The European and the U.S. market for prebiotics is projected to reach nearly $1.2 billion and $225 million, respectively, by the year 2015, according to a new report from Global Industry Analysts (GIA).

While the European market is driven by the expansion of prebiotic ingredient manufacturers into new application areas such as meat and snack products, the U.S. market is driven by continued demand for fructans, which is the largest product segment in the U.S. prebiotic market.

The future outlook for the prebiotics market is highly encouraging given that several food ingredient manufacturers and food processors continue to seek ways to capitalize on the growing demand for health-oriented foods, according to the report, titled “Prebiotics: A US & European Market Report.”

Prebiotics are rapidly rising in popularity within the functional food market, thanks to applications in dairy products, health drinks, nutrition bars, breakfast cereals, beverages, bakery products, meat products, mineral supplements, weight loss products, green foods, infant food and pet food.

A rise in obesity and other ailments related to digestive health, bones and joints are fast encouraging consumers to focus on low-carb, well-balanced and healthy diets, which in turn are driving the unprecedented demand for prebiotics at an international level.

Extending the required impetus to market growth is recent advances in finding biotechnology of carbohydrates that opened new possibilities to manufacture a range of novel prebiotics candidates and anti-adhesives. Cherished for its ability to foster the growth of “beneficial” probiotic bacteria in the gut, prebiotic ingredients have also ignited interests of the medical community, given potential to deliver anti-adhesive properties among a range of gastrointestinal toxins and harmful bacteria.

However, the majority of revenue generated in the prebiotics market will continue to emerge from the food industry, especially in application segments such as dairy products.

The European Prebiotics market is rapidly expanding and diversifying with the introduction of new products in various segments, particularly in the dairy, beverage and infant formula. In addition, prebiotic ingredients manufacturers are also expanding rapidly into new application areas such as meat and snack products, thanks to which, the prebiotic sector is experiencing robust growth in both value and significance, more importantly in the food and beverage industry.

Meanwhile, growing concerns over digestive health in the U.S., courtesy of poor dietary trends, stress and other health conditions that reduce beneficial bacteria from the system, is fast proving to be a demand driver. While fructans (inulin and FOS) represent the largest segment in the U.S. prebiotics market, mannan-oligosaccharide (MOS) is the fastest growing product segment over the analysis period 2006-2015.