Food Safety Testing Market by Testing Type (Pathogens, Pesticides, GMO, and Toxins), Technology (Traditional and Rapid), and Food Tested (Meat, Poultry, and; Seafood, Processed Food, Fruits and; Vegetables, Dairy Products) - Global Forecast to 2027

The Food Safety Testing Market is expected to reach $29.6 billion by 2027, at a CAGR of 7.6% during the forecast period of 2020 to 2027. Rising incidences of food-borne illnesses, growing consumer awareness regarding the safety of food, implementation of stringent food safety regulations, and rising demand for convenience and packaged food products among the consumers are some of the key factors driving the growth of the food safety testing market. In addition, technological advancements for food safety testing methods provide significant growth opportunities for food safety testing providers in the coming years.

Impact of COVID-19 on Food Safety Testing Market

COVID-19 pandemic has adversely hit many economies around the globe. The pandemic has affected more than 100 countries infecting more than 16,114,449 people and killing 646,641as of 14th June 2020 (Source: WHO). As a measure to control the spread of this disease and avoid related severe consequences, governments across the globe have announced partial or complete lockdown, which has majorly impacted many manufacturing and service industries, including food safety testing. There is an increase in the concerns among consumers for processed food owing to the outbreak of COVID-19 across different countries leading to the increased demand for safe food. With increasing health safety concerns amid COVID-19, there is an expected increase in the demand for food safety testing.  Due to the impact of COVID-19, in some areas, food industry’s supply chain has been disrupted or has drastically changed with food business operators needing to adopt new business models, e.g. suppliers reorienting themselves to new markets. Food supply presents possible risks for infection, both environmentally (i.e. in food stores) or through contaminated foods/packaging. Apprehension pertaining to the safety of different types of food products is expected to increase the demand for tested food products in coming years to ensure safety of the consumers, ultimately driving the growth of the food safety testing market.

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Rising Incidences of Food-Borne Illnesses Fuels the Growth of the Food Safety Testing Market

Foodborne illnesses are usually infectious or toxic in nature and caused by bacteria, viruses, parasites, or chemical substances entering the body through contaminated food or water. Foodborne pathogens can cause severe diarrhea or debilitating infections including meningitis. The presence of pathogens such as Salmonella, E. coli, and Campylobacter are among the most common foodborne pathogens that affect millions of people annually – sometimes with severe and fatal outcomes. Symptoms are fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Listeria infection leads to miscarriage in pregnant women or death of newborn babies, while chemical contamination can lead to acute poisoning or long-term diseases, such as cancer. Also, foodborne diseases may lead to long-lasting disability and death as well. Examples of unsafe food include uncooked foods of animal origin, fruits and vegetables contaminated with faeces, and raw shellfish containing marine biotoxins.

Moreover, the rising number of foodborne illnesses, adulteration cases, and toxicity have been a threat to the food safety and, as a result, increased the need for food safety testing. According to WHO, each year worldwide, unsafe food causes 600 million cases of foodborne diseases and 420,000 deaths. Nearly, 30% of foodborne deaths occur among children under 5 years of age.  Also, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), in 2018, nearly 48 million people in the U.S. were affected by foodborne illnesses, with 128,000 being hospitalized, and 3,000 dying. Furthermore, according to the World Bank, in 2018, the total productivity loss associated with foodborne illness in low- and middle-income countries was estimated to cost $95.2 billion per year, and the annual cost of treating foodborne illnesses was estimated at $15 billion.  

Thus, the upsurge in the occurrence of foodborne diseases among the global population is expected to increase the demand for food safety testing significantly in the next few years.

Key Findings in the Global Food Safety Testing Market Study:

Pathogens segment to witness the largest demand through 2027

Based on testing type, the pathogens segment is estimated to command the largest share of the overall food safety testing market in 2020. The large share of this segment is mainly attributed to the factors such as increasing food poisoning due to mishandling of raw poultry and consumption of undercooked poultry and unpasteurized milk; implementation of stringent regulations pertaining to food safety; and growing consumer awareness regarding health. However, the Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) segment is  expected to grow at the fastest CAGR during the forecast period.

Salmonella segment to dominate the global pathogens food safety testing market in 2020

In pathogen testing, the salmonella segment is estimated to command the largest share of the overall pathogen food safety testing market in 2020. The large share of this segment is mainly attributed to rise in prevalence of food products infection and increasing Salmonella bacteria infection in foods such as meat & poultry, dairy, processed food, cereal and grains, and fruits & vegetables.

Rapid technology segment is projected to grow with the fastest CAGR during the forecast period

Based on technology, the rapid technology segment is estimated to command the largest share of the overall food safety testing market in 2020. The large share of this segment is mainly due to the factors such as multi-functional testing options in less time; flexible testing to end-user industry; increasing incidences of foodborne diseases, viruses, and other microbiological contaminants associated with inadequate storage conditions; and unsanitary food handling practices. Moreover, this segment is also expected to grow at the fastest CAGR during the forecast period, mainly due to its ability to test a wide range of contaminants in comparison to traditional technology.

Meat, poultry, and seafood segment is estimated to dominate the global food safety testing market in 2020

Based on food tested, the meat, poultry, and seafood segment is estimated to command the largest share of the overall food safety testing market in 2020. This is primarily attributed to the factors such as growing meat production and consumption, increasing demand for seafood products such as shrimp, marlin, crabs, lobsters, and tuna, among others; and increasing consumer awareness and foodborne pathogen outbreaks through meat, poultry, and seafood products.

Asia-Pacific: The fastest growing regional market

North America is estimated to command the largest share of the global food safety testing market in 2020, followed by Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa. However, Asia-Pacific region is expected to witness a rapid growth during the forecast period. The rapid growth of this region is mainly attributed to the increasing demand for processed food products in emerging and developing countries such as India, China, Indonesia, and Thailand; increasing number of poisoning outbreaks with consumption of contaminated meat; and rise in cases of food degradation, such as contamination, pesticides, and artificial taste enhancers.

Key Players

The report includes competitive landscape based on extensive assessment of the key strategic developments adopted by the leading market participants in the overall food safety testing market over the last four years. The key players profiled in the global food safety testing market are SGS SA (Switzerland), Intertek Group plc (U.K.), Eurofins Scientific S.E. (Luxembourg), Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (U.S.), ALS Limited (Australia), Bureau Veritas SA (France), Merieux NutriSciences Corporation (U.S.), AsureQuality Limited (New Zealand), Microbac Laboratories, Inc. (U.S.), Romer Labs Division Holding GmbH (Austria), TÜV SÜD AG (Germany), NEOGEN Corporation (U.S.), FoodChain ID Group, Inc. (U.S.), R J Hill Laboratories Limited (New Zealand), Symbio Laboratories (Australia), and BIOTECON Diagnostics GmbH (Germany).

Scope of the report

Food Safety Testing Market, by Testing Type                          

• Pathogens
  • Salmonella
  • Campylobacter
  • E.coli
  • Listeria
  • Others
• Pesticides
• Genetically Modified Organism (GMO)
• Toxins
• Others

Food Safety Testing Market, by Technology

• Traditional
• Rapid
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)
  • DNA Sequencing/NGS
  • Immunoassay
  • Chromatography
  • Spectroscopy

Food Safety Testing Market, by Food Tested

• Meat, Poultry, and Seafood
• Processed Food
• Fruits & Vegetables
• Dairy Products
• Cereals & Grains
• Others

Food Safety Testing Market, by Geography

• North America
  • U.S.
  • Canada
• Europe
  • Germany
  • U.K.
  • France
  • Italy
  • Poland
  • Rest of Europe (RoE)
• Asia-Pacific (APAC)
  • China
  • India
  • Japan
  • Australia
  • Rest of Asia-Pacific (RoAPAC)
• Rest of World
  • Latin America
  • Middle East and Africa

Key questions answered in the report: