De-oiled Lecithin Market: Food ingredient in Demand
 
What is de-oiled lecithin?
Lecithin is an ingredient majorly used in food manufacture industry and is used as a food additive and in dietary supplements. It also has application in industrial, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Lecithin is commonly sourced from soy, sunflower, egg and rapeseed. De-oiled lecithin is made by extracting the oil from this lecithin and has a neutral color and flavor. These properties make it suitable for use as an additive, wetting agent and antioxidant for the manufacture of bakery, confectionery, beverage and more. It also has nutraceutical properties that further increase its demand in these applications. Also, de-oiled lecithin has advantage of being dry and hence is convenient to handle.
Different Sources & Applications
De-oiled lecithin can be sourced form plant sources like soy, sunflower and rapeseed; or animal sources like egg. The consumer preferences based on the source of lecithin is driving the demand for plant based lecithin. This is owing to the fact that more consumers are switching to vegetarian eating habits as well as are more health conscious. Companies like Cargill expanded their lecithin range from sunflower and soy to rapeseed to meet the demand of consumers. Thus consumers have a choice of product based on their requirements like non-GMO and allergy friendly products.
De-oiled lecithin finds application majorly in food industry. Soy lecithin can be used in making dietary supplements, dairy products, margarine, infant formulas, and many other food products. Sunflower lecithin offers various health advantages as it can be extracted without any chemical additives. Also, it possesses various nutraceutical properties like lowering cholesterol, and in reducing health problems related to liver, heart, bones, and skin.
Asia-Pacific is the largest market for de-oiled lecithin
Region wise the major de-oiled lecithin market share is for Asia- Pacific due to the availability of raw materials and increased awareness on the health benefits of de-oiled lecithin. Government regulations and support to manufacturers is also contributing to the rise in supply of de-oiled lecithin by these countries. Rising population is contributing to the increase in demand for food. Since lecithin is a major ingredient of most food products, its demand also rises. Along with this there is also rising health consciousness which leads to demand for natural food products and ingredients in such developing regions.
Market Drivers
Changing consumer lifestyle and eating habits have contribute majorly to the growth of this market. Rising number of disease and health problems have caused this change. With an increase in the number of disease, consumers are now becoming more educated and aware about their diets and health.  This has provided opportunity for food ingredients like de-oiled lecithin to grow in the market. The use of de-oiled lecithin has increased for making food products like bakery, confectionery, beverages and others. The incorporation of de-oiled lecithin in these products enhances their nutritional value and is thus preferable over non healthy snacks and products.
Another factor driving the de-oiled lecithin market is the source of lecithin.  De-oiled lecithin made from plant based sources like soy and sunflower, de-oiled lecithin have a rising demand due to the demand for natural, organic, and plant based food products.
De-oiled Lecithin Industry Outlook
Companies previously into the manufacture of soy based lecithin, are now expanding to sunflower based lecithin. This is because, soy crops are mostly genetically modified and chemicals are used in extraction of lecithin from soy. This has restrained the purchases of consumers who are conscious about the food products they intake. Thus sunflower based lecithin is growing in demand as it is not extracted using chemical solvents. Sunflower lecithin are also popular among consumers who avoid genetically modified food crops.
De-oiled lecithin top 10 companies are DowDuPont, Cargill, Archer Daniels Midland, Bunge Limited, Lecico GmBH, American Lecithin Company, Lecital, Lasenor Emul, GIIAVA (INDIA) PVT. LTD, and Novastell Essential Ingredients.