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Adriana Motta

The trending benefits of Mexican Pitaya

Market experts are noting a growing trend for Pitaya and its potential growth in the future.


Eyes on the Future

Pitaya, also known as dragon fruit, is a tropical fruit native to Mexico, Costa Rica and Nicaragua. One of the key factors driving the trend is the high content of anthocyanins in pitaya, which can fight free radicals and have anti-aging properties.


In recent times, pitaya formulations have entered to various Asian, European and American countries with the Chinese market representing the largest growth year over year. Mintel’s GNPD Report tracks new product launches, reflects that the fruit juice category has the largest share of new launches featuring pitaya (15.5%), followed by relatively niche sub-categories such as pastry and instant noodles, which account for a smaller share of the total (2.7% and 2.4% respectively).


According to the Report ‘New trends in cosmetics: By- products of red pitaya and their potential use as cosmetic active ingredients’, pitaya represents a great alternative as cosmetic colourant. ‘Lip butter is an excellent remedy to heal cracked and dry lips and prior studies demonstrated the suitability of red pitaya to be incorporated in the lip moisturizer formulation. Not only red pitaya will serve as natural dye to enhance the aesthetic appeal, it also improves the skin imperfections by acting as antioxidant, antimicrobial agent, immune system booster and vitamin E, vitamin C and vitamin B3 provider’. (ResearchGate, 2017)



The future growth of the pitaya market will likely be driven by more product innovations and growing demand for healthy, natural ingredients. As consumers continue to prioritize health and wellness, brands can leverage the anti-aging and antioxidant properties of pitaya to create new products that appeal to health-conscious consumers. Additionally, as pitaya continues to gain popularity in new markets, more consumers will become aware of the fruit and may seek it out in different forms, driving up demand.



Overall, the growing market for pitaya presents a unique opportunity for brands to capitalize on consumer demand for healthy and natural ingredients. By innovating with pitaya as an ingredient, brands can differentiate themselves in a crowded market and appeal to health-conscious consumers looking for new ways to stay healthy and youthful.




By the facts.

Tech and Wellness Report

Sources: *Mintel’s GNPD Report, Global, 2023

**Firmenich’s renowned Emotions360 surveyed 18,670 consumers across eight countries around the world, indicated that 56% have tasted pitaya.

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