The Food safety testing is a scientific analysis of food products and their contents to find information about various characteristics such as physiochemical properties, composition, and structure. The information is used to determine product safety for consumption. The rising incidence of foodborne illnesses triggers the demand for food safety testing kits. Based on technology, the food safety testing kits market is bifurcated into traditional and rapid. The rapid segment held a larger share of the food safety testing market in 2021, and it is expected to register a higher CAGR during 2022–2028. The market growth of this segment is attributed to the quick and accurate results obtained from rapid tests.

The global food safety testing kits market size is expected to reach US$ 34,142.5 million by 2028; registering at a CAGR of 7.4% from 2022 to 2028, according to a new research study conducted by The Insight Partners.

The food & beverages industry entails all companies involved in the processing, packaging, and distribution of food materials, including nonalcoholic and alcoholic beverages, packaged foods, and fresh foods. The offerings of the food & beverages industry include almost all products meant for human consumption, excluding pharmaceutical products.

SGS SA, Eurofins Scientific, Intertek Group Plc, TÜV SÜD, AES Laboratories Pvt. Ltd., TÜV NORD GROUP, Bureau Veritas; ALS Limited, NEOGEN Corporation, and AsureQuality are a few of the key players operating in the global food safety testing kits market. These companies have diverse geographic presence and offer an extensive product range to cater to different consumer trends emerging in the food safety testing kits market.

In 2021, North America held the largest share of the food safety testing kits market; however, Asia Pacific is estimated to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Foodborne illnesses have become a major concern for health systems in Asia Pacific. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (UN) published data in 2019 that suggested that ~275 million people in Asia Pacific fall sick due to foodborne illnesses annually. Food safety concerns also lead to adverse effects on the food trade. The FAO report also suggested that unsafe water and food kill more people each year than measles, malaria, and AIDS combined worldwide, and the issue requires utmost attention by all countries, especially ones in Asia Pacific, considering their poor record of preventing foodborne illnesses.

The demand for various food products is increasing with population growth and rising middle-class population in developing countries. In response to this, the food & beverages industry increasingly focuses on mechanical manipulation and technology to create more value-added products. Changing lifestyles and hectic schedules are leading to increased consumption of ready-to-eat meals.

In contrast to many industries that suffered heavy losses and reported stagnancy or low growth in 2020 amid lockdowns enforced during the COVID-19 pandemic, the food & beverages industry reported considerable growth during 2020; especially, the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) business recorded double-digit growth in 2020. As many public places, including entertainment sections, were closed to visitors in 2020, the resultant financial savings led to a rise in food consumption.

In June 2021, SGS announced the official opening of its new food testing laboratory in Papua New Guinea. The SGS group's latest addition in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, is a purpose-built NATA ISO17025 Accredited Laboratory. The new laboratory offers internationally recognized quality testing products for food manufacturing, hospitality, and retail market segments. The facility also offers a wide range of testing services, such as food microbiology indicators, food microbiology pathogens, water microbiology, and water chemistry.

Although the decline in foodservice demand for oilseeds and grains had negative impact on sales during the year 2020, the reopening of global foodservice platforms and higher selling prices is expected to boost the market over forecast period. The fruit, vegetables, and specialty foods sector, which offers fresh, frozen, and canned food products, continued to grow in 2020 due to strong demand. Consumers also hoarded frozen food products amid tensions around lockdown and unavailability of food products.

The dairy industry, another industry that experienced growth in 2020, is one of the most vulnerable sectors to foodborne illnesses as dairy products harbor variety of microorganisms. As pasteurization may not destroy all pathogens in milk, testing of milk becomes essential to ensure safety. Milk is also one of the products that is consumed daily in large quantity all over the world. Thus, the high consumption of milk indicates a large need for food safety testing kits.

Based on food type, the food safety testing kits market is segmented into meat, poultry, and seafood products; dairy products; cereals and grains; processed food; fruits and vegetables; and others. The meat, poultry, and seafood segment held the largest market share in 2021, and it is projected to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The meat, poultry, and seafood products testing include testing for contaminants and adulteration, wherein one meat type may be adulterated with other meat types. The products may be tested for ash, fat, moisture, protein/nitrogen, heavy metals, pesticides, antibiotics and drugs, salt, chloride, and nitrates and nitrites. The testing helps minimize the risk of food fraud and ensures appropriate product labelling. This is extremely essential for countries in the Middle East where pork or pig meat is not consumed due to religious purposes, and most food products containing meat are required to have Halal certification.

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Food Safety Testing Kits Market

Consumer awareness is one of the major determinants of the food safety testing kits market growth across the world. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the focus of consumers and governments shifted to the safety and hygiene of products that are meant for consumption, as SARS-CoV-2 is highly infectious and could possibly transmit through food surfaces. Meat and poultry processing facilities faced distinctive challenges amid these crises due to high infection rate among workers. The US Department of Health & Human Services reported in July 2020 that 239 facilities in 23 states were subject to COVID-19. The total reported cases were 16,233, with 86 related deaths. Moreover, in November 2020, China reported that a frozen pork knuckle sample imported from China triggered a case of new SARS-CoV-2 variant in China. Such cases of food related COVID-19 infections created apprehensions among consumers and governments alike, leading to a greater demand for food safety testing to mitigate health risks.

The food safety testing kits market segments as follows:

The food safety testing kits market, based on contaminant, is segmented into pathogens, pesticides, toxins, GMOs, and others. In terms of technology, the market is bifurcated into traditional and rapid. Based on food type, the market is segmented into meat, poultry, and seafood products; dairy products; cereals and grains; processed food; fruits and vegetables; and others. Based on geography, the food safety testing kits market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC), the Middle East & Africa (MEA), and South & Central America.

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