Food Automation Market Report 2026

The food automation market size has grown rapidly in recent years. It will grow from $16.46 billion in 2025 to $18.12 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.1%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to growing industrialization of food processing, rising labor cost pressures, increasing demand for packaged food products, expansion of large-scale food manufacturing facilities, adoption of mechanized production systems.

The food automation market size is expected to see strong growth in the next few years. It will grow to $26.46 billion in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.9%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to increasing investments in smart food factories, rising adoption of AI-enabled quality inspection, expansion of ready-to-eat food consumption, growing focus on food safety compliance, increasing demand for flexible automation systems. Major trends in the forecast period include increasing adoption of fully automated food processing lines, rising integration of vision systems and sensors, growing demand for hygienic and contamination-free automation, expansion of robotics in packaging and handling, enhanced focus on operational efficiency.

The rising demand for processed foods is expected to drive the growth of the food automation market going forward. Processed foods are products altered from their natural state through methods such as canning, freezing, drying, or adding preservatives to improve shelf life and convenience. Factors such as busy lifestyles, growing urbanization, and the desire for longer-lasting, convenient foods are fueling this demand. Automated systems ensure consistent product quality, reducing variability associated with manual labor. For instance, in July 2023, the American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI), a US-based professional organization, reported that frozen fruit sales rose 8.8% in the first half of 2023, while processed meats, including chicken (+9.6%), breakfast sausage (+7.4%), and beef (+3.1%), and frozen meal solutions, such as pizza (+1.3%), side dishes (+3.2%), and potato products like fries (+0.6%) and tater tots (+8.2%), also experienced growth. Therefore, the increasing demand for processed foods is driving the food automation market.

Major companies in the food automation market are focusing on investments in industrial automation and digital transformation to gain a competitive edge. Such investments enable faster implementation of advanced tools and improved production outcomes. For example, in March 2023, ForgeOS integrated with Rockwell’s Logix controllers and design and simulation software, along with READY Robotics’ software-defined automation platform. This combination simplifies robot integration and reduces the deployment time for industrial automation solutions, including food automation.

In March 2025, Hanwha Foodtech Global Inc., a US-based foodtech company, acquired Stellar Pizza for an undisclosed amount. Through this acquisition, Hanwha Foodtech aims to expand its presence in automated food production and enhance its robotics-driven food service capabilities, leveraging Stellar Pizza’s innovative systems and operational expertise. Stellar Pizza is a US-based company operating mobile, automated restaurants in food trucks that use robotics to prepare pizzas from scratch.

Major companies operating in the food automation market are ABB Group, GEA Group AG, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Rexnord Corporation, Rockwell Automation Inc., Schneider Electric SE, Honeywell International Inc., Emerson Electric Company, Siemens AG, Yokogawa Electric Corporation, Yaskawa Electric Corporation, MicroThermics Inc., Semi-Bulk Systems Inc., Atlantic Packaging Products Ltd., Endress+Hauser Group, Krones AG, Tetra Pak International S.A., Robert Bosch GmbH, Duravant LLC, Bühler AG, JBT Corporation, Heat and Control Inc., Key Technology Inc., FANUC Corporation, Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd., KUKA AG, Adept Technology Inc., Stäubli International AG, Omron Corporation.

Western Europe was the largest region in the food automation market in 2025. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in the food automation market report are Asia-Pacific, South East Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa. The countries covered in the food automation market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.

The food automation market consists of sales of food automation machines including manufacturing execution systems (MES), variable-frequency drive (VFD), valves and actuators, electric motors, sensors, and transmitters among others. Values in this market are ‘factory gate’ values, that is the value of goods sold by the manufacturers or creators of the goods, whether to other entities (including downstream manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, and retailers) or directly to end customers. The value of goods in this market includes related services sold by the creators of the goods.

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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