Food Safety Testing Market (2020-2027)

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.

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.

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.