FOOD IRRADIATION MARKET ANALYSIS

Market Challenges And Opportunities

Drivers

Increasing demand for food irradiation amongst the consumer is a major driving factor for growth of the global food irradiation market, owing to increasing consumer acceptance for food irradiation in the market. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of United States of America approved irradiation of fresh vegetables and fruits as a phytosanitary treatment. The FDA determined that food irradiation process is safe and effective in providing protection against spoilage of fruit and vegetables.

Increasing concerns over the food-borne diseases and high food losses from infection, contamination, and spoilage are some of the key factors driving the food irradiation market. According to the WHO (World Health Organisation) report, in May 2022, an estimated 600 million - almost 1 in 10 people in the world fall ill after eating contaminated food and 420,000 die every year. Moreover, US$ 110 billion globally lost each year in productivity and medical expenses resulting from unsafe food in low- and middle-income countries. The rising food contamination cases are driving the market for the global food irradiation.

Market Restraints

High cost of food irradiation method is one of the major factors that is expected to hamper growth of the market over the forecast period. Food irradiation requires facilities in addition to the processing plant itself. Specialized laboratories are needed to perform dosimetry tests to ensure that safety standards and quality control and once the treatment has been applied a basic infrastructure must ensure that irradiated foods are properly handled, packaged, and stored (including cold storage). Investment will also be required to train the specialized manpower required for effective application of radiation food processing. Both the cases require high cost, which is the major restraining factors for the growth of the global food irradiation market.