Food Pathogen Detection Technology Market Report 2025

This Food Pathogen Detection Technology market report provides a comprehensive analysis of the market’s characteristics, size, and growth, including segmentation, regional and country-level breakdowns, competitive landscape, market shares, trends, and strategies. It also tracks historical and forecasted market growth across various geographies.

The food pathogen detection technology market size has grown strongly in recent years. It will grow from $5.53 billion in 2024 to $5.96 billion in 2025 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.8%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to increase in global outbreaks of foodborne illnesses and globalization of food trade.

The food pathogen detection technology market size is expected to see strong growth in the next few years. It will grow to $8.02 billion in 2029 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.7%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to increasing adoption of advanced food pathogen detection technologies for rapid testing and increasing stringency of food safety regulations. Major trends in the forecast period include rising use of genetic testing methods for detecting food pathogens, growth in pathogen test volumes, increasing focus on listeria detection in food samples, rising consumption of food pathogen detection technologies by third-party testing laboratories and increasing mergers and acquisitions in the food pathogen detection technology market.

The rise in foodborne illness outbreaks worldwide has significantly contributed to the growth of the food pathogen detection technology market. Foodborne diseases refer to any hazardous or infectious illnesses contracted from consuming contaminated food or water. For example, in April 2024, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a U.S.-based government agency, estimated that each year, 48 million people fall ill due to foodborne illnesses, leading to 128,000 hospitalizations and approximately 3,000 deaths annually. Additionally, in September 2023, the CDC reported that Canada experiences around 4 million cases of domestically acquired foodborne illnesses each year, caused by both known and unknown pathogens. The increase in foodborne disease occurrences among the global population has heightened the demand for food pathogen detection technology, thereby driving the growth of the food pathogen detection technology market.

The growing emphasis on food safety is anticipated to drive future growth in the food pathogen detection technology market. Food safety concerns involve conditions and practices aimed at preserving the quality of food to prevent contamination and foodborne illnesses. Food pathogen detection technology plays a crucial role in ensuring the safety of food products by providing rapid detection of foodborne pathogens. As of May 2022, according to the World Health Organization, an estimated 1 in 10 people worldwide, equivalent to 600 million individuals, are projected to fall ill from consuming contaminated food, resulting in 420,000 deaths. This leads to a loss of 33 million DALYs (Disability-adjusted life years), representing years of good life. Consequently, the increasing focus on food safety is propelling the growth of the food pathogen detection technology market.

Genetic testing technology is increasingly employed for the rapid, sensitive, and reliable detection of pathogens in food, allowing identification even when pathogens are in their nascent stage or present in minimal concentrations. A case in point is the collaboration between 1health, a US-based software platform facilitating the accurate delivery of diagnostic testing results in minutes, and Apollo Health Group. In July 2022, they launched Apollo's specialized high-performing Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) tests. This initiative involves automating complex genetic testing workflows and eliminating risky paper-based procedures. Physicians across the United States can now digitally register, place orders securely, and promptly process test results through 1health's online platform.

Major companies in the food pathogen detection technology market are strategically focused on introducing technological innovations to gain a competitive advantage. Technological innovation in this context refers to the development and utilization of new technologies to enhance the detection of foodborne pathogens. As an example, in November 2022, Sixth Wave Innovations Inc., a Canada-based nanotechnology company, expanded its patent-pending Accelerated Molecularly Imprinted Polymer (AMIPs) technology to include Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, and Sarcina in its detectable pathogens library, which already featured Escherichia coli. The AMIPs testing platform offers food producers a quick, reliable, and cost-effective approach to increase testing frequency and ensure the quality of food products. Complementing the AMIPs rapid detection platform, Sixth Wave also introduced its Pathogenic Amine Detection System (PAD). The PADS sensing technology is utilized to identify biomarkers associated with food spoilage.

In August 2022, IDEXX Laboratories Inc., a US-based developer of veterinary diagnostic and pharmaceutical products, acquired Pathogen Detection Systems for an undisclosed amount. This acquisition allows IDEXX to broaden its microbiology testing options for both lab-based and in-field testing. Pathogen Detection Systems, based in Canada, specializes in developing fully automated on-site microbiological testing systems designed to detect and identify foodborne pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi, in food products.

Food pathogen detection technology involves identifying pathogens in agro-food by cultivating microorganisms on agar plates, followed by precise serological and biochemical testing for identification. This method relies on the ability of bacteria to grow and form colonies in agar media.

The primary categories of food pathogen detection technology include traditional methods (quantitative culture and qualitative culture) and rapid methods (convenience, polymerase chain reaction, and immunoassay). Various types of food are tested using this technology, including meat and poultry, dairy products, processed food, fruits and vegetables, cereals, and grains, with the aim of detecting pathogens such as E. coli, salmonella, listeria, campylobacter, norovirus, rotavirus, and others. Listeria, a pathogenic bacteria causing diseases, is typically found in moist environments such as soil, water, decaying vegetation, and animals. Notably, it can survive and even grow under refrigeration and other food preservation methods.

The food pathogen detection technology market research report is one of a series of new reports that provides food pathogen detection technology market statistics, including food pathogen detection technology market industry global market size, regional shares, competitors with a food pathogen detection technology market share, detailed food pathogen detection technology market segments, market trends, and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the food pathogen detection technology industry. This food pathogen detection technology market research report delivers a complete perspective of everything you need, with an in-depth analysis of the current and future scenarios of the industry.

Major companies operating in the food pathogen detection technology market include Biomérieux SA, Merck KGaA, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., 3M Company, Qiagen N.V., Pall Corporation, Hygiena, LLC, Romer Labs, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Charm Sciences Inc., SGS Group, Shenzhen Radiusen Systems, Eurofins Analytical Services India Private Limited, TUV India Private Limited, Intertek India Private Limited, Bureau Veritas Consumer Products Services Private Limited, Ensensor, S.T. Japan, ALS Global, Merieux NutriSciences, Orchid Cellmark, Becton Dickinson, Clear Labs, Chinova Bioworks, Qualicon, Livekuna, Qpod, Neogen Corp, Costa Rica Insect Company, Det Norske Veritas As.

North America was the largest region in the global food pathogen detection technology market in 2024. Middle East is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in the food pathogen detection technology market report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa. The countries covered in the food pathogen detection technology market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Italy, Canada, Spain.

The food pathogen detection technology market includes revenues earned by entities by providing safe food supplies and preventing foodborne diseases. The market value includes the value of related goods sold by the service provider or included within the service offering. Only goods and services traded between entities or sold to end consumers are included.

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD, unless otherwise specified).

The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.

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