Xylitol breakthrough discussed at FEW conference

Biorefining Magazine
By Ron Kotrba June 28, 2011

Food science polyols are a $1.5 billion market, according to David Demirjian, president and CEO of zuChem Inc. Demirjian spoke at the Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo in Indianapolis about his company’s work to break into that mega market.

He said the market is dominated by sorbitol ($750 million), marinol ($80 million), erythritol and others ($370 million), and xylitol ($125 million), adding that the xylitol share is expected to grow by three-fold—but holding it back is its limited feedstock supply, which is primarily birch wood, and the price fluctuations that go along with it.

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