Vitamin marketing

L-Ascorbic acid is used as a micronutrient additive in pharmaceutical, food, feed, and beverage products, as weU as in cosmetic appHcations. The over-the-counter (OTC) vitamin market is strong, growing in demand, and vitamin C is available in the form of piUs and tablets to supplement the daily diet to maintain peak physical performance. 

The semi-synthetic production of vitamin C is rapidly moving to a full biotech process. Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is an important segment in the worldwide vitamin market with a market share of approximately 20 percent. Its worldwide sales amounted to around USD 0.5 bilHon in 1999. The traditional route to vitamin C is a multistep process involving chemical and fermentative steps. It starts with the catalytic hydrogenation of D-glucose to D-sorbitol, followed by the fermentative oxidation of D-sorbitol to L-sorbose, which is then converted... 

The volume of the global vitamin market amormts crurently to 2.5-3.0 billion Euro per annum 50% thereof accounts for animal feed, 40% for nutritional supplements and food and 10% for cosmetics. 

Although a tremendous number of fermentation processes have been researched and developed to various extents, only a couple of hundred ate used commercially. Fermentation industries have continued to expand in terms of the number of new products on the market, the total volume (capacity), and the total sales value of the products. The early 1990s U.S. market for fermentation products was estimated to be in the 9-10 x 10 range. The total world market is probably three times that figure, and antibiotics continue to comprise a primary share of the industry. Other principal product categories are enzymes, several organic acids, baker s yeast, ethanol (qv), vitamins (qv), and steroid hormones (qv). 

Fine chemical companies are generally either small and privately held or divisions of larger companies, such as Eastman Fine Chemicals (United States) and Lonza (Switzerland). Examples of large public fife science companies, which market fine chemicals as a subsidiary activity to their production for captive use, are Hoffmann-La Roche, Sandoz, and Boehringer Ingelheim, which produce and market bulk vitamins and liquid crystal intermediates, dyestuff intermediates, and bulk active ingredients, respectively. Table 3 fists some representative companies having an important fine chemical business. 

The 1995 Canadian and United States sugar alcohol (polyol) production is shown in Table 2. The market share of each is also given. Liquids comprise 48% crystalline product comprises 39% and mannitol comprises 13% of the polyol market. An estimate of total U.S. sorbitol capacity for 1995 on a 70% solution basis was 498,000 t. ADM, Decatur, lU., produced 68,200 t Ethichem, Easton, Pa., 13,600 t Lon2a, Mapleton, lU., 45,400 t Roquette America, Gurnee, lU., 68,200 t and SPI Polyols, New Castle, Del., 75,000 t (204). Hoffman-LaRoche, which produces sorbitol for captive usage in the manufacture of Vitamin C (see Vitamins), produced about 27,300 t in 1995. 

The use of vitamins in humans consumes ca 40% of vitamins made worldwide. The majority of the vitamins, particularly in countries outside the United States, are used in animal husbandry. It is well estabUshed (21) that vitamins are critical to animal productivity, especially under confined, rapid growth conditions. Newer information (22) has shown that vitamin E added to catde feed has the additional effect of significantly prolonging beef shelf life in stores. Additional appHcations of vitamins exist. A small but growing market segment involves cosmetics (qv) (23). The use of the chemical properties of the vitamins, particularly as antioxidants (qv) in foods and, more recently, in plastics (vitamin E (24)), has emerged as a growing trend. 

Vitamins are sold for direct appHcation to foods and animal feeds. In addition, they are further processed into nutritional supplements. This last market is particularly significant in the United States. In many other countries, vitamins are regulated as dmgs, leading to a much lower supplement usage. 

It can be estimated that approximately 3,000,000,000 of vitamins were sold in 1996. Market growth is slightly higher than population growth, but varies widely by individual vitamin, geographical area, and/or appHcation. The largest vitamin manufacturer is Hoffmann-La Roche. Other significant producers include BASE, Takeda, Eisai, and Rhc ne-Poulenc. Additional vitamins are produced in China, Russia and India. 

Vitamin A constitutes the most significant sector of the commercial retinoid market and is used primarily in the feed area. In the pharmaceutical area, there are several important therapeutic dermatologic agents which stmcturaHy resemble vitamin A and they are depicted in Figure 2 (see Pharmaceuticals). The carotenoids as provitamin A compounds also represent an important commercial class of compounds with P-carotene [7235-40-7] (10) occupying the central role (Fig. 3) (9). 

Commercial Production. Vitamin B22, as cyanocobalamin, is produced by several companies. The market is dorninated, however, by two... 

French firms, Rhc ne-Poulenc and, to a lesser extent, Roussel-Uclaf. Smaller amounts are produced in Japan by Nippon Petrochemical, in Hungary by Medimpex-Richter, and by minor producers in several other countries. Barber manufacturers, particularly Merck (U.S.) and Glaxo (U.K.), have exited the market. Although estimates vary, it appears that ca 10,000 kg/yr of vitamin is produced (1). 

Market Forms. Vitamin B 2 is sold almost exclusively as cyanocobalamin. Approximately one-third of the material is for the human pharmaceutical market whereas two-thirds is used in the animal feed market, primarily for poultry and swine (see Feeds AND FEED ADDITIVES). Modest growth in both markets has occurred in the period 1980—1995 and this trend is expected to continue. 

In the human market, oral and parenteral dosage forms are prepared from the crystal. However, because of the extremely high potency, more dilute (0.1—10%) forms are avabable. These include dilutions with mannitol, triturations on dicalcium phosphate or resins, and spray-dried forms. Prices for these forms are driven by that of the crystal, which in early 1996 was ca 9.50/gram (95). Prices for the vitamin have risen during the first half of the 1990s. However, Htde growth in price beyond inflation is anticipated. 

Vitamin D is available ia a variety of forms. Cod Hver oil and percomorph Hver oil historically were good sources of vitamin D. Recent cost iacreases of these materials have caused a decline ia their market position. Cod Hver oil sold for 0.40—0.45/L ia 1970 and as high as 1.45/L ia 1979 and 3.43/L ia 1996. The prices of the cod Hver oils and of vitamin D2 and vitamin D from 1955 to 1995 are shown ia Table 12. 

Approximately 200 kg/yr of Vitamin formulations are also marketed as rat poisons. The metaboUtes of vitamin and synthetic derivatives are... 

The total market for vitamin is relatively small and the principal producer of vitamin is Hoffmaim-La Roche. Nisshin Flour Milling Company is the predorninant manufacturer for the optically active form of vitamin K. Total world market for vitamin is 1500 t with Vanetta Company as the dorninant... 

The world market for ch oline chloride used in animal feeds is estimated at 113,000 t on a 100% basis. The market for good grade ch oline chloride is a small market by comparison and is utilized mainly in the supplementation of infant formulas. Other ch oline salts are utilized solely in the human vitamin supplementation markets and are also small compared to animal feed usage. 

The molecules in Olestra have been modified since it was first marketed, to avoid some of the more unpopular side effects, but some remain. Adding carotenoids and fat-soluble vitamins to the product has also been done, but this does not eliminate all of the problems with nutrient absorption. 

Because it could become a vitamin if it were ever to get to a living cell, it is marketed as a provitamin, even though its effects as a vitamin are never realized. 

SRB contains high-quality protein, oil, dietary fiber, polysaccharides, fat-soluble phytochemicals (plant derived bioactive compounds) and other bran nutrients. Rice bran and germ are the richest natural sources of B complex vitamins as well as E vitamins, polyphenols, several antioxidants and minerals. It is now available in the commercial food ingredient market as a safe and effective functional food and dietary supplement. 

DuPont s phosgene synthesis in a micro reactor BASE S vitamin precursor synthesis developments in the bio field prognosis on market volume in 2000 [227]. 

Nonpharmacologic therapy such as dietary, physical, and behavioral approaches should be considered first. Pyridoxine (vitamin B6) 10 to 25 mg three to four times daily alone or in combination with an antihistamine such as doxylamine is often used for NVP.9,11,12 This combination was previously marketed as Bendectin or Debendox but was withdrawn due to concerns over possible teratogenic effects, although the literature did not support this claim.11,12 Pyridoxine is well tolerated, but doxylamine and other antihistamines commonly cause drowsiness. For more severe NVP, promethazine, meto-clopramide, and trimethobenzamide may be effective and have not been associated with teratogenic effects.9... 

Carotenoids are one of the most abundant groups of pigments found in nature. Every year more than 100 million tonnes of them are being synthesized in the biosphere. Nearly 600 molecular species of carotenoids are currently identified (Del Campo et al., 2007). As powerful antioxidants, vitamin precursors, natural colorants, and odorants they became a serious global market commodity accounting for almost 1 billion dollars of the yearly trade (BCC research, 2007). 

Important intrinsic quality criteria currently determining the market potential of new apple cultivars are related to the sensory quality such as fruit firmness (crispness) and the sugar and acidity contents. On the other hand, the nutritional composition (e.g. the vitamin or antioxidant contents) is currently not used as a criterion in the choice of cultivars, neither in conventional nor in organic fruit production. The difference in the content of such components between fruit species is in most cases more relevant than between cultivars of the same species (e.g. vitamin C content of oranges versus apples). 

---