The global sorbitol market reached a volume of 2.62 Million Tons in 2020. Sorbitol, also known as glucitol, is a white and odorless crystalline powder with approximately 50-60% of the sweetness of sucrose. It is found in nature with relatively high concentrations in apples, peaches, plums, pears and apricots. Sorbitol is a non-volatile, non-flammable and non-corrosive polyol, which is chemically inert and compatible with excipients. It is produced commercially by electrolytic reduction of glucose and corn syrup. Owing to these chemical and physical characteristics, sorbitol is widely employed in the production of toothpaste, toiletries, cosmetics, confectionaries, sweets, frozen desserts, biscuits, ascorbic acid, industrial surfactants, pharmaceuticals and healthcare products.

According to the International Diabetes Federation, approximately 463 million adults were living with diabetes in 2019. As a result of the growing prevalence of the condition, the demand for artificial sweeteners, such as sorbitol, has increased in the production of diabetic foods. Besides this, owing to its various functional properties, sorbitol is utilized in diverse industries as a humectant, sweetener, bulking agent, stabilizer, softener and emulsifier. For instance, in the food industry, it is added to prevent the food from drying and aging and to extend the shelf-life of products as well as effectively prevent the precipitation of sugar. On the other hand, sorbitol is used as an excipient and diluent in tablet formulations, which are prepared either by wet granulation or direct compression. Looking forward, IMARC Group expects the global sorbitol market to exhibit moderate growth during the next five years.

Breakup by Type:

• Liquid
• Powder

Liquid sorbitol currently holds the largest market share due to its ability to bind water molecules and stabilize the mass in various personal care products, cosmetics, and foods and beverages.

Breakup by Application:

• Cosmetics and Toiletries
• Food and Beverage
• Pharmaceuticals
• Toothpaste
• Industrial Surfactants
• Others

On the basis of the application, pharmaceuticals represent the leading segment as the majority of sorbitol in this sector is used in the manufacturing of ascorbic acid for vitamin C tablets.

Breakup by Feedstock:

• Corn
• Wheat
• Cassava
• Others

Corn is currently the most popular feedstock and accounts for the entire sorbitol production in the US and the majority of the production in China, Europe and India.

Regional Insights:

• China
• United States
• Europe
• Indonesia
• India

On the geographical front, China exhibits a clear dominance in the market since the country accounts for around 90% of the global Vitamin C production.

Competitive Landscape:

The competitive landscape of the market is characterized by the presence of numerous small and large manufacturers who compete with each other in terms of prices and quality.

Key Questions Answered in This Report:

• How has the global sorbitol market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years?
• What are the key regional markets?
• What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the global sorbitol market?
• What are the popular product types in the market?
• What are the key application segments in the market?
• What are the major feedstocks in the market?
• What are the price trends of sorbitol?
• What are the various stages in the value chain of the market?
• What are the key driving factors and challenges in the market?
• What is the structure of the market and who are the key players?
• What is the degree of competition in the market?
• How is sorbitol manufactured?

1    Preface
2    Scope and Methodology
    2.1    Objectives of the Study
    2.2    Stakeholders
    2.3    Data Sources
        2.3.1    Primary Sources
        2.3.2    Secondary Sources
    2.4    Market Estimation
        2.4.1    Bottom-Up Approach
        2.4.2    Top-Down Approach
    2.5    Forecasting Methodology
3   Executive Summary
4   Introduction
    4.1    Overview
    4.2    Key Industry Trends
5    Global Sorbitol Industry: Market Landscape
    5.1    Market Trends
        5.1.1    Production Capacity
        5.1.2    Consumption
        5.1.3    Prices
    5.2    Imports/Exports
    5.3    Impact of COVID-19
    5.4    Price Analysis
        5.4.1    Key Price Indicators
        5.4.2    Price Structure
        5.4.3    Price Trends
    5.5    Market Forecast
        5.5.1    Production Capacity
        5.5.2    Consumption
        5.5.3    Prices
6   Sorbitol Market Breakup by Application
    6.1    Cosmetics and Toiletries   
        6.1.1 Market Trends
        6.1.2 Market Forecast
    6.2    Food and Beverage
        6.2.1 Market Trends
        6.2.2 Market Forecast
    6.3    Pharmaceuticals
        6.3.1 Market Trends
        6.3.2 Market Forecast
    6.4    Toothpaste
        6.4.1 Market Trends
        6.4.2 Market Forecast
    6.5    Industrial Surfactants
        6.5.1 Market Trends
        6.5.2 Market Forecast
    6.6    Others 
        6.6.1 Market Trends
        6.6.2 Market Forecast
7   Sorbitol Market Breakup by Type
    7.1    Liquid Sorbitol 
        7.1.1 Market Trends
        7.1.2 Market Forecast
    7.2    Powder Sorbitol
        7.2.1 Market Trends
        7.2.2 Market Forecast
8   Sorbitol Market Breakup by Feedstock
    8.1    Corn
        8.1.1 Market Trends
        8.1.2 Market Forecast
    8.2    Wheat
        8.2.1 Market Trends
        8.2.2 Market Forecast
    8.3    Cassava
        8.3.1 Market Trends
        8.3.2 Market Forecast
    8.4    Others
        8.4.1 Market Trends
        8.4.2 Market Forecast
9   Global Sorbitol Industry: Regional Analysis
    9.1    Production Capacity by Region
    9.2    Production by Region
    9.3    Consumption by Region
    9.4    Analysis of Key Regions
        9.4.1    China
             9.4.1.1    Sorbitol Production Capacity and Production
             9.4.1.2    Sorbitol Consumption
             9.4.1.3    Sorbitol Production Statistics from Various Feedstocks
             9.4.1.4    Historical and Future Price Trends of Various Feedstocks
             9.4.1.5    Historical and Future Cost of Manufacturing Sorbitol from Various Feedstocks
             9.4.1.6    Competitive Landscape
        9.4.2    United States
             9.4.2.1    Sorbitol Production Capacity and Production
             9.4.2.2    Sorbitol Consumption
             9.4.2.3    Sorbitol Production Statistics from Various Feedstocks
             9.4.2.4    Historical and Future Price Trends of Various Feedstocks
             9.4.2.5    Historical and Future Cost of Manufacturing Sorbitol from Various Feedstocks
             9.4.2.6    Competitive Landscape
        9.4.3    Europe
             9.4.3.1    Sorbitol Production Capacity and Production
             9.4.3.2    Sorbitol Consumption
             9.4.3.3    Sorbitol Production Statistics from Various Feedstocks
             9.4.3.4    Historical and Future Price Trends of Various Feedstocks
             9.4.3.5    Historical and Future Cost of Manufacturing Sorbitol from Various Feedstocks
             9.4.3.6    Competitive Landscape
        9.4.4    Indonesia
             9.4.4.1    Sorbitol Production Capacity and Production
             9.4.4.2    Sorbitol Consumption
             9.4.4.3    Sorbitol Production Statistics from Various Feedstocks
             9.4.4.4    Historical and Future Price Trends of Various Feedstocks
             9.4.4.5    Historical and Future Cost of Manufacturing Sorbitol from Various Feedstocks
             9.4.4.6    Competitive Landscape
        9.4.5    India
             9.4.5.1    Sorbitol Production Capacity and Production
             9.4.5.2    Sorbitol Consumption
             9.4.5.3    Sorbitol Production Statistics from Various Feedstocks
             9.4.5.4    Historical and Future Price Trends of Various Feedstocks
             9.4.5.5    Historical and Future Cost of Manufacturing Sorbitol from Various Feedstocks
             9.4.5.6    Competitive Landscape
10  Global Sorbitol Market: Value Chain
11  Global Sorbitol Market: Margin Analysis
    11.1    Farmers Margins
    11.2    Collectors Margins
    11.3    Starch Manufacturer Margins
    11.4    Sorbitol Manufacturer Margins
    11.5    Distributor Margins
    11.6    Exporters Margins
12  Global Sorbitol Market: SWOT Analysis
    12.1    Overview
    12.2    Strengths
    12.3    Weaknesses
    12.4    Opportunities
    12.5    Threats
13  Global Sorbitol Market: Porter’s Five Forces Analysis
    13.1    Overview
    13.2    Bargaining Power of Buyers
    13.3    Bargaining Power of Suppliers
    13.4    Degree of Rivalry
    13.5    Threat of New Entrants
    13.6    Threat of Substitutes
14  Competitive Landscape
    14.1    Competitive Structure
    14.2    Market Breakup by Key Players
15  Sorbitol Market: Feedstock and Manufacturing Analysis
    15.1    Corn
        15.1.1    Production Trends
        15.1.2    Sorbitol Manufacturing from Corn
            15.1.2.1    Manufacturing Process
            15.2.2.2    Process Flow
            15.2.2.3    Mass Balance and Feedstock Requirements
            15.2.2.4    Land and Construction Requirements
            15.2.2.5    Machinery Requirements
            15.2.2.6    Machinery Suppliers
            15.2.2.7    Utility Requirements
            15.2.2.8    Manpower Requirements
            15.2.2.9    Capital Costs
            15.2.2.10    Raw Material Costs
            15.2.2.11     Final Product and By-Product Prices
            15.2.2.12    Total Cost per Ton
    15.3    Cassava
        15.3.1    Production Trends
        15.3.2    Sorbitol Manufacturing from Cassava
            15.3.2.1    Manufacturing Process
            15.3.2.2    Process Flow
            15.3.2.3    Mass Balance and Feedstock Requirements
            15.3.2.4    Land and Construction Requirements
            15.3.2.5    Machinery Requirements
            15.3.2.6    Machinery Suppliers
            15.3.2.7    Utility Requirements
            15.3.2.8    Manpower Requirements
            15.3.2.9    Capital Costs
            15.3.2.10    Raw Material Costs
            15.3.2.11    Final Product and By-Product Prices
            15.3.2.12    Total Cost per Ton
    15.4    Corn Starch
        15.4.1    Sorbitol Manufacturing from Corn Starch
            15.4.1.1    Manufacturing Process
            15.4.1.2    Process Flow
            15.4.1.3    Mass Balance and Feedstock Requirements
            15.4.1.4    Specifications of Corn Starch and Sorbitol
            15.4.1.5    Land and Construction Requirements
            15.4.1.6    Machinery Requirements
            15.4.1.7    Machinery Suppliers
            15.4.1.8    Major Distributors
            15.4.1.9    Utility Requirements
            15.4.1.10   Manpower Requirements
            15.4.1.11   Capital Costs
            15.4.1.12   Raw Material Costs
            15.4.1.13   Final Product Prices
            15.4.1.14   Total Cost per Ton
16   Key Player Profiles 

List of Figures

Figure 1: Global: Sorbitol Production Capacity (in ‘000 Mt), 2015-2020
Figure 2: Global: Sorbitol Average Prices (in US$/Mt), 2015-2020
Figure 3: Global: Sorbitol Consumption Volume (in ‘000 Mt), 2015-2020
Figure 4: Global: Sorbitol Consumption Value (in Million US$), 2015-2020
Figure 5: Global: Sorbitol Consumption Volume Breakup by Application (in %), 2020
Figure 6: Global: Sorbitol Production Capacity Breakup by Key Producer Countries (in %), 2015, 2020 and 2026
Figure 7: Global: Sorbitol Production Volume Breakup by Key Producer Countries (in %), 2015, 2020 and 2026
Figure 8: Global: Sorbitol Consumption Volume Breakup by Region (in %), 2015, 2020 and 2026
Figure 9: Global: Sorbitol Production Volume Breakup by Feedstock (in %), 2020
Figure 10: Global: Sorbitol Production Capacity Breakup by Manufacturers (in %)
Figure 11: Global: Sorbitol Production Capacity Forecast (in ‘000 Mt), 2021-2026
Figure 12: Global: Sorbitol Consumption Volume Forecast (in ‘000 Mt), 2021-2026
Figure 13: Global: Sorbitol Average Prices Forecast (in US$/Metric Ton), 2021-2026
Figure 14: Global: Sorbitol Consumption Value Forecast (in Million US$), 2021-2026
Figure 15: China: Sorbitol Production Capacity (in ‘000 Mt), 2015, 2020 and 2026
Figure 16: China: Sorbitol Production Volume (in ‘000 Mt), 2015, 2020 and 2026
Figure 17: China: Sorbitol Consumption Volume (in ‘000 Mt), 2015, 2020 and 2026
Figure 18: China: Sorbitol Production Breakup by Feedstock (in %), 2020
Figure 19: China: Corn Prices (in US$ /Mt), 2015-2020
Figure 20: China: Wheat Prices (in US$ /Mt), 2015-2020
Figure 21: China: Corn and Wheat Prices (in US$ Per Mt), 2015-2020
Figure 22: China: Sorbitol Production Costs from Various Feedstocks (in US$ Per Mt)
Figure 23: China: Sorbitol Production Capacity Breakup by Manufacturers (in %)
Figure 24: United States: Sorbitol Production Capacity (in ‘000 Mt), 2015, 2020 and 2026
Figure 25: United States: Sorbitol Production Volume (in ‘000 Mt), 2015, 2020 and 2026
Figure 26: United States: Sorbitol Consumption Volume (in ‘000 Mt), 2015, 2020 and 2026
Figure 27: United States: Corn Prices (in US$ /Mt), 2015-2020
Figure 28: United States: Corn Prices (in US$ Per Mt), 2015-2020
Figure 29: United States: Sorbitol Production Costs from Corn (in US$ Per Mt), 2015-2020
Figure 30: United States: Sorbitol Production Capacity by Manufacturers (in %) 
Figure 31: Western Europe: Sorbitol Production Capacity (in ‘000 Mt), 2015, 2020 and 2026
Figure 32: Western Europe: Sorbitol Production Volume (in ‘000 Mt), 2015, 2020 and 2026
Figure 33: Western Europe: Sorbitol Consumption Volume (in ‘000 Mt), 2015, 2020 and 2026
Figure 34: Western Europe: Sorbitol Production Breakup by Feedstock (in %), 2020
Figure 35: France: Wheat Prices (in US$ /Mt), 2015-2020
Figure 36: France: Corn Prices (in US$ /Mt), 2015-2020
Figure 37: France: Corn & Wheat Prices (in US$ Per Mt). 2015-2020
Figure 38: France: Sorbitol Production Costs from Corn & Wheat (in US$ Per Mt), 2015-2020
Figure 39: Western Europe: Sorbitol Production Capacity Breakup by Key Manufacturers (in %)
Figure 40: Indonesia: Sorbitol Production Capacity (in ‘000 Mt), 2015, 2020 and 2026
Figure 41: Indonesia: Sorbitol Production Volume (in ‘000 Mt), 2015, 2020 and 2026
Figure 42: Indonesia: Sorbitol Consumption Volume (in ‘000 Mt), 2015, 2020 and 2026
Figure 43: Indonesia: Sorbitol Production Breakup by Feedstock (in %), 2020
Figure 44: Indonesia: Cassava Prices (in US$/Mt), 2015-2020
Figure 45: Indonesia: Corn Prices (in US$/Mt), 2015-2020
Figure 46: Indonesia: Corn & Cassava Prices (in US$ Per Mt), 2015-2020
Figure 47: Indonesia: Sorbitol Production Costs from Corn & Cassava (in US$ Per Mt), 2015-2020
Figure 48: Indonesia: Sorbitol Production Breakup by Key Manufacturers (in %) 
Figure 49: India: Sorbitol Production Capacity (in ‘000 Mt), 2015, 2020 and 2026
Figure 50: India: Sorbitol Production Volume (in ‘000 Mt), 2015, 2020 and 2026
Figure 51: India: Sorbitol Consumption Volume (in ‘000 Mt), 2015, 2020 and 2026
Figure 52: India: Sorbitol Production Breakup by Feedstock (in %), 2020
Figure 53: India: Wheat Prices (in US$ /Mt), 2015-2020
Figure 54: India: Corn Prices (in US$ /Mt), 2015-2020
Figure 55: India: Corn and Wheat Prices (in US$ Per Mt), 2015-2020
Figure 56: India: Sorbitol Production Costs from Corn and Wheat (in US$ Per Mt), 2015-2020
Figure 57: India: Sorbitol Production Capacity Breakup by Key Manufacturers (in %)
Figure 58: Global: Sorbitol Application in Cosmetics and Toiletries: Consumption Volume (‘000 Mt), 2015 & 2020
Figure 59: Global: Sorbitol Application in Cosmetics and Toiletries: Consumption Volume Forecast (‘000 Mt), 2021-2026
Figure 60: Global: Sorbitol Application in Food and Beverage: Consumption Volume (‘000 Mt), 2015 & 2020
Figure 61: Global: Sorbitol Application in Food and Beverage: Consumption Volume Forecast (‘000 Mt), 2021-2026
Figure 62: Global: Sorbitol Application in Pharmaceuticals: Consumption Volume (‘000 Mt), 2015 & 2020
Figure 63: Global: Sorbitol Application in Pharmaceuticals: Consumption Volume Forecast (‘000 Mt), 2021-2026
Figure 64: Global: Sorbitol Application in Toothpaste: Consumption Volume (‘000 Mt), 2015 & 2020
Figure 65: Global: Sorbitol Application in Toothpaste: Consumption Volume Forecast (‘000 Mt), 2021-2026
Figure 66: Global: Sorbitol Application in Industrial Surfactants: Consumption Volume (‘000 Mt), 2015 & 2020
Figure 67: Global: Sorbitol Application in Industrial Surfactants: Consumption Volume Forecast (‘000 Mt), 2021-2026
Figure 68: Global: Sorbitol Other Applications: Consumption Volume (‘000 Mt), 2015 & 2020
Figure 69: Global: Sorbitol Other Applications: Consumption Volume Forecast (‘000 Mt), 2021-2026
Figure 70: Global: Liquid Sorbitol Consumption Volume (‘000 Mt), 2015 & 2020
Figure 71: Global: Liquid Sorbitol Consumption Volume Forecast (‘000 Mt), 2021-2026
Figure 72: Global: Powder Sorbitol Consumption Volume (‘000 Mt), 2015 & 2020
Figure 73: Global: Powder Sorbitol Consumption Volume Forecast (‘000 Mt), 2021-2026
Figure 74: Global: Sorbitol (From Corn) Consumption Volume (‘000 Mt), 2015 & 2020
Figure 75: Global: Sorbitol (From Corn) Consumption Volume Forecast (‘000 Mt), 2021-2026
Figure 76: Global: Sorbitol (From Wheat) Consumption Volume (‘000 Mt), 2015 & 2020
Figure 77: Global: Sorbitol (From Wheat) Consumption Volume Forecast (‘000 Mt), 2021-2026
Figure 78: Global: Sorbitol (From Cassava) Consumption Volume (‘000 Mt), 2015 & 2020
Figure 79: Global: Sorbitol (From Cassava) Consumption Volume Forecast (‘000 Mt), 2021-2026
Figure 80: Global: Sorbitol (From Other Feedstocks) Consumption Volume (‘000 Mt), 2015 & 2020
Figure 81: Global: Sorbitol (From Other Feedstocks) Consumption Volume Forecast (‘000 Mt), 2021-2026
Figure 82: Sorbitol and By-Product Conversion Rates from Corn, Wheat and Cassava 
Figure 83: Global: Corn Production & Consumption Volume (in Million Mt), 2015-2020
Figure 84: Global: Corn Production by Country (in %), 2020
Figure 85: Global: Wheat Production & Consumption Volume (in Million Mt), 2015-2020
Figure 86: Global: Wheat Production by Country (in %), 2020
Figure 87: Global: Cassava Production (in Million Mt), 2015-2020
Figure 88: Global: Cassava Production by Country (in %), 2020
Figure 89: Sorbitol Manufacturing Process
Figure 90: Production of Starch Slurry Using Wheat
Figure 91: Production of Starch Slurry Using Cassava
Figure 92: Production of Glucose Syrup from Starch Slurry
Figure 93: Conversion of Glucose Syrup to Sorbitol
Figure 94: Interchanging Sorbitol Feedstocks
Figure 95: Roquette Frères SA: Production Breakup by Product
Figure 96: Shandong Tianli Pharmaceutical Co Limited: Capacity Breakup by Product (in %)
Figure 97: Kasyap Sweetners: Production Capacity Breakup by Product (in %)

List of Tables

Table 1: Global: Sorbitol Production Capacity by Key Producer Countries (in ‘000 Mt), 2015, 2020 and 2026
Table 2: Global: Sorbitol Production by Key Producer Countries (in ‘000 Mt), 2015, 2020 and 2026
Table 3: Global: Sorbitol Consumption Volume by Region (in ‘000 Mt), 2015, 2020 and 2026
Table 4: Global: Sorbitol Feedstock Statistics (in ‘000 Mt), 2020
Table 5: Global: Sorbitol Production Capacity Breakup by Manufacturers (in Mt)
Table 6: Characteristics of Various Polyols
Table 7: China: Sorbitol Feedstock Statistics (in ‘000 Mt)
Table 8: China: Sorbitol Production Capacity Breakup by Manufacturers (in Mt)
Table 9: United States: Sorbitol Feedstock Statistics (in Mt)
Table 10: United States: Sorbitol Production Capacity by Manufacturers (in Mt)
Table 11: Western Europe: Sorbitol Feedstock Statistics (in Mt)
Table 12: Western Europe: Sorbitol Production Capacity Statistics by Key Producers (in Mt)
Table 13: Indonesia: Sorbitol Feedstock Statistics (in Mt)
Table 14: Indonesia: Sorbitol Production Statistics by Key Producers (in Mt)
Table 15: India: Sorbitol Feedstock Statistics (in Mt)
Table 16: India: Sorbitol Production Statistics by Key Producers (in Mt)
Table 17: Global: Sorbitol Consumption Volume Forecast: Breakup by Application (in ‘000 Mt), 2021-2026
Table 18: Global: Sorbitol Consumption Volume Forecast: Breakup by Type (in ‘000 Mt), 2021-2026
Table 19: Global: Sorbitol Consumption Volume Forecast: Breakup by Feedstock (in ‘000 Mt), 2021-2026
Table 20: Prices of Various Sorbitol By-products