Residue Testing Market Report 2026

The residue testing market size has grown strongly in recent years. It will grow from $5.28 billion in 2025 to $5.72 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.2%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to rising global food trade regulations, growing contamination concerns, increasing government safety standards, expansion of testing laboratories, rising consumer safety awareness.

The residue testing market size is expected to see strong growth in the next few years. It will grow to $7.84 billion in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.2%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to increasing demand for certified food quality, rising export compliance needs, growing emphasis on residue free products, expanding processed food monitoring, rising focus on agricultural safety. Major trends in the forecast period include increasing focus on food safety compliance, growing adoption of advanced analytical testing methods, rising demand for high sensitivity contaminant detection, expanding application in export quality certification, increasing emphasis on consumer health protection.

The growing demand for processed food is expected to support the expansion of the residue testing market going forward. Processed food includes food products that have undergone mechanical, physical, thermal, or chemical processing during manufacturing. Rising consumption of processed foods increases both production volumes and the complexity of supply chains, often involving extensive use of agricultural inputs. The globalization of food supply chains further intensifies the need for comprehensive residue testing to comply with strict regulatory standards, particularly as processed foods are widely traded across international markets. For instance, in April 2024, according to a report by the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS), a US-based trade association, total industry foodservice sales - including prepared foods, commissary items, and dispensed beverages - accounted for 26.9% of in-store sales in 2023, up from 25.6% in 2022, with prepared food sales per store per month increasing by 12.2%. Therefore, the increasing demand for processed food is driving the growth of the residue testing market.

Companies operating in the residue testing market are increasingly developing mobile residue testing laboratories designed to support applications such as tea leaf testing, improving efficiency and accuracy in detecting pesticide residues and contaminants. These mobile laboratories enable on-site testing, which shortens result turnaround times and allows for immediate corrective actions when unsafe residue levels are identified. This approach reflects the growing emphasis on quality assurance within the tea industry. For example, in June 2024, Eurofins Agro Laboratories, a Luxembourg-based company, introduced a mobile residue testing lab that enables rapid on-site analysis and enhances quality control efficiency. The mobile lab is equipped with advanced analytical technologies, including high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), which are essential for precise chemical analysis, including the measurement of caffeine and polyphenol content as key indicators of tea quality.

In January 2023, Smithers Group Inc., a US-based provider of testing, consulting, and compliance services, acquired ResChem Analytical Limited for an undisclosed amount. This acquisition was intended to strengthen Smithers’ pesticide residue testing capabilities by incorporating advanced analytical method validation, field residue studies, and good laboratory practice (GLP)-compliant residue chemistry services to support regulatory submissions in the agrochemical sector. ResChem Analytical Limited is a UK-based company specializing in pesticide residue analysis, storage stability studies, ecotoxicology residue testing, and analytical support for operator exposure and environmental residue programs.

Major companies operating in the residue testing market report are Eurofins Scientific SE, Bureau Veritas SA, SGS SA, Intertek Group PLC, Symbio Laboratories Pty Ltd., ALS Limited, AsureQuality Limited, Microbac Laboratories Inc., QTS Analytical Ltd., NSF International, Fera Science Limited, AB Sciex LLC, Trilogy Analytical Laboratory Inc., Waters Agricultural Laboratories Inc., Neogen Corporation, Mérieux NutriSciences Corp., Romer Labs Division Holding GmbH, TÜV SÜD AG, Nelson Laboratories LLC, Pacific BioLabs Inc., Pace Analytical Services LLC, Avomeen Analytical Services, Brooks Applied Labs LLC, EMSL Analytical Inc., Exova Group Limited, Food Safety Net Services, IEH Laboratories & Consulting Group, Maxxam Analytics, Micro Quality Labs Inc., Midwest Laboratories Inc., RJ Lee Group Inc., Silliker Inc., SRC Analytical Laboratories, Summit Environmental Technologies Inc., TestAmerica Laboratories Inc., Whitehouse Laboratories.

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

The residue testing market includes revenues earned by entities by providing residue testing through ionization, liquid chromatography, and gas chromatography. 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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