Developing New Markets for Taurine    

In 2008, China's total taurine output reached 33 800 tons, an all time high. In 2009, despite the impact of the global economic crisis, China's taurine output still kept growing, and its export went up.
   The recovery of China's taurine export was mainly driven up by the new applications developed by domestic taurine producers. The new applications include that taurine can be used to treat "hangover" symptoms caused by excessive drinking and help the treatment of anxiety disorders and obesity. Because taurine has been found to be able to treat several diseases arising from modern people's heavy work pressure and unhealthy living habits, the demand for it has increased greatly. In the future, the demands from weight control food and alcoholism-preventing healthcare products will drive the continuing growth of the international taurine consumption.
   In China, there are a number of taurine producers, but they are generally small ones, with a taurine output of only a few hundred tons per year each. But their combined taurine output can reach several dozen thousand tons a year. China exports 90% of taurine it produced. According to statistics, in 2009, China produced nearly 40 000 tons of taurine, most of which was exported. It is predicted that the world's demand for taurine will reach more than 100 000 tons in 2010.
   In China, more than 40 enterprises have obtained licenses to produce taurine, but due to brutal market competition, China's taurine industry has been dominated by four major taurine producers, including: Hubei Qianjiang Yongan Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. having an annual taurine output of 24 000 tons, Changshu Renoke Food-additive Science Co., Ltd. 15 000 tons, Jiangsu Yuanyang Chemical Co., Ltd. 12 000 tons and Hubei Fu Chi Chemical Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. over 10 000 tons. Hubei Qianjiang Yongan Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. is China's largest taurine producer. Its annual taurine output and export both account for more than 50% of China's total. Now, China's total capacity of taurine has reached more than 50 000 t/a, accounting for 50% of the global total.
   It was reported that Xiamen East Ocean Fishery Import and Export Co., Ltd. has successfully developed a new process to extract natural taurine from the scraps of octopus. The natural taurine product has a purity of 99.54% and a much better quality than chemically synthesized taurine. According to reports, the company's annual output of natural taurine can reach around 500 tons, with an output value of RMB100 million. Although natural taurine has a much smaller yield than chemically synthesized taurine, it is much more environmentally friendly than the latter and can also greatly enhance the added value of the aquatic products industry. It is believed that in the future, the process of extracting natural taurine from the scraps of octopus will be widely promoted.
    It is expected that the annual growth rate of the international taurine market will reach 15% to 18%.