In the healthcare industry, beta-glucans are used for improving immune response and are used as oral medicines or injections for treating a range of medical diseases and disorders including high cholesterol, Crohn’s disease, diabetes, cancer, and high blood pressure. Thus, the increasing applications of beta-glucan in the healthcare industry have led to manufacturers offering beta-glucan to carry out research studies and introduce potent drugs. Consumers following a healthy and active lifestyle are opting for dietary supplements to increase vitality, physical endurance, and boost their metabolism rate. This demand has led to food companies use beta-glucan to create solutions that improve the overall health of consumers.

The infant formula market in China has been witnessing significant growth from the past couple of years, owing to the increasing demand and growing unit prices. After the two-child policy was officially executed in October 2015, the new-born population increased, which has been strengthening the need for infant formula from 2017.​ Increasing government support for product innovation in infant formula has encouraged the key players to introduce an infant formula with beta-glucan ingredients.​ For instance, in 2016, the China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment (CFSA) permitted the application of beta-glucan in infant formula and asked to expand the scope of this material as a nutrition enhancer. ​The change in the regulation related to the beta-glucan application has created a positive impact on the market growth in the country, especially yeast glucan application in the food and beverage sector