FOOD DIAGNOSTICS MARKET SIZE AND SHARE ANALYSIS - GROWTH TRENDS AND FORECASTS (2024-2031)

Food Diagnostics Market Size and Trends

The global food diagnostics market is estimated to be valued at USD 17.45 Bn in 2024 and is expected to reach USD 29.33 Bn by 2031, exhibiting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.7% from 2024 to 2031.

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Advancements in pathogen detection technologies, rising instances of foodborne illnesses, and increasing awareness about food safety and quality are fueling the market growth.

Market Driver - Rising implementation of stringent food safety regulations

With globalization of food supply chains and increasing instances of food contamination, governments around the world are implementing stringent food safety regulations to protect consumers from health issues. Countries are harmonizing their food laws with international standards and increasing surveillance, traceability and accountability within the supply chain. In the U.S., the enforcement of Food Safety Modernization Act has strengthened import controls and mandated implementation of prevention-based food safety systems by food businesses. Companies are now required to analyze risks and implement science-based controls from farm to table. FSMA has increased the compliance burden but is necessary to make food system more transparent and ensure food reaching consumers is safe.

In Europe, the enforcement of General Food Law and other related regulations have been tightened. Food businesses face strict audits and must adhere to standards on food ingredients, packaging, labeling and traceability. Recent revisions to General Food Law have increased legal liability of companies in case of non-compliance. Traceability from raw material source to final product has become pivotal to contain cross-contamination incidents. The European Commission also actively monitors food imports and conducts audits of trading partners to assure only compliant products reach European Union market. Brexit has added another layer of complexity for UK businesses to align with new import rules of European Union.

Similar trends are seen in other developed and major developing nations like China, India, and Brazil. Governments want to boost consumers' trust in local produce and imports. Although stringent regulations increase operational costs, food companies have no option but to strengthen quality management systems, invest in testing and bring more transparency in supply chains. Non-compliance can lead to huge financial and reputational losses. As regulations globally become more science-based, harmonized and enforcement tightens, food diagnostics industry stands to benefit from increased testing demand. Solutions around testing, certification, inspection and traceability see more uptake.

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Growing outbreaks of foodborne illnesses

Rise in international food trade and long complex supply chains have increased risk of cross-contamination and spread of pathogens globally. Fast evolving microbial threats and antimicrobial resistance also pose challenges. Although more outbreaks get reported due to better surveillance, increasing instances indicate food safety still requires a lot of progress. Every year, globally close to 600 million people - almost one in 10 - fall ill after consuming contaminated food. Of these, around 420,000 people die, majority being children under the age of five. Developing nations report a bigger share of burden but even developed country consumers are not spared.

A few high-profile incidents have dented consumer trust in recent times. Other notable outbreaks were linked to salmonella in papayas, chicken and eggs in different parts of world. Handling of fresh produce from farm to retail continues to pose challenges given the propensity of pathogens to survive and spread. Mitigation requires strategies around on-farm hygiene, pest/wildlife control, water quality, packing/processing hygiene and timely recalls.

With rising awareness, consumers are increasingly demanding assurance on safety of foods they consume. They closely follow new outbreak reports and expect companies and regulators to act decisively through testing, traceability and recalls. Whereas developed world sees lower tolerance for risk today due to widespread availability of food options; developing countries need to strengthen basic food safety infrastructure to reduce illness burden. Therefore, governments and food businesses recognize ongoing need to bolster surveillance systems and adopt modern preventive controls through technologies like diagnostics testing. This is driving continued growth for food diagnostics industry.