Polyol ambitions: Sunar Misir invests in sorbitol and maltitol capacity

24 Sep 2018 --- Sunar Misir plans to reach an installed capacity of 100,000 tons for its sorbitol and maltitol facility in Adana (Turkey) by the end of 2019. Sunar Mısır has over 33 years of experience with corn-based ingredients and offers sustainably-sourced, Non-GMO starches and starch derivatives for the global market. 

Hasan Abdullah Özkan, CEO the Turkish headquartered company, notes that Sunar Misir is committed to innovation and developing value added ingredients based upon rising consumer demand for healthy products. 

“The global natural sweeteners market is growing as low calorie and digestive products are gaining popularity among consumers. Sorbitol and maltitol represent more than 50 percent of total consumption volume of natural sweeteners. In addition to key technical characteristics, with their low calorie and low glycemic index properties, sorbitol and maltitol seem to be key ingredients, primarily in nutrition and pharma,” Özkan notes to FoodIngredientsFirst. The number of food & beverages launches tracked with sorbitol and maltitol enjoyed a growth rate of 9 percent and 5 percent respectively between 2012-2017, according to Innova Market Insights data.

As a result of aging populations, extended lifespans, and socioeconomic changes around the world, health services is one of the most important issues of the 21st century. In relation to that, global pharmaceutical revenues increased to over US$1 trillion. Considering these factors, innovative drugs and new treatments will become crucial in this market environment. “Through our chain of expertise, including Sunar Mısır Research and Development Center and technical sales and business development team, we are eyeing high penetration in the local and global pharma market. We’ve identified key target countries for the pharma business and Turkey is one of them since the market is promising and grew by 16.5 percent in 2016,” Özkan underlines.

Sunar Mısır has gained a significant share in global sorbitol and maltitol market along with the last 5 years since the beginning of manufacturing. Now, the company has increased its sorbitol and maltitol production capacity and provided an outlook for the next year. Sunar Mısır plans to operate with a total capacity of 100,000 tons/year by the end of 2019 and targets being a top-performing supplier for the international brands.

“We are delighted to announce this investment for our polyol plant, which will help us to boost our market share particularly in food and pharma market,” says Özkan. 

The plant is capable of processing different types of ultra-pure polyols, each answering specific customer demands. Thanks to its excellent purification process, the performance of sorbitol and maltitol in final products and processes, will be quite satisfying. The facility was designed to produce pharma grade, food grade and industry grade products in liquid, crystalline and powder forms fulfilling the requirements of GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) certificate. Besides, Sunar Mısır R&D Center is close to finalizing the development stage of new polyols and launches planned for 2019. 

Özkan highlights Sunar Mısır’s ambitions to become a major player in the global polyol market with 100,000 tons of annual production capacity and bold future plans in the category. This investment also illustrates Sunar Mısır’s commitment to the economic progress in Turkey through job growth and financial contributions, he concludes.

By Robin Wyers