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Human Milk Oligosaccharides Market

The market for Human Milk Oligosaccharides was estimated at $312 million in 2024; it is anticipated to increase to $696 million by 2030, with projections indicating growth to around $1.36 billion by 2035.

Report ID:DS1805008
Author:Debadatta Patel - Senior Consultant
Published Date:
Datatree
Life Science
Nutraceuticals
Human Milk Oligosaccharides
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Report Summary
Market Data
Methodology
Table of Contents

Global Human Milk Oligosaccharides Market Outlook

Revenue, 2024

$312M

Forecast, 2034

$1.19B

CAGR, 2025 - 2034

14.3%

The Human Milk Oligosaccharides (HMOs) industry revenue is expected to be around $357.0 million in 2025 and expected to showcase growth with 14.3% CAGR between 2025 and 2034. The infant nutrition and life stage health sector has seen significant development within the oligosaccharides found in human milk market. The sector is highly strategic, as premium infant nutrition manufacturers use science backed oligosaccharide fibres to differentiate products, cash in on increased public awareness of the importance of the gut microbiome and immune system and as a response to legislation encouraging baby formula that is closer to breast milk. Oligosaccharides found in human milk have remained a competitive and relevant sector, due to the entry of major pharmaceutical companies into this field. The expanded capacity for producing 2FL oligosaccharides is also key in the industry.

The sector of Human Milk Oligosaccharides comprises complex carbohydrates found in breast milk. They are called bioactive carbohydrates and their market size for 2FL is $133.06 million for 2024. Their functions include acting as prebiotics which selectively feed beneficial gut bacteria, enhance gut health and regulate immune responses in the body. Consequently, they are added to infant formula and health supplements which account for a total of 91.1% of the HMO market demand. Also incorporated into the emerging line of functional foods and adult dietary formulations are HMOs. Key trends contributing to HMO adoption are multi HMO blends, HMOs with low ingredient lists, the existence of scientific evidence supporting health claims and the combination of HMOs with probiotics. These trends are altering global nutritional product mixes.

Human Milk Oligosaccharides market outlook with forecast trends, drivers, opportunities, supply chain, and competition 2024-2034
Human Milk Oligosaccharides Market Outlook

Market Key Insights

  • The Human Milk Oligosaccharides market is projected to grow from $312.3 million in 2024 to $1.19 billion in 2034. This represents a CAGR of 14.3%, reflecting rising demand across Infant Nutrition, Gut Health Supplements, and Functional Foods.

  • The major players influencing this market are Chr. Hansen Holding A/S, Glycom A/S and Kyowa Hakko Europe GmbH who are driving the competitive landscape.

  • The United States and Germany are expected to be the dominant markets for human milk oligosaccharides through the period 2024 to 2030, with growth rates ranging from 12.9% to 17.2% per annum.

  • Highest growth rates of between 10 15% per annum are predicted for the emerging markets in China, Japan and India.

  • By 2030 the human milk oligosaccharides market is anticipated to gain $101 million from a transition towards the manufacture of synthetic products.

  • Between 2024 and 2034, Human Milk Oligosaccharides market is expected to expand by $876 million. Predictions indicate that within this timeframe, the food and drink and dietary supplements sector will experience significant growth in the production of human milk oligosaccharides.

  • The Human Milk Oligosaccharides sector is set to increase by 281% between 2024 and 2034. This is mainly due to an increased emphasis on infant nutrition and escalating expenditure on R&D.

human milk oligosaccharides hmo market size with pie charts of major and emerging country share, CAGR, trends for 2025 and 2032
Human Milk Oligosaccharides - Country Share Analysis

Opportunities in the Human Milk Oligosaccharides

Chinas infant formula market, which is also growing rapidly, offers significant opportunities for the sale of Human Milk Oligosaccharides in premium infant formula and toddler milks. Growing numbers of parents seek to improve their childrens immune systems and prevent allergies by supporting the gut microbiota and this is why there is increasing demand for HMO. Data worldwide reveals that the highest revenues come from 2FL at $282.95 million by 2030, with a beginning figure of $133.06 million in 2024. By 2030, 6SL is expected to be at $62.35 million, up from $24.05 million in 2024 with a Compound Annual Growth Rate of 17.2%, implying complex multi HMO blends have tremendous potential for expansion.

Growth Opportunities in North America and Asia-Pacific

The North American human milk oligosaccharides industry is driven by increased demand for infant nutrition and clinical evidence. A further factor is the consumers strong interest in gut health and the immune system. Potential for growth in this region will derive from the expansion of the use of HMOs from infant formula into adult nutrition, family friendly food products and medical nutrition for people seeking to achieve microbiome balance, reduce allergy risk and improve their metabolic health. Synergetic synbiotics can be created through the production of HMO blends differentiated from standard products through their incorporation of prebiotic fibres and probiotics. This strategy enables premium products backed by scientific research to be developed. Makers of food additives are under increasing pressure from both major multinational companies and regional suppliers of specialty nutrients. It is success for these companies that depends on their portfolio of patents, large scale reliable supply, co operating with the owners of well known brands and complying with the relevant laws. Firms that maintain transparency in communication of science backed and clean label claims for Human Milk Oligosaccharides with healthcare professionals and parents will gain competitive advantage in the Human Milk Oligosaccharides market.
In the Asia Pacific region, a number of factors are driving the use of human milk oligosaccharides. These include a very large infant population, rapid urbanisation and the fact that many more people in the region are able to afford a higher standard of living and can therefore pay for premium baby food products and other solutions which are good for the health of infants. The key opportunities in the region are found in the development of lactose-free infant formula that contains HMO, regionally tailored functional food and beverages and dietary supplements that are immune system boosting. Businesses entering the market can benefit by producing high purity HMO ingredients at a low cost, by developing halal and culturally sensitive product formulations, and through partnerships with local dairy, baby formula and nutraceutical companies in terms of production or licensing. Key market trends in the global HMOs market include collaboration between international HMO producers and regional infant formula companies as well as local manufacturers of prebiotic and functional ingredients. The company must be able to adapt its product across countries because of the differences in regulations and the differing price sensitivities of customers. Products should be viewed as safe and clinically proven.

Market Dynamics and Supply Chain

01

Driver: Rising microbiome science adoption and premium infant nutrition demand across global markets

also advances in microbiome research have also significantly expanded the understanding of how HMOs influence immune development and gut health, particularly during early life. This scientific validation has also accelerated their adoption in premium infant formula, especially in Asia and Europe where parents increasingly seek breast milk like nutrition. Parallel to this, fermentation and precision biotechnology have also reduced production costs and improved purity, enabling broader commercial availability. These trends together support higher inclusion rates, portfolio expansion and premium pricing strategies within infant and pediatric nutrition segments.
Regulatory clearances in the US, EU and parts of Asia have also enabled HMOs to move beyond infant formula into adult supplements and functional foods. This has also unlocked new application segments and encouraged investment in scale up fermentation technologies, supporting sustained market growth.
02

Restraint: High Production Costs

The process of extracting and producing Human Milk Oligosaccharides (HMOs) is quite costly. This results in the prices of HMO products being on the higher side in the market as well An increase in prices could discourage potential customers from making purchases which could restrict the availability of HMO products in the market and hinder the growth of this market The main reason behind this situation is the complexity involved in extracting HMOs from human milk or synthesizing them chemically This complexity calls for substantial investments, in technology and skilled workforce
03

Opportunity: Expansion of adult gut health functional foods in Europe is boosting Human Milk Oligosaccharides prebiotic adoption and North American medical nutrition and specialized formulas market is accelerating diversified HMOs clinical applications

Increasingly in Europe consumers are consuming gut health functional foods. This creates an opportunity for Human Milk Oligosaccharides beyond the market for infant formula. There are various foodstuffs which already contain prebiotics, these include bakery goods, beverages and dairy products. However HMOs are still not only commonly found in foodstuffs aimed at adults. Collaborations between HMO ingredient suppliers and the manufacturers of functional foods could bring probiotics and HMOs together more quickly in products like functional foods. These synbiotics are marketed to consumers who need digestive comfort and immune defence. By 2030, the 3 FL and 3 SL global market size is expected to be $97.15 million and $72.58 million respectively, with the European adult gut health dietary supplements market experiencing the highest growth rate.
Growing demand in North America for products related to the nutrition of the elderly and cancer patients is leading to an increased need for HMOs. Ever more dietitians and hospitals see Health Maintenance Organizations as an advanced kind of prebiotic supplements that helps to prevent diarrhoea, aids patients who have been on antibiotics, and assists with metabolic issues. The production of LNT and similar organic compounds through microbial fermentation is becoming cheaper. By 2030, the worldwide market for LNT will be $61.87 million, having risen from $25.92 million in 2024 at a 15.6% annual growth rate. Using LNT rich multi HMO blends in medical nutrition is expected to have the highest growth in regional applications.
04

Challenge: Limited consumer awareness outside infant nutrition reducing demand in adult health segments

While HMOs are well recognized in infant nutrition, awareness among adult consumers remains low. This slows adoption in gut health supplements and functional foods, requiring significant education and marketing investment, which delays return on investment and moderates near term market demand.

Supply Chain Landscape

1

Fermentation Inputs

BASF SEKyowa Hakko Europe GmbHChr. Hansen Holding A/S
2

Human Milk Oligosaccharides

Glycom A/SChr. Hansen Holding A/SFrieslandCampina Ingredients
3

Nutritional Formulation

FrieslandCampina IngredientsBASF SE
4

End-use Applications

Infant formulaDietary supplementsFunctional foods
Human Milk Oligosaccharides - Supply Chain

Use Cases of Human Milk Oligosaccharides in Infant Nutrition & Functional Foods

Infant Nutrition : Infant formula represents the largest end use for human milk oligosaccharides in infant nutrition, with 2 FL and LNnT being the most widely adopted types. These HMOs are added to premium and super premium formulas to better replicate the functional profile of human breast milk. Their primary role is to support gut microbiota development and immune maturation in non breastfed infants. Leading suppliers such as DSM Firmenich, BASF and DuPont dominate this space through scalable fermentation technology, strong regulatory approvals and long term supply agreements with global formula brands.
Gut Health Supplements : In gut health supplements, single and blended HMOs such as 2 FL and 3 FL are primarily used in powders, capsules and sachets targeting adults and seniors. These HMOs act as selective substrates for beneficial gut bacteria, supporting microbiome balance and digestive comfort. Supplement formulations prioritize purity, low dosage efficacy and compatibility with synbiotics.
Functional Foods : Functional foods increasingly incorporate HMOs such as 2 FL into dairy alternatives, nutrition bars and beverages. These products target health conscious consumers seeking digestive and immune benefits through everyday foods. HMOs are valued for their neutral taste, high stability and compatibility with thermal processing used in food manufacturing.

Recent Developments

Recent developments in the human milk oligosaccharides (HMO) market show rapid expansion beyond traditional infant formula into gut-health supplements and functional foods, driven by growing scientific validation of prebiotic effects and microbiome support. Advanced fermentation technology and precision synthetic biology are improving scalable production of bio-identical HMOs like 2’-FL and LNnT, enabling broader inclusion in adult nutrition and dietary supplements. Regulatory approvals in key markets are also enabling faster commercialization and portfolio diversification among leading players such as DSM-Firmenich, Chr. Hansen, and Glycom. A key market trend is the rising adoption of multi-HMO blends that mimic the complex sugar profile of human breast milk, enhancing immune function and digestive health across life stages.

February 2025 : Kyowa Hakko Bio’s 2’-Fucosyllactose (2’-FL) HMO obtained approval from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) as a safe food ingredient, marking its formal entry into the Indian market and expanding Kyowa’s regulatory footprint for HMO ingredients.
September 2024 : Chr. Hansen’s HMO portfolio, particularly its MyOli blend of five single HMOs including 3-FL, successfully passed the biosafety review by China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, strengthening the company’s position in the fast-growing Chinese infant nutrition market.
March 2024 : FrieslandCampina Ingredients secured regulatory approval for its 2’-Fucosyllactose (2’-FL) HMO ingredient Aequival 2’-FL for use in infant and follow-up formulas from Thai authorities, making it the exclusive HMO component supplier in Thailand’s early-life nutrition segment.

Impact of Industry Transitions on the Human Milk Oligosaccharides Market

As a core segment of the Nutraceuticals industry, the Human Milk Oligosaccharides market develops in line with broader industry shifts. Over recent years, transitions such as Shift towards Synthetic Production and Biotechnology-driven scale expansion have redefined priorities across the Nutraceuticals sector, influencing how the Human Milk Oligosaccharides market evolves in terms of demand, applications and competitive dynamics. These transitions highlight the structural changes shaping long-term growth opportunities.
01

Shift towards Synthetic Production

A change in direction towards the manufacture of synthetic products is having a profound impact on the industry which produces HMOs. This is causing shifts in the way the supply and demand of these products are managed and altering the associated costs. In order to meet demand, advances in biotechnology and low cost production processes are now being widely applied by manufacturers in the production of a synthetic form of HMOs. These artificial products closely replicate their natural counterparts, and as such have been used in the creation of infant formula and other nutritional products. The move not only aids in maintaining the supply and prices of such important compounds but will also increase market value by $101 million by 2030. Synthetic production is rapidly becoming a driving force behind business, through its ability to manufacture consistent high quality products on a large scale. This approach is helping firms strengthen their market position and to bring their products to market more quickly across their product lines.
02

Biotechnology-driven scale expansion

The industry is moving toward advanced precision fermentation and strain engineering to improve yields and reduce costs. This transition enables higher production volumes and supports entry into mass market food categories. Adjacent biotech and ingredient manufacturing sectors benefit through shared infrastructure, partnerships and accelerated innovation cycles.