Food processing machinery experiences significant growth

Food manufacturers expect an increase in automation and robotics due to a need for more flexible machinery to run manufacturing lines more efficiently.

Food processing machinery design remains to experience significant yearly growth, growing 11.3%, according to the "2017 Trends in Food Processing Operations" report, produced by PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, Reston, Va.

"Markets, channels and technology are changing the way consumers will purchase and consume food in the future," says Jorge Izquierdo, vice president of market development. "Over the next 15 years, expect to see significant changes to food manufacturing and sourcing, such as shorter supply chains because of transportation expense, growth of local production, benefits of microtechnology and nanotechnology for more sustainable production of food and improved taste, as well as stronger competition for land use as food, fuel and fiber battle for space."

Currently, the industry is served by a relatively minor amount of global producers that span multiple food verticals and channels. Cross-border investments are merging some of the world’s best known food brands to achieve growth. The majority of food processing establishments are minor plants, but large plants represent a higher percentage of total value of shipments. While minor plants accounted for 66% of all food processing establishments and large plants accounted for 12%, 77% of the total value of shipments is represented by large plants while minor plants represent only 4%.

The food and beverage segments total value of shipments was $730 billion in 2014. Shelf-stable foods hold the largest individual market share (21.9%), followed by the meat, poultry and seafood segment (17.3%). The trade landscape is shifting from the traditional grocery store to specialty and convenience stores. For example, in 1988, 90% of the trade landscape was represented by traditional grocery stores compared to 46% in 2014.

Consumer demand for convenient and healthy food options continues to impact food processors. New product launches with plant-based claims have increased almost seven-fold since 2011, and organic products have seen a 25% increase in sales since 2012. Packaged food companies are increasingly turning to snacks as an avenue for growth, and nearly 60% of new snack launches were positioned as healthy in some way.

Food manufacturers guess an increase in automation and robotics due to a need for more flexible machinery to run manufacturing lines more efficiently. In fact, 63% of companies that contributed in the study are actively exploring new processing technologies to improve food quality, eliminate contamination and prolong shelf life, and nearly half of the participating companies expect to increase spending on equipment in the next two years.

Plant-based meat claims 2.1% of sales in refrigerated and frozen meat products sold at retail, as defined by the Nielsen data set. Plant-based milk comprises 9.3% of milk sales.

"It’s interesting to look the consistent increase of the plant-primarily based foods enterprise," says Michele Simon, govt director of the Plant primarily based ingredients affiliation. "With this new baseline records, we've got a strong foundation for this younger industry to grow every 12 months."

"There’s a revolution taking place within the plant-based totally meat space," says Bruce Friedrich, executive director of the best food Institute. "Proper now, the world is minor, but growing, and we are running hard to create a feasible market quarter. It is particularly remarkable to see that each one the plant-based totally groups are working cooperatively because a rising tide will carry all boats."

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