US food safety product demand to exceed US$2bn by 2010
Strong gains to result from new product development
Demand for food safety products in the US will increase by 5.5% per year to reach in excess of US$2bn in 2010. Strong gains will result from the development of new products, renewed efforts by federal agencies to eliminate foodborne illness outbreaks, concern over the arrival of avian influenza in North America, and the development of a National Animal Identification System (NAIS), says a new study, Food Safety Products by Cleveland-based industry research firm The Freedonia Group.
Disinfection products, led by continued strong gains in disinfection equipment, will afford the best opportunities and continue to account for the majority of demand. The fastest growth will be in smart labels and tags due to a combination of NAIS implementation and companies’ improvement of traceability infrastructure.
The food safety product market will be dominated by disinfection products, led by disinfection and sanitation chemicals. Healthy growth in disinfectants and sanitisers will continue due to increasing recognition of the economic risks associated with a well-publicised foodborne illness incident.
The primary driver of disinfectant product gains, however, will be new types of disinfection equipment as companies – particularly in the beverage industry – seek reliable, nonchemical means of ensuring that contamination risks are minimised, the report suggests.
Diagnostic products will also experience healthy gains as new rapid testing technologies allow companies to increase testing frequency while reducing inventory hold times for tested products. In contrast, preservatives will realise more moderate growth due to market maturity, as well as new pasteurisation and packaging technologies that minimise the need for preservatives. The continued development of the organic food movement will also restrain gains in preservatives.
Smart labels and tags will experience double-digit annual growth due to the development of the NAIS, which will allow the government to trace the origin of any meat product within 48 hours. As the technology matures, food processing and distribution companies are expected to increase deployments to achieve additional supply chain management efficiencies.
