Top 5 Food Industry Trends Influencing Manufacturing

Danielle Ohl

packaging-machine-automation.jpgFood Engineering recently polled its readers for its State of Food Manufacturing Survey. The good news: about half of respondents reported that throughput is up and they expect that trend to continue. But the market is not without its challenges, top among them labor and regulatory issues. Here are 5 top food industry trends to watch:

1. Automation

According to Food Engineering, “automation is once again considered to be the most impactful trend that will affect manufacturing operations over the next five years.”

Twenty-two percent of poll respondents reported that they have installed advanced automation systems. With labor costs rising and demand for innovative new food products increasing, more food manufacturers are looking into how process automation can cut costs, increase efficiency, and improve their bottom line. Packaging automation is a focus, with many companies seeking to eliminate bottlenecks and improve throughput via acquiring or upgrading packaging machinery.

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2. Staff-related Issues

While many respondents reported adding production shifts and staff, the type of labor they are after is the highly-skilled sort. And as we reported before, finding, attracting, training, and retaining highly-skilled staff is one of the biggest challenges facing the food industry today.

3. Equipment-related demands

A major food industry trend not to be ignored is increasing consumer demand for products suited to their specific lifestyle. Today, food manufacturers and co-packers must produce a wider array of products and package types than ever before. As a result, demand is up for versatile packaging equipment featuring quick changeovers.

4. Food Safety

With the new guidelines of FDA’s Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), food manufacturers are focusing on sanitation, preventative controls, inspection and compliance, and plans for response to recalls.

5. Government regulations

New guidelines outlined in FSMA are being enforced, and half of poll respondents report that these guidelines are creating a financial burden on their company. However, Food Engineering reports that 59% say food safety regulations have had a net positive effect on overall food safety.

The revamped Nutrition Facts panel is in progress and FDA has drafted updated general dietary guidelines that advise decreasing added sugars and relaxing restrictions on certain fats.

Many food manufacturers are unsure of the regulatory future as the current administration generally favors loosening regulations, but has not made any indications of definite policy changes.

More food industry trends

Have you heard about the latest lifestyle trends and how they are influencing snack packaging? Learn more in our new snacking trends eBook: Small is the New Big.

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Originally published 8/16/2017, updated 5/2/2018.