Market Trends of Food Certification Industry
Rising Awareness about Global Standards and Food Safety
Global standards are developed, adopted, and identified in several ways. For instance, they are contributing to market growth and even incorporating the protection of the environment, consumer health, and public safety of workers. The standards and regulations have started playing a vital role with an increase in private equity firms, and in turn, the global standard paradigm is evolving gradually.
According to a survey conducted by ISO, in order to compile the number of valid certifications issued by certification bodies (accredited by members of the International Accreditation Forum), ISO 14001 (environmental management) grew by 8%, outpacing the threshold of 3,00,000 certificates, while 4,200 organizations have been certified to the new quality management ISO 9001:2015, immediately after three months from the published date. Thus, the globalization of standards is driving the overall market studied, and also, the training and inspection market.
Moreover, with changing dietary behaviors, the expansion of chain restaurants, and the globalization of the food industry, ensuring food certification is becoming increasingly essential. The need to improve food safety systems within and across countries is becoming more evident as the world's food supply has become more globalized. The public and private sectors are being compelled to adopt hygienic food production due to the increase in the global population and increased awareness of the cleanliness of food production. This is where the requirements of the food certifications come into play, ensuring that the food industry complies with the law.
North America is the Largest Market
In the North American region, the certification bodies, via follow-up and thorough audits, make sure that the companies engaged in food and alcohol production follow adequate food management processes. According to the Department of Agriculture of the United States (USDA), strict regulatory norms force manufacturers to comply with the regulations and continue to drive the market. The food industry is profoundly impacted by new FSMA rules and consumers demand greater transparency when it comes to food consumption. In 2022, the FDA finalized seven major rules to implement FSMA, recognizing that ensuring the safety of food supply is a shared responsibility among many different points in the global supply chain. This is expected to drive the demand for food certification.
The United States led the North American market, owing to the growing health consciousness and consumer awareness of the side effects of adulterated food products in the region. Somerdale International, the leading importer of British cheeses and dairy products to the United States, has launched the first, fully-accredited, and non-GMO British Cheddar. The new 'Westminster Sharp' has been accredited as non-GMO by NSF International.
Additionally, according to the Global Food Security Index, 29% of US consumers are most concerned about chemical contamination in food, and 26% are concerned about foodborne illness.
