The phytase market is mainly driven by the need to replace the inorganic phosphates in
animal diets and concerns about the environmental impact of phytate. To achieve
profitability, five characteristics of commercial phytases, including high activity at low
pH, high affinity to phytate, speed of release, high thermostability up to 95C, and in vivo
scientific proof should be considered. An increase in the price and shortage of feed
phosphate during late 2007 and early 2008 increased the rate of phytase market
314 CURRENT DEVELOPMENTS IN BIOTECHNOLOGY AND BIOENGINEERING
penetration considerably. Feedinfo News Service in 2010 reported that more than 60% of
the world’s production of commercial poultry and swine diets contained phytases. In
2014, a feed survey revealed that the global feed tonnage showed a slight decline
compared to 2012 and 2013, weighing in short of 960 million metric tonnes. By rapidly
increasing the use of phytase through superdosing and by boosting animal performance
via increased phytate destruction, one of the leading feed enzyme manufacturers, AB
Vista, is witnessing rapid growth in the phytase market. According to the estimates of AB
Vista, the current global feed enzyme market is valued at US$725 million and could
amount to over US$1 billion by 2017. It estimated that by 2019, superdosing could account
for more than 30% of all the tonnes of feed treated with phytase, saving the industry
billions through improved performance