Food Safety Testing Market Size, Share, Growth, Trends, Consumption, Revenue, Company Analysis, Regional Insights and Forecast 2021-2030

The global food safety testing market was valued at USD 17.50 billion in 2020 and expected to be worth around USD 32.60 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 7.5% during forecast period 2021 to 2030.

A rise in the cases of chemical contamination in food processing industries owing to improper use of techniques in the production of ready-to-eat meals is likely to boost the product demand in the market over the forecast period.

Rising demand for packaged and processed food in developed and developing economies owing to factors, such as changing lifestyle and growing popularity of quick-service restaurants, is anticipated to drive the need for safety testing of edible items. Also, the rising demand for quality tests for processed and unprocessed meats is expected to drive the food safety testing market growth.

In the U.S., the chemical and nutritional testing segment accounted for 17.5% of the revenue share in 2018. The segment is expected to witness a high growth rate on account of increasing demand by consumers to gather knowledge concerning the nutritional composition of edible products and to ensure their compliance with labeling regulations and specifications by retailers.

Enhanced instrumental techniques such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), infrared (IR) spectroscopy, ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay), and mass spectroscopy are exclusively used for safety assurance. The development of advanced technologies concerning safety test procedures is expected to drive market growth over the forecast period. Factors such as lack of harmonization of food safety legislation across the globe are anticipated to hamper the overall market growth.

Testing Requirements for Export of Food Products Propelling Market Demand

With the ease of business relations between intercontinental countries, the food sector has been flourishing, and increase in import and export activities has been observed. Globalization of the food sector and food supply chain has been resulting in increased food safety testing practices. European and North American countries are prominent importers of raw materials for food production. Since the regulations of these countries are stringent, exporters from other regions are obliged to test their food products in order to be able to export them. This increase in import/export activities are driving the growth of the food safety testing market.

Improved Food Safety Regulations Boosting Market Growth

Considering the increased rate of urbanization and industrialization in MEA and Asian countries, big firms and companies in the food testing market are penetrating in emerging markets. The increased M&A activities in the food testing market have resulted in expansions, which are subsequently boosting the market growth. Due to increasing demand for safer and cleaner food products in the global market by consumers around the world, many governments and authorities are forced to apply stringent and harsh regulations on food producers, processors, importers, and exporters. In order to avoid any penalty by authorities and to oblige to stringent regulations, many key players in the market are now getting their food products tested by the authorized food testing companies. Seven new seven rules were finalized by FSMA in 2015 and were implemented in 2017 for importing food.

Cost and Time-effective Customized Testing Services Driving Market Growth

Food companies require sample-specific tests and follow requirements, providing performance that is time-effective. The industry has acknowledged the need for tailored research in light of these factors. Several analytical laboratories have acknowledged the need for customized testing services and the provision of testing services for various customer requirements. It helps companies slash testing expenses and save time. It also lets customer obtain reliable data and theoretical insights that establish a long-term partnership between analytical laboratories and businesses.

High Costs of Food Testing Services and Equipment Hindering Growth

The food & beverage industry is highly fragmented with the presence of numerous large, medium, and small-scale manufacturers. Since the cost of the few food testing services and instruments is essentially high, some of the small-scale food manufacturers cannot afford these tests. Moreover, food fraud incidents are concentrated at this level due to poor implementation of rules and regulations. The poor governing of rules and regulations, and the lack of funding by governments are likely to hinder the growth of the food testing market. Nonetheless, there is a considerable high demand for food with “free-from” label. For instance, gluten-free beetroot powder is an instant hit in certain sections of consumers. Furthermore, fanning the trend are initiatives such as ServSafe, emphasizing the importance of safety and quality of food products.

Test Insights

The microbiological testing segment emerged as a dominant segment in 2020 and accounted for 28.5% of the market revenue share. The segment is expected to gain momentum as it helps detect microorganisms in edible products with the use of chemical, biological, molecular, and biochemical methods, providing highly accurate results concerning their composition.

Microbiological tests are carried out to determine the presence of indicator microorganisms in edible products including acid-resistant micro-organisms, heat-resistant micro-organisms, and fecal contamination. These tests also determine the presence of industrial microorganisms such as Bifidobacteria, Lactobacillus casei, and Lactobacillus rhamnosus.

Residues & contamination testing was the second-largest market segment both in terms of volume and revenue in 2018 on account of extensive safety and quality checks done to detect the overuse of chemicals such as pesticides and herbicides and growth in the utilization of antimicrobial drugs and additives. A rise in the demand for contamination checks for meat, poultry, and meat products is expected to drive the segment growth.

Genetically modified organism (GMO) testing segment is expected to witness the fastest growth rate, in terms of revenue, over the forecast period, primarily driven by rising awareness among consumers regarding the presence of harmful GMOs in edible products. Also, growth in the production of GMO edible products is expected to drive the demand for such safety tests to ensure optimum food quality.

Application Insights

Meat, poultry, & seafood products segment accounted for a dominant food safety testing market revenue share of over 30% in 2020 and the trend is expected to continue over the forecast period. Increasing consumption of meat and meat products across the globe and high risk of diseases in red meats are expected to drive the segment growth over the forecast period.

Processed food emerged as the second-largest segment, in terms of revenue, in 2018, which is anticipated to register notable gains owing to the growing demand for packaged products such as frozen meals, snacks, ready-to-eat convenient products, and cake mixes. Besides, the high shelf life of processed products leads to the enforcement of stringent regulations related to such products.

The Dairy & dairy products segment is expected to record a high growth rate in the market over the forecast period on account of some instances of contamination during the production process. Besides, the demand for safety tests conducted for the segment is expected to rise on account of stringent regulations in place concerning standard milk composition.

Manufacturers in the market are focusing on catering to the growing requirements of the customer to ensure quality and longer shelf life of beverages including soft drinks, energy drinks, and fruit juices. Besides, growth in the use of preservatives and concentrates in milk and milk products is expected to result in increased safety testing procedures, which, in turn, is expected to drive the market.

Regional Insights

Europe emerged as a dominant region for the industry and accounted for 35.8% of the market revenue share in 2020. High prevalence of food-related allergies among consumers in the region is projected to lead to an increased reliance on safety testing procedures. Also, enforcement of stringent regulatory norms in the region is projected to lead to a large market size in the region.

Allergen testing is expected to account for a significant share in the North American market for food safety testing owing to norms mandated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the U.S. However, unlike other regions, North America has a comparatively lower share of GMO testing owing to the lack of strong regulation for GMO crops cultivation and production in the U.S.

The industry in the Asia Pacific is expected to register notable gains on account of efforts undertaken by concerned agencies regarding the safety of edible products. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) invested around USD 72.3 million to strengthen food testing infrastructure, which is expected to propel the market growth in the economy.

The market in Central & South America exhibits a steady demand for such tests due to a rise in the consumption of packaged and processed edible products. The region was impacted severely by JBS’s meat scandal in Brazil, which is expected to result in the enforcement of stringent regulations in the country, further benefitting the market growth.

Key Players

• SGS S.A.
• Eurofins SGS Group
• TUV SUD
• Bureau Veritas
• Intertek
• Agilent Technologies Inc
• Thermo fisher Scientific Inc
• Shimadzu Corporation
• PerkinElmer Inc

Market Segmentation

By Application

• Beverages
• Meat, poultry, & seafood products
• Dairy & dairy product
• Cereal, grain, & pulse
• Processed food
• Others

By Technology

• Genetically Modified Organism Testing
• Allergen Testing
• Chemical & Nutritional Testing
• Residues & Contamination Testing
• Microbiological Testing
• Others

By Regional Outlook

• North America
  • U.S.
  • Canada
• Europe
  • U.K.
  • Germany
  • France
• Asia Pacific
  • China
  • India
  • Japan
  • South Korea
• Middle East & Africa
• Latin America