Non-Thermal Processing Market - Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast, 2021-2031

The Global Non-Thermal Processing Market is projected to expand from a valuation of USD 1.21 Billion in 2025 to USD 1.88 Billion by 2031, reflecting a CAGR of 7.62%. This sector encompasses preservation techniques like Pulsed Electric Fields (PEF) and High-Pressure Processing (HPP) that effectively eradicate pathogens without the use of significant heat, thereby maintaining the food's original nutritional and sensory attributes. The primary catalysts for this market include surging consumer preference for clean-label, preservative-free items that offer fresh-like quality, alongside strict regulatory mandates for improved food safety. These factors push manufacturers to implement solutions that prolong shelf life while avoiding the thermal damage typical of traditional pasteurization.

Nevertheless, widespread adoption faces significant hurdles due to the considerable upfront capital required for specialized equipment and the intricacies involved in fitting these systems into established production lines. Data from the Institute of Food Technologists in 2024 indicates that 18% of food industry companies surveyed placed a priority on investing in thermal and non-thermal processing technologies to satisfy shifting quality and safety standards. Despite this interest in investment, rapid market expansion is still hindered by elevated acquisition and operational expenses, a situation that particularly impacts smaller manufacturing businesses.

Market Drivers

The escalating consumer appetite for nutrient-dense and minimally processed foods serves as a major engine for the non-thermal processing market. Contemporary, health-focused consumers are increasingly turning away from artificial additives and high-heat treatments that diminish nutritional quality, favoring instead products that preserve their bioactive compounds and natural freshness. Technologies such as Pulsed Electric Fields (PEF) and High-Pressure Processing (HPP) enable producers to fulfill these demands by neutralizing pathogens without relying on chemical preservatives or thermal degradation. This trend is reinforced by data from the Acosta Group's 'Clean Label Insights Study' in April 2024, which revealed that 81% of shoppers consider clean-label attributes important, thereby pressuring manufacturers to adopt these gentler preservation techniques.

Concurrently, the industry is intensely focused on enhancing supply chain sustainability by extending shelf life and curtailing food waste. Non-thermal methods are essential in this effort, as they substantially lengthen the viability of perishable items like ready-to-eat meals, meats, and juices without compromising their sensory properties. According to JBT Avure's February 2024 report, 'The food-safe alternative: how HPP can boost food safety and shelf-life,' HPP technology can increase product shelf life by as much as 90 days, offering a drastic reduction in spoilage compared to conventional techniques. This operational advantage is driving rapid growth in the sector; for instance, Hiperbaric projected a record revenue of €75 million in 2024, representing a 20% year-over-year rise driven by the global uptake of high-pressure technologies.

Market Challenges

The primary obstacles hindering the Global Non-Thermal Processing Market are the significant initial capital outlays and the difficulties associated with integrating specialized equipment. These financial barriers are particularly burdensome for small and medium-sized enterprises, which frequently lack the necessary liquidity to invest in advanced systems like High-Pressure Processing. Even larger manufacturers find it challenging to justify the return on investment when weighing the high acquisition costs and the expense of retrofitting production lines against traditional thermal methods. As a result, this economic pressure compels many firms to postpone modernization efforts, slowing the adoption rate of these safety-enhancing technologies.

The effect of these financial constraints is clearly measurable within the sector. In 2024, the Institute of Food Technologists reported that nearly 70% of respondents from the food industry cited cost as the foremost hurdle to transforming production capabilities and adopting new technologies. This statistic highlights that although there is a demand for superior food products, the practical implications of high installation and operational costs continue to severely limit the market's expansion potential. Unless these capital limitations can be surmounted, the transition away from conventional pasteurization will continue to be a gradual evolution rather than a sweeping transformation.

Market Trends

The market structure is being fundamentally reshaped by the growth of High-Pressure Processing (HPP) Tolling Service Networks, which help alleviate the burden of high initial capital expenditures. Rather than investing in costly proprietary equipment, food manufacturers are increasingly outsourcing their preservation needs to centralized tolling hubs, enabling small and medium-sized enterprises to introduce products with significantly reduced upfront risk. This approach supports rapid scalability and broad geographic distribution through cold-chain logistics, effectively circumventing the financial obstacles that usually retard technology adoption. This infrastructure was further strengthened by Universal Pure, as noted in their November 2025 press release regarding the installation of a new Hiperbaric 525i system at their Pennsylvania facility, which expanded their national network to 23 machines across seven key locations to accommodate growing demand.

At the same time, the increasing application of High-Pressure Processing for Raw Pet Food Safety is establishing a specialized industrial vertical separate from human food preservation. With pet owners progressively shifting towards raw meat diets, manufacturers are leveraging non-thermal technologies to eliminate pathogens such as Salmonella while maintaining the bioavailability of essential nutrients that are typically destroyed by thermal pasteurization. This niche application is stimulating substantial facility investment and volume growth dedicated specifically to animal nutrition. As highlighted in a July 2025 article by Petfood Industry, Instinct Pet Food’s recently inaugurated Center of Excellence employs this technology to support an estimated annual HPP capacity of 26 to 28 million pounds, demonstrating the significant scale of expansion within this sector.

Key Players Profiled in the Non-Thermal Processing Market

• Elea Technology Gmbh
• Dukane Corp.
• Nordion Inc.
• Hiperbaric S.A.
• CHIC Group
• Elea Technology
• Gray Star, Inc.
• Avure Technologies
• Chic Freshertech
• Pulsemaster

Report Scope

In this report, the Global Non-Thermal Processing Market has been segmented into the following categories:

Non-Thermal Processing Market, by Product:

• Meat & Seafood
• Fruits & Vegetables
• Beverages
• Others

Non-Thermal Processing Market, by Type:

• HPP
• PEF
• Ultrasonic
• Irradiation
• Cold Plasma
• Others

Non-Thermal Processing Market, by Application:

• Quality Assurance
• Microbial Inactivation
• Cutting
• Emulsification & Homogenization
• Cleaning
• Others

Non-Thermal Processing Market, by Region:

• North America
• Europe
• Asia-Pacific
• South America
• Middle East & Africa

Competitive Landscape

Company Profiles: Detailed analysis of the major companies present in the Global Non-Thermal Processing Market.

Available Customization

The analyst offers customization according to your specific needs. The following customization options are available for the report:

• Detailed analysis and profiling of additional market players (up to five).

This product will be delivered within 1-3 business days.