IQF Vegetable Market Report 2025

The IQF vegetable market size has grown steadily in recent years. It will grow from $2.92 billion in 2024 to $3.06 billion in 2025 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.9%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to demand for convenience foods, health and nutrition awareness, changing consumer lifestyles, seasonality and availability, foodservice and culinary applications.

The IQF vegetable market size is expected to see strong growth in the next few years. It will grow to $4.38 billion in 2029 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.3%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to innovation in product offerings, supply chain enhancements and logistics improvements, environmental sustainability initiatives, globalization and changing dietary habits, expansion of foodservice and ready-to-eat segments. Major trends in the forecast period include clean label and transparency, customization and blended offerings, expansion of ready-to-eat and frozen meal segments, innovations in packaging and freezing technologies, sustainability and reduced food waste.

The growing demand for frozen foods is anticipated to drive the IQF vegetable market in the future. Frozen foods involve preserving food products through rapid freezing and storage in a freezer until use. The IQF (Individually Quick Frozen) method is employed to freeze food items rapidly, preserving their freshness through superior and faster freezing. Unsuch as slower freezing processes that result in larger ice crystals, IQF freezing produces smaller ice crystals, maintaining the flavor and texture of the meal. This has led to increased consumer preference for the rapid freezing process of IQF. According to the American Frozen Food Institute's data from January 2023, retail frozen food sales witnessed a remarkable increase of $19.4 billion between 2018 and 2022. The surge in demand for frozen foods is identified as a driving force behind the growth of the IQF vegetable market.

The rapid expansion of the food service industry is poised to contribute significantly to the growth of the IQF vegetable market in the upcoming years. The food service sector, encompassing companies involved in preparing, serving, and delivering food and beverages, has witnessed notable growth. IQF technology is particularly advantageous for preserving the texture, taste, and nutritional value of individually quick-frozen vegetables, making them versatile for various food and beverage applications. According to data from New Zealand Trade and Enterprise in March 2023, the food service sector was valued at A$75.3 billion in 2021, experiencing a 35% annual growth rate. The substantial growth in the food service industry is identified as a key driver for the IQF vegetable market.

Technological advancements emerge as a prominent trend in the IQF vegetable market, with major companies focusing on innovation to enhance their market standing. In 2022, TOMRA, a Norway-based provider of technology-led solutions for advanced collection, sorting systems, and food processing, introduced the TOMRA 5C, a high-end sorting device for IQF produce equipped with BSI technology. The device features unique high-resolution lasers and Biometric Signature Identification (BSI) technology, allowing precise sorting of frozen vegetables by contrasting good and bad materials and detecting even smaller defects.

Major players in the IQF vegetable market are pursuing a strategic partnership strategy aimed at expanding their plant-based product offerings globally. Strategic partnerships involve companies leveraging each other’s strengths and resources to achieve shared benefits and success. For example, in August 2024, a food tech innovator launched an advanced optical sorter for IQF products designed to improve food safety and quality by accurately identifying and removing foreign materials and product defects during the processing of frozen vegetables and other food items. The COMPASS optical sorter features a user-friendly interface and can handle a wide range of products, ensuring high efficiency on production lines.

In May 2022, B&G Foods, Inc., a US-based provider of high-quality branded shelf-stable and frozen foods, acquired the frozen vegetable manufacturing operations of Growers Express, LLC. This strategic acquisition is expected to enhance innovation efforts and speed to market for both B&G Foods and Growers Express. Growers Express, LLC is a US-based innovative manufacturer of frozen vegetable products.

Major companies operating in the IQF vegetable market include Capricorn Food Products India Ltd., Greenyard NV, J.R. Simplot Company, Uren Food Group Limited, Alfred Zindel AG, Brecon Foods Inc., Meyer Gemüsebearbeitung GmbH, Rems Frozen Foods Limited, Conagra Brands Inc., Dole Food Company Inc., Kerry Group plc, Pinnacle Foods Inc., SunOpta Inc., Jinyuan Agriculture, Kabako Gruppe, Dirafrost Frozen Fruit, Cardinal Foods LLC, Bonduelle, Ardo, Hortex, Pinguin, D'aucy, Findus Group, McCain Foods Limited, Nestlé S.A., The Pictsweet Company, Unilever Group, Wawona Frozen Foods.

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

IQF vegetables, or individually quick frozen vegetables, are fresh vegetables that undergo a freezing process where each vegetable is frozen separately using a powerful tool. This method of quick freezing is designed to preserve the quality and freshness of the vegetables, ensuring they remain in a state close to their original form. IQF vegetables are widely used for preserving and safely storing various types of vegetables.

The main product categories of IQF vegetables include leafy vegetables, beans, potatoes, onions, tomatoes, and other types. Leafy vegetables encompass a variety of plants, leaves, or stems suitable for human consumption. These IQF vegetables are available in natural, conventional, and organic varieties and are distributed through online stores, supermarkets or hypermarkets, business-to-business channels, and others, catering to various end-users, including both commercial and residential consumers.

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

The IQF vegetable market consists of sales of IQF broccoli, IQF cauliflower, IQF carrots, IQF green beans, and IQF corn. 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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