Global food safety testing to grow to $13.6 billion by 2019

THE food safety testing market worldwide is forecast to expand at a CAGR of 5.3 percent in the next few years to reach $13.6 billion by 2019, according to the new BCC Research report titled “Global Markets and Technologies for Food Safety Testing.”

In the overall food safety market, testing for pathogens such as Salmonella and Campylobacter is the largest and fastest-growing segment. The sector is projected to hit $12.2 billion in 2019 at 5.5 percent CAGR.

Although the testing for toxins segment represents a small market value, with tests done not as routinely as for bacteria, the category is the second largest segment. It is forecast to register a CAGR of 2.5 percent and grow to $503 million by 2019.

Meanwhile, GMO testing, which was valued at $371 million in 2013, is the second fastest growing category. It is expected to climb to $476 million by 2019 at a 4.9 percent CAGR, owed mainly to strong demand for GMO tests in Europe. In addition to stringent requirements by the European Commission for documentation of GMO-containing foods, consumers in Europe are circumspect of transgenic characteristics and therefore demand food labels to reflect use of such attributes.

Growth in the global safety testing market is spurred by the rise in the incidence of food-borne illnesses around the world. Continuous advancements in food safety-testing measures and technologies serve as another major contributor to market expansion.

According to BCC Research food and beverage analyst Kevin Gainer, the sheer number of bacteria and the volume of routine tests conducted on pathogens make them the biggest category in the food safety testing market. Notwithstanding the low level of incidence in the United States, food-borne pathogens are a leading cause of death on a global scale.

Mr Gainer added that growing consumer awareness about the vulnerability of the food supply, rising commitment amongst players in the food industry to ensure safety and protection at every stage of processing and production stage, and stricter regulations will continue to spur the industry.

Access the full report, Global Markets and Technologies for Food Safety Testing.