The primary driver of the global lactose monohydrate market is the increasing demand from the industries of food and beverage and pharmaceuticals. The key advantages of lactose monohydrate are its ease of solubility, cheap cost of manufacturing, and a long shelf life. It can even be used as a stabilizer, making it one of the most commonly used milk-based products. From the perspective of the pharmaceutical industry, lactose monohydrate is chemically and physically stable, and does not absorb water, which makes it easier to use in tablets and capsules.
Another driver of the global lactose monohydrate market is the growing adoption of lactose monohydrate in the manufacture of cosmetics. This is expected to propel the growth rate of the global lactose monohydrate market to higher levels.
Asia Pacific has dominated the global lactose monohydrate market in terms of consumption, from a regional perspective. China, India, South Korea, and Japan, are among the topmost consumers of lactose monohydrate in the world, thus pitching the APAC region as the leading one in this global market. All these regions are showing an increase in the use of lactose monohydrate in both pharmaceuticals and food and beverages. This is mainly facilitated by a rapid increase in the population of these regions, especially in India and China.
Europe has also been a major consumer in the global lactose monohydrate market, where the ingredient is usually used as an additive in baby food.
The key players in the global lactose monohydrate market are Merck Millipore, Meggle Group, Mallinckrodt Baker Inc., Hummel Croton Inc., Lactose India Ltd., and Sheffield Bio-Science Ltd.