin through integration across the value chain. Industry player Zelang has implemented proprietary extraction technology, namely Multi-Effect cell broken Low-temperature Line Extraction System (MELLES) in order to obtain high purity extracts and lower the production cost.

Companies are investing in forming new business units in order to enhance their product offerings. This strategy has helped companies to increase their offerings across a number of end-use application markets. Green tea is one of the significant sources of catechin; the industry participants have built their own plantations in order to source green tea for extraction of catechin which will allow them to gain the competitive edge in the market and achieve higher participation in the value chain.

Some of the prominent players operating in the market are Hunan Sunfull Bio-tech Co., Ltd., Shaanxi Dongyu Bio-Tech Co., Ltd., Botaniex, Inc., Novanat Bioresource Inc., Taiyo Green Power Wxee, ZELANG, Hunan NutraMax Inc, Chengdu Wagott Bio-tech Co., Ltd., Hangzhou Qinyuan Natural Plant High-tech Co., Ltd.

p2 Segments covered in the report

This report forecasts revenue growth at global, regional & country levels and provides an analysis on the industry trends in each of the sub-segments from 2014 to 2025. For the purpose of this study, this market research report has segmented the catechin market on the basis of application and region:

Application Outlook (Volume, Tons; Revenue, USD Thousands; 2014 - 2025)

  
Pharmaceuticals
  
Beverages
  
Supplements
  
Mouth Rinsing Agents
  
Others