Astaxanthin in Asian market

Despite of there are a few of astaxanthin suppliers, but the world’s market competitiveness is still very large. It is understood that some astaxanthin production companies in India have quit the market. Many India companies are being enormous challenged in cost control, seaweed cultivation technology, product quality stability and so on, so that India companies abandon producing astaxanthin ingredient. In the handful of Chinese astaxanthin production enterprises, is also increasingly feel the competitive increase, therefore, Chinese customary astaxanthin market strategy is to lower prices, to gain more potential clients. It is understood that some astaxanthin manufacturers in China in order to ease tight profit margins, have begun to launch cosmetic materials and capsule healthcare products. Strive to obtain considerable returns in the downstream market. On the one hand, astaxanthin is a new resource food, on the other hand is to control synthetic astaxanthin. About the application of astaxanthin, mainstream food products are mainly used oil and powder as feed additives. Currently, the market quotations of 1.5% astaxanthin are various, mainly at the range of 820RMB/kg to 960RMB/kg, the market prices of 2% astaxanthin is in the range of 1050-1500, and the market price of 5% astaxanthin oil is maintaining at 12,000RMB/kg.

Astaxanthin is mainly extracted from the waste of aquatic product processing industry, every year there are about 10 million tons of waste crustacean seafood. It was reported that the United States using polymerization agent extract astaxanthin, astaxanthin acid and astacin from prawn waste acid pigment, these substances may exist in the form of free-stuff or in conjunction with proteins, lipids, total extraction rate is more than 90% of the vitamin E capsules. In recent years, Norway fishery industrial use the technology of ensiling method to treat the waste, through the silage treating, the astaxanthin recovery rate increase 10 times, the purity is also greatly improved. Animal feeding experiments show that the waste treated by silage technology used in feeding red wanted fish, the astaxanthin’s digestibility and cumulative percentage in the muscles has great improved.

An unique single-cell green algae -- Haematoccocus pluvialis is recognized as the most significant organ in nature which can synthesize and accumulated astaxanthin, its astaxanthin content is generally 1%-2%. Haematococcus pluvialis algae powder in Japan, Canada, United States and some European countries have been approved as the natural pigment of the salmon and trout feed add ingredients, and clearly defined that haematococcus pluvialis can be used as the supplement of food ingredients. It is well known that natural astaxanthin in Japan is more successful, there are only seven companies in the world can successful by breeding haematococcus pluvialis to get natural astaxanthin, China, Japan, Israel, United States and India, and other places. According to the survey, astaxanthin’s market demand is also growing rapidly in the far East market, particularly in Thailand, Malaysia, India and Korea.

Astaxanthin is $300 million a year in the international market. In 2001, the world's salmon and trout production will reach 1 million tons, valued at $3.75 billion. With the development of high-grade aquatic products breeding industry in China, China will become the red algae-consuming large country, have a potentially huge market. Red algae spores on the international market (containing 2% astaxanthin) sold for $50/kg, produce every per kg red algae spores can profit more than 200 Yuan.

Source:http://www.cosprm.com