Gitnux/Report 2026

Foodstuff Industry Statistics

309Statistics
111Sources
12Sections
1Visuals
48mRead
Foodstuff Industry Statistics
Samuel NorbergWritten by Samuel Norberg·Fact-checked by Maya Johansson
Published
How this report is researched
01Editorial Scope

An editor sets the topic, the inclusion criteria, and the evaluation framework before research starts.

02Source Research

AI search agents locate sources and extract each figure together with the document it came from.

Read our full methodology →

Search agents attach provenance to every extracted figure.

Next review: within 39 days

01 Industry overview

The foodstuff industry at a glance

Food and beverage is a more than $5 trillion global retail industry, while U.S. food manufacturing generated $1.05 trillion in shipments and employed 1.70 million people in 2024.

$5T+[102]
Global retail sales, 2025
$1.05T[103]
U.S. food-manufacturing shipments, 2024
1.70M[103]
U.S. food-manufacturing jobs, 2024
6.2%[37]
U.S. employment growth forecast, 2024–34
Market size
Global retail sales of food and beverages exceeded $5 trillion in 2025. In the United States, food manufacturing recorded an estimated $1.054 trillion in value of shipments in 2024.[102][103]
Forecast & CAGR
U.S. food and beverage manufacturing employment is projected to increase 6.2% from 2024 to 2034, reaching about 2.231 million jobs. Industry output is projected to rise from $872.5 billion in 2024 to $1.062 trillion in 2034, equivalent to an implied annual growth rate of about 2.0%.[37]
Segmentation
U.S. food and beverage manufacturing is divided into 10 major segments. In the 2024–34 forecast, beverage manufacturing is projected to add 37,800 jobs, animal slaughtering and processing 35,400, other food manufacturing 21,900, and bakeries and tortilla manufacturing 18,800.[37]
Pricing
U.S. food-at-home prices increased 2.3% in 2025 compared with 2024. In the September 2026 forecast, prices for all food were expected to rise 2.9% during 2026, while food-away-from-home prices were forecast to increase 3.5%.[57]
Trends, drivers & challenges
The main growth drivers identified by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics are demand for convenient, ready-to-eat and ready-to-prepare products, greater product variety, and demand for nutrition-oriented beverages. Automation is expected to raise food and beverage manufacturing output by about 22% from 2024 to 2034 while moderating employment growth in some processes.[37]
Consumer behavior & competition
BLS identifies strong expected demand for ready-to-consume drinks, gut-health beverages, energy and sports drinks, enhanced water, snacks, and convenient bakery products. Beverage manufacturing is projected to grow employment 11.4% from 2024 to 2034, compared with 6.2% for food and beverage manufacturing overall.[37]
M&A
Recent transactions show continued consolidation across branded food and ingredients. Ingredion announced a recommended all-cash acquisition of Tate & Lyle in June 2026 at an implied enterprise value of approximately £3.7 billion, while Unilever announced the combination of its foods business with McCormick; the combined foods business reported fiscal 2025 revenue of about $20 billion.[104][105]
Regulation
The FDA issued the 2026 Food Code on September 17, 2026. The model code includes updated provisions on employee illness policies, allergen cross-contact, food establishment definitions, mobile food establishments, food donations, specialty mushrooms, dehydration and freeze-drying, and retail cooling processes.[81]
Latest news
In June 2026, Ingredion announced its proposed £3.7 billion acquisition of Tate & Lyle, combining ingredient portfolios and geographic supply networks. In September 2026, the FDA released its updated Food Code, establishing the latest model food-safety provisions for retail and food-service regulators.[104][81]

02 Ranking

Top 10 Companies in the Foodstuff Industry

The leading companies in the foodstuff industry, ranked on market impact, performance, momentum, innovation and brand popularity.

Updated November 10, 2026 · Next review December 10, 2026

Verdict

Cargill leads Gitnux's 2026 foodstuff ranking with an Overall score of 9.3, with 70 countries and sales into 125 markets. Bunge is the highest-ranked food ingredients processor at 9.2, driven by 32.5% revenue growth and 2.2% operating margin.

Ranked by Overall score · How we score ↓

Editor's top 3 picks

Where to start, by need.

  1. #1 Overall · Leader in agricultural ingredients

    Cargill

    US

    Ranked #1 · 9.3 · Agricultural ingredients

    Why we picked it: It operates at large geographic footprint in agricultural processing, ingredients and protein.

    See in ranking ↓Visit cargill.com ↗

  2. Leader in food ingredients processing

    Bunge

    US

    Ranked #2 · 9.2 · Food ingredients processing

    Why we picked it: It focuses on oilseeds processing and food ingredients, with strong revenue growth signals.

    See in ranking ↓Visit bunge.com ↗

  3. Leader in confectionery and pet food

    Mars

    US

    Ranked #3 · 9.2 · Confectionery and pet food

    Why we picked it: Its portfolio spans confectionery and prepared foods alongside pet food brands.

    See in ranking ↓Visit mars.com ↗

Pick 1 is the #1 company overall. Picks 2 and 3 are the highest-ranked companies in the top 5 that add a new segment.

Full ranking

Sort by
Top 10 companies in the foodstuff industry, 2026 – Gitnux ranking
#CompanyOverall ↓Company snapshot
1

Cargill

Agricultural ingredients · US

9.3
2

Bunge

Food ingredients processing · US

9.2
3

Mars

Confectionery and pet food · US

9.2
4

The Coca-Cola Company

Non-alcoholic beverages · US

9.1
5

JBS

Animal protein processing · NL

8.9
6

Ferrero Group

Chocolate, confectionery and snacks, global · IT

8.9
7

Nestlé

Packaged food, beverages and nutrition, global · CH

8.7
8

Danone

Dairy, plant-based products, water and nutrition · FR

8.6
9

Tyson Foods

Chicken, beef, pork and prepared foods · US

8.5
10

General Mills

Cereals, snacks, meals and baking products · US

7.7

How we score

  • Impact (30%): scale and weight in the market (revenue, market share, employees, market position).
  • Performance (20%): recent revenue growth and operating margin; an analyst assessment where a company does not publish them.
  • Momentum (20%): growth trajectory and future potential.
  • Innovation (15%): R&D intensity and how technologically advanced the company is.

Popularity (brand search demand, 15%) counts toward Overall but is not published as a column. Overall leaves out what is not known.

Scale Scores are shown on a 7–10 scale with one decimal; bars start at 7.0.

Cadence Recalculated when new figures are published; next review December 10, 2026.

Independence. Rankings are editorially independent. Scores, ranks, picks and the verdict follow the method above; no company can pay to change them.

Cite this ranking

APA

Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 10). Top 10 companies in the foodstuff industry. In Foodstuff Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/foodstuff-industry-statistics/#top-companies

report visual · Comparison

Primary crop production by region

Asia leads with 4.9B tonnes.

Asia4.9B tonnes
Americas2.5B tonnes
Europe1.1B tonnes
Africa1.0B tonnes
Oceania123.5M tonnes
source-verifiedevalforearth.org

04 Statistics

Technology & Innovation

AI and production monitoring show steady traction, with 41% of food-manufacturing companies using real-time production-monitoring dashboards in 2025.

AI in the foodstuff industry

  • 34% of food-manufacturing companies expect artificial intelligence or machine learning to have the greatest impact over the next three years.[1]
  • 54% of UK and Ireland food and beverage companies were implementing artificial intelligence during 2024.[2]
  • 96% of food-sector business leaders plan to invest in artificial intelligence during the next five years.[3]
  • 0.70% of Swedish food manufacturers used artificial intelligence in production processes in 2025.[4]
  • 39% of food-manufacturing companies plan to implement artificial intelligence or machine learning, according to a 2025 industry survey.[1]
  • 28% of UK and Ireland food and beverage companies were already using artificial intelligence at the end of 2024.[2]

Automation in the foodstuff industry

  • 56% of North American food and beverage companies planned technology investment to overcome supply-chain disruption in 2024.[5]
  • 41% of food-manufacturing companies currently use real-time production-monitoring dashboards, according to a 2025 survey.[1]
  • 60% of North American food and beverage processors, manufacturers and distributors were using technology to automate more tasks in 2023.[5]
  • 51% of food-manufacturing companies plan to implement automated warehouse systems, according to a 2025 survey.[1]
  • 48% of North American food and beverage companies still partly or completely relied on manual processes to trace products in 2023.[5]
  • 34% of North American food and beverage processors, manufacturers and distributors planned to increase automation in 2024.[5]

Digital Transformation in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among EU food-manufacturing enterprises, 15.4% had high digital intensity in 2023, compared with 13.0% in 2021.[6]
  • Among EU food-manufacturing enterprises, 3.4% had very high digital intensity in 2023, compared with 2.1% in 2021.[6]
  • Among EU food-manufacturing enterprises, 51.2% had very low digital intensity in 2023, down from 55.1% in 2021.[6]
  • In the United States, 61% of farmers reported adopting digital agronomy technologies in 2024.[7]
  • Across the EU agri-food industrial ecosystem, 20% of companies had a concrete digital-transformation strategy in 2024.[6]

Technology Adoption in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • In Canada, 84% of field-crop operations used GPS equipment in 2021.[8]
  • Across EU farms, 43% had internet access, 11% used farm-management information systems, and 7% used robotics in 2023.[8]
  • Across EU farms with utilised agricultural area, about 18% used some form of precision-farming technology or practice in 2023.[8]
  • In Chile, 12% of agricultural production units reported using a technological tool such as mobile applications, drones, or sensors in 2021.[8]
  • In Germany, 85.5% of surveyed farms used at least one digital technology in 2024–2025.[8]
  • In Czechia, 30% of crop-production farmers used at least one precision-agriculture technology in 2023.[8]

Cloud Computing in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across EU agri-food businesses, 37% used cloud computing in 2024, up from 26% in 2023.[6]
  • Across EU businesses, 45% purchased cloud-computing services in 2023.[9]
  • Across EU agri-food businesses, 26% used cloud computing in 2023.[6]
  • Among EU large businesses, 78% purchased cloud-computing services in 2023, compared with 44% of SMEs.[9]

Big Data in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across EU agri-food businesses, 307 startups focused on artificial intelligence and big data were formed between 2015 and 2023.[6]
  • In Germany, 5.0% of surveyed farms used artificial-intelligence or big-data technologies in 2024–2025.[8]
  • Across EU agri-food businesses, 17% used big-data technologies in 2023.[6]

05 Statistics

Data & Analytics

Data quality and integration gaps remain a constraint, with 69% of food and beverage companies relying on spreadsheets and email for core operations in 2025.

Business intelligence in the foodstuff industry

  • 14.4% was the predicted 2024–2025 profit growth for food and beverage companies using cloud ERP software.[10]
  • 5.2% was the 2021–2022 revenue growth reported by food and beverage companies using horizontal BI software.[11]
  • 65% of UK and Ireland food and beverage companies identified rapid access to performance and efficiency data as their top strategic priority for 2025.[10]
  • 13.2% was the predicted 2024–2025 revenue growth for food and beverage companies using cloud ERP software.[10]
  • 7.8% was the 2021–2022 revenue growth reported by food and beverage companies using industry-specific BI software.[11]
  • 72% of UK and Ireland food processors were moving to cloud ERP in 2025.[10]

Data analytics in the foodstuff industry

  • 27% of food manufacturers said data analytics provided the most value in tracking and alerting on product yield losses in 2025.[1]
  • 94% of U.S. food suppliers used data analytics in 2023.[12]
  • 47% of food, beverage and ingredient professionals cited gathering, analyzing and leveraging data for data-driven decision-making as a top digital-transformation investment driver in 2024.[13]
  • 23% of food manufacturers said they did not currently use data analytics in 2025.[1]
  • 23% of food manufacturers said data analytics provided the most value in quality-defect detection and root-cause analysis in 2025.[1]
  • 0.9% of U.S. food retailers’ total sales went to technology budgets in 2023, representing more than $10 billion.[12]

Data Quality in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • 41% of manufacturers said they distrusted the data used for supply-chain operations in 2025, reflecting persistent data-quality concerns in production and procurement.[14]
  • 42% of manufacturers reported having a process to verify operational data accuracy or quality in 2025, indicating that most lacked a formal validation process.[15]
  • 30% of manufacturing respondents identified poor-quality data as one of their top three challenges when working with AI-related data in 2024.[15]
  • 49% of manufacturing respondents rated their operational data as having low AI readiness in 2024, meaning it was insufficiently labeled, contextualized, governed or accessible.[15]
  • 44% of manufacturers reported that AI projects had failed because of poor data quality in 2025, according to a survey of manufacturing organizations.[14]

Data Governance in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • 61% of manufacturers reported having a corporate-wide governance plan, strategy or formal guidelines for how data is collected, organized, accessed and used in 2024.[15]
  • 69% of food and beverage companies still relied on spreadsheets and email for core operations in 2025, limiting standardized access and control of business data.[16]
  • 6% of food and beverage leaders reported fully integrated digital systems in 2025, despite 82% saying technology adoption was a strategic priority.[16]
  • 40% of food and beverage professionals worldwide identified disconnected systems and data as their biggest barrier to moving faster in 2026.[16]
  • 61% of supply-management organizations reported having a dedicated data-governance function in 2024, while 90% agreed that data governance was necessary.[17]
  • 15% of manufacturers said their data strategy was entirely aligned with their overall business strategy in 2024, while 31% said it was very closely aligned.[15]

KPIs in the foodstuff industry

  • 45% of food and beverage shippers rated appointment-scheduling compliance as very important.[18]
  • 59% of food and beverage shippers tracked logistics KPIs daily.[18]
  • 63% of food and beverage shippers prioritized service performance over cost when selecting freight providers.[18]
  • 95% of food and beverage shippers had to meet on-time-in-full requirements.[18]
  • 47% of food and beverage shippers identified changing strategy based on KPI results as a top challenge.[18]
  • 30 days was the acceptable payment period for carriers reported by food and beverage shippers.[18]

06 Statistics

Strategy & Growth

Private label and renovations matter for growth composition, with 3.9% U.S. store-brand food sales growth in 2024 after 5% in 2023.

Growth in the foodstuff industry

  • $1.106 trillion was projected U.S. foodservice sales for 2024, representing 5.4% annual growth.[19]
  • 60% of U.S. food retail market growth between 2019 and 2024 came collectively from small brands and private-label products.[20]
  • 6.2% is the projected compound annual growth rate through 2033 for the U.S. natural and organic snacking market.[21]
  • 3.9% was U.S. store-brand food sales growth in 2024, following 5% growth in 2023.[22]
  • 1.7% was McCormick’s net sales growth in fiscal 2025 compared with 2024.[23]
  • 20% is the expected share of future Cerealto group revenue from North America after its 2025 Fresca Foods investment.[21]

Differentiation in the foodstuff industry

  • 15% of food and beverage innovation ideas stood out to consumers in 2025, down from 35% in 2020.[24]
  • 72% of consumers perceived private-label products as equal in quality to branded alternatives in the cited 2025 consumer research.[24]
  • 71% of North American CPG launches in early 2024 were renovations such as reformulations, packaging changes or relaunches.[24]
  • 29% of North American CPG launches in early 2024 were genuinely new products rather than renovations.[24]
  • 6% of 2024 food-and-beverage New Product Pacesetter sales came from sauces, spreads, dressings, dips and condiments, worth $210 million.[25]
  • 11% of 2024 food-and-beverage New Product Pacesetter sales came from breakfast solutions, worth $383 million.[25]

Mergers and acquisitions in the foodstuff industry

  • $35.9 billion was the value of Mars’ 2024 acquisition of Kellanova, adding operations in 20 countries and distribution in more than 180 markets.[26]
  • 403 food-and-beverage transactions were recorded over the 12 months to Q2 2025, down from 501 in 2024.[27]
  • 261 food M&A transactions were recorded in 2024, compared with 234 in 2023 and 202 in 2022.[28]
  • $20.4 billion was global mid-market food-and-beverage M&A value in 2025, up 1% year over year.[29]
  • 282 U.S. food-retail deals were recorded in 2025, down from 382 in 2024.[30]
  • £2.7 billion was estimated U.K. food-and-drink deal value in 2024 excluding the Carlsberg–Britvic acquisition.[31]

Strategic partnerships in the foodstuff industry

  • 9% was Ingredion’s equity investment in Sanstar under their strategic partnership and planned food-ingredient joint venture.[32]
  • £6.5 million was Hilton Foods’ planned contribution to its joint venture with NADEC.[33]
  • $18 million was Oobli’s Series B1 funding announced alongside its partnership with Ingredion to commercialize sweet proteins.[34]
  • 15% was Mitsui’s stake in SATS food-solution entities under their 2024 strategic partnership in Asia.[35]
  • $550 million was PepsiCo’s initial 2022 investment for an 8.5% stake in Celsius Holdings under their strategic partnership.[36]
  • 49% was Hilton Foods’ stake in its joint venture with Saudi Arabia’s NADEC.[33]

07 Statistics

People & Workforce

Hiring and labor mix vary by subsector; projected beverage manufacturing employment growth is 11.4% from 2024 to 2034 versus 6.2% overall.

Hiring in the foodstuff industry

  • 742,000 hires were recorded in U.S. accommodation and food services in September 2024, a 5.2% hires rate.[37]
  • 879,000 hires were recorded in U.S. accommodation and food services in September 2026, a 6.1% hires rate.[37]
  • 662,000 hires were recorded in U.S. accommodation and food services in July 2024, a 4.7% hires rate.[37]
  • 904,000 hires were recorded in U.S. accommodation and food services in January 2024, a 6.7% hires rate.[37]
  • 766,000 hires were recorded in U.S. accommodation and food services in September 2026, representing a 5.4% hires rate in the latest monthly comparison.[37]

Employee retention in the foodstuff industry

  • 5.8% was the U.S. accommodation-and-food-services quits rate in January 2022.[37]
  • 2.0 years was the median tenure for U.S. food services and drinking-place workers in January 2024.[37]
  • 74% was the approximate annual employee turnover rate in the U.S. restaurant industry during the decade before the pandemic.[38]
  • 1.7 years was the median tenure for U.S. food services and drinking-place workers in January 2022.[37]
  • 1.8 years was the median tenure for U.S. food services and drinking-place workers in January 2016.[37]

Remote Work in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across U.S. agriculture and food employers, 35% offered some type of remote-work arrangement in 2024, according to AgCareers’ industry hiring report.[39]
  • Across U.S. accommodation and food services, 4.8% of workers worked remotely in 2021, up from 1.9% in 2019 and 5.3% in 2020.[37]
  • Across U.S. agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, about 12% of workers worked remotely during October 2023–September 2024, including hybrid and fully remote work.[40]
  • Across U.S. crop and animal production, 14.4% of workers worked remotely in 2021, compared with 14.7% in 2019 and 15.4% in 2020.[37]

Hybrid Work in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • 21% of Australian FMCG and agribusiness professionals reported working fully remotely in 2024.[41]
  • 33% of Australian FMCG and agribusiness professionals reported working in hybrid arrangements in 2024.[41]
  • 13% of Australian FMCG and agribusiness professionals preferred full-time on-site work in 2024.[41]
  • 35% of U.S. agriculture and food employers offered some type of remote-work arrangement in 2024.[39]
  • Across employers discussed in a food-industry hybrid-work survey, about 90% had adopted some form of hybrid work, although the figure was not limited to agriculture and food production.[13]

Upskilling in the foodstuff industry

  • 32 hours was Danone’s average number of training hours per trained employee in 2024.[42]
  • 24 hours was Danone’s average number of training hours per trained employee in 2023.[42]
  • 88,520 permanent Danone employees took at least one training course in 2023.[42]
  • 2,090,720 training hours were completed by Danone employees in 2023.[42]
  • 2,722,211 training hours were completed by Danone employees in 2024.[42]

Employee Engagement in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • In the agriculture industry, employees averaged 7.68 out of 10 for engagement and an eNPS of +5 in CultureMonkey’s 2026 benchmark.[43]
  • Employees in manufacture, distribution and storage organizations scored 60.9% on enablement in People Insight’s global benchmark data.[44]
  • Manufacture, distribution and storage organizations recorded an average employee-engagement score of 72.9% in People Insight’s global benchmark data.[44]
  • Employees in manufacture, distribution and storage organizations scored 59.3% on leadership in People Insight’s global benchmark data.[44]
  • At Europe Snacks, a multinational food manufacturer, employee engagement reached 79% across its international workforce and 88% in its UK business after a structured listening program.[44]

DEI in the foodstuff industry

  • 69% of Danone employees were covered by collective bargaining agreements in 2025.[42]

08 Statistics

Customer & Sales

Acquisition is increasingly digital, with 77% of U.S. grocery shoppers in 2026 digitally engaged before shopping.

Customer experience in the foodstuff industry

  • 82 points out of 100 was the 2024 U.S. food-delivery score for mobile apps used to place orders.[45]
  • 69% of U.S. grocery shoppers in 2026 valued an easy shopping experience.[12]
  • 73 points out of 100 was the 2024 U.S. customer-satisfaction score for food-delivery services.[45]
  • 81 points out of 100 was the 2024 U.S. food-delivery score for websites used to place orders.[45]
  • 79 points out of 100 was the 2024 U.S. customer-satisfaction score for fast-food restaurants.[45]

Customer retention in the foodstuff industry

  • 57% of U.S. grocery shoppers in 2024 said stores needed to offer more savings to retain their loyalty.[46]
  • 45% of U.S. grocery shoppers in 2024 were open to changing stores for greater savings.[46]
  • 55% of U.S. grocery shoppers in 2024 said they remained loyal to the store they visited most often.[46]
  • 86% of U.S. grocery-shopping trips in 2025 took place in stores, supporting the importance of physical-store retention.[47]
  • 70.2% of food-and-beverage Black Friday–Cyber Monday 2025 gross merchandise value came from repeat buyers.[48]

Customer acquisition in the foodstuff industry

  • 64.0% of U.S. Gen X consumers in 2025 discovered new food products through television advertising.[1]
  • 16.7% of U.S. consumers aged 60 and older in 2025 discovered new food products through social media.[1]
  • 64.1% of U.S. millennials in 2025 discovered new food products through in-store displays or promotions.[1]
  • 63% of U.S. food-and-beverage shoppers in 2025 had purchased a product based on an online influencer recommendation during the previous year.[49]
  • 77% of U.S. grocery shoppers in 2026 were digitally engaged before shopping, creating a major acquisition touchpoint for food retailers.[12]

Customer loyalty in the foodstuff industry

  • 76% of U.S. food-and-beverage consumers in 2025 engaged with loyalty programs, according to a consumer sentiment survey.[50]
  • 52% of U.S. consumers in 2024 participated in a loyalty or reward program at a restaurant, coffee shop, snack place or deli.[51]
  • 54% of U.S. quick-service, snack-place, deli and coffee-shop customers in 2025 said loyalty membership was important when choosing where to buy.[52]
  • 57% of U.S. consumers in 2024 were more likely to shop with advertisers offering personalized loyalty rewards or coupons.[53]
  • 96% of U.S. restaurant loyalty-program customers in 2024 said such programs were a good way to get more value for their money.[51]

Lead generation in the foodstuff industry

  • 14% of food businesses surveyed in the United States in 2024 identified online review sites as a way customers found new restaurants.[54]
  • 7.12% of U.S. restaurant operators in 2026 said TikTok drove the most customer engagement and traffic.[55]
  • 19.08% of U.S. restaurant operators in 2026 said loyalty programs drove the most customer engagement and traffic.[55]
  • 6.11% of U.S. restaurant operators in 2026 said email marketing drove the most customer engagement and traffic.[55]
  • 5.09% of U.S. restaurant operators in 2026 said Yelp drove the most customer engagement and traffic.[55]

09 Statistics

Marketing & Brand

Broadcast remains a major spend driver, with food companies spending $11 billion annually on television advertising in the United States.

Marketing in the foodstuff industry

  • $11 billion was spent annually on television advertising by food companies in the United States.[56]
  • $2.58 trillion was spent on food by U.S. consumers in 2024.[57]
  • 85% of food companies’ advertising budgets were devoted to television, according to U.S. food-marketing research.[56]
  • 38.6 cents of each U.S. food dollar represented value added by food services in 2024.[57]
  • Food, beverage and restaurant companies spent more than $14 billion annually on advertising in the United States.[58]

Digital marketing in the foodstuff industry

  • 49% of food-marketing exposures among U.S. youths were paid marketing directly from companies in 2026.[59]
  • 3,883 food-marketing exposures were seen annually by the average U.S. youth aged 8 to 17 on digital media in 2026.[59]
  • 28.8% of food-related digital marketing exposures among U.S. youths were for fast food in 2026.[59]
  • 1,427 annual food-marketing exposures were recorded among U.S. children aged 8 to 12 on digital media in 2026.[59]
  • 83% of food marketing exposures among U.S. youths came through social media in 2026.[59]

Branding in the foodstuff industry

  • 47% of U.S. consumers said they always or often choose less-expensive food products or brands because of higher prices in 2023.[60]
  • 3.9% was the growth in U.S. private-label food sales in 2024.[22]
  • 24.7% was the U.S. private-label food and beverage unit share in 2022.[61]
  • 29% of consumers said they would visit a pop-up restaurant or shop from a favorite food brand in 2024.[62]
  • 26% was the unit market share of private food and beverage brands in the United States in 2023.[61]

Social media in the foodstuff industry

  • 42% of U.S. consumers reported seeing food and nutrition content in social media in 2023.[60]
  • 60% of U.S. consumers said food and nutrition content on social media encouraged healthier choices in 2023.[60]
  • 54% of U.S. consumers reported seeing food and nutrition content in their social-media news feeds in 2024.[60]
  • 68% of U.S. Millennials said they trusted food or nutrition content encountered on social media in 2024.[60]
  • 76% of U.S. Gen Z consumers said they trusted food or nutrition content encountered on social media in 2024.[60]

Influencer Marketing in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • Food and drink influencer content involved 78,800 profiles globally in 2023, based on Sprout Social’s benchmark dataset.[63]
  • 11.5 million influencer posts covered food and drink globally in 2023, according to Sprout Social’s benchmark dataset.[63]
  • Food and drink influencer posts achieved a 1.19% average engagement rate globally in 2023.[63]
  • Food and drink influencer content generated 392 billion impressions globally in 2023.[63]
  • Food and drink influencer content generated 42.7 billion engagements globally in 2023.[63]

10 Statistics

Operations & Execution

Process execution is still tied to safety and recall drivers, with HACCP issues behind 95 U.S. food and beverage recalls from 2020–2023.

Process optimization in the foodstuff industry

  • 15% of Canadian food and beverage processors developed new food products or ingredients to reduce food waste in 2024.[64]
  • 15% of Canadian food and beverage processors used enhanced employee training to reduce food waste in 2024.[64]
  • 6% of Canadian food and beverage processors diverted food waste to animal-feed products in 2024.[64]
  • 35% of Canadian food and beverage processors used measurement, process optimization or waste assessments to reduce food waste in 2024.[64]
  • 26% of North American food processors, manufacturers and distributors identified improving product quality, accuracy and consistency as an automation driver in 2023.[5]

Operational efficiency in the foodstuff industry

  • The U.S. food-manufacturing labor-productivity index was 94.037 in 2024, with 2017 equal to 100.[65]
  • The U.S. food-manufacturing labor-productivity index was 92.025 in 2025, with 2017 equal to 100.[65]
  • Food-manufacturing labor productivity in the United States fell 1.0% in 2023.[37]
  • Food-manufacturing labor productivity in the United States fell 2.1% in 2025.[37]
  • Food-manufacturing unit labor costs in the United States increased 5.6% in 2025.[37]

Quality management in the foodstuff industry

  • 65 voluntary corrective actions resulted from USDA FSIS consumer-complaint investigations in 2024.[66]
  • 95 U.S. food and beverage recalls from 2020–2023 were attributed to HACCP issues.[67]
  • 28% of U.S. food and beverage recalls from 2002–2023 involved allergens.[68]
  • 6% of U.S. food and beverage recalls from 2002–2023 were Class III recalls.[68]
  • 1,487 consumer complaints were evaluated by USDA FSIS in 2024 for regulated meat, poultry and egg products.[66]

Supply chain in the foodstuff industry

  • 2,226 thousand U.S. food-processing jobs were supported by the food system in 2022.[57]
  • 62% of Canadian food and beverage processors had implemented food-waste-reduction programs by 2024.[64]
  • 795 thousand U.S. transportation-and-storage jobs were supported by the food system in 2022.[57]
  • 62% of Canadian food and beverage processors identified supply-chain issues as a high-priority concern in 2024.[64]
  • 78% of Canadian food and beverage processors had implemented food-safety communication programs by 2024.[64]

Outsourcing / Offshoring in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • 66% of Queensland food-processing businesses engaged in contract manufacturing to some extent in 2010, including contracting work in or out.[69]
  • 85% of Canadian food and beverage companies processed or manufactured products internally in 2020, while 13% both produced internally and outsourced production.[70]
  • 19% of surveyed Queensland food-processing businesses contracted work out in 2010, while 28% contracted work in and 15% did both.[69]
  • 2% of Canadian food and beverage companies outsourced production entirely to third-party manufacturers in 2020.[70]
  • 49% of U.S. growers surveyed outsourced at least some farm work to third-party service providers in 2022, with spraying services the most commonly outsourced activity.[71]

11 Statistics

Finance & Pricing

Inflation and value pressure persist; U.S. food-at-home prices increased 2.3% in 2025 versus 2024.

Pricing strategy in the foodstuff industry

  • More than 80% of U.S. consumers who noticed shrinkflation said it felt deceptive.[7]
  • 57% of consumers ranked price among their top three food and beverage purchase factors.[7]
  • 2.6% was the average annual increase in the U.S. all-food Consumer Price Index during 2024 and 2025.[57]
  • 13% was the average price increase reported by restaurant operators in 2023.[72]
  • 31% was the increase in U.S. food prices through the third quarter of 2025 compared with 2019.[7]

Cost reduction in the foodstuff industry

  • 25.5% was Beyond Meat’s 2024 decrease in cost of goods sold per pound.[73]
  • 22.1% was Mondelēz International’s constant-currency adjusted operating-income growth after pricing and cost-saving actions in the latest reported period.[74]
  • 4% to 5% of COGS was General Mills’ expected fiscal 2025 HMM cost-savings contribution.[75]
  • 500 million CHF of Nestlé’s 2024 efficiency benefit came from recipe reformulation.[76]
  • 1.2 billion CHF was Nestlé’s efficiency benefit delivered in 2024.[76]

Profitability in the foodstuff industry

  • 41.7 million dollars was Beyond Meat’s 2024 gross profit.[73]
  • 16.2% was Mondelēz International’s 2024 adjusted operating-income margin.[74]
  • 11.6% was the average trailing-twelve-month operating margin for food and beverage companies in Allianz Research’s 2023 comparison.[77]
  • 34.6% was General Mills’ fiscal 2025 gross margin.[75]
  • 14.7% was Allianz Research’s projected average food-industry operating margin for 2024.[77]

Financial planning in the foodstuff industry

  • 101 million dollars was Ingredion’s 2024 capital expenditure and mechanical-stores purchases in Texture & Healthful Solutions.[78]
  • 5.7% was food-and-beverage manufacturing capital expenditure as a share of sales in Canada in 2020.[5]
  • 5.3% was the decline in Canadian food-and-beverage manufacturing capital expenditure in 2025.[5]
  • 80 million dollars was Ingredion’s 2024 capital expenditure and mechanical-stores purchases in Food & Industrial Ingredients—LATAM.[78]
  • 84 million dollars was Ingredion’s 2024 capital expenditure and mechanical-stores purchases in Food & Industrial Ingredients—U.S./Canada.[78]

12 Statistics

Product & Service

Product churn stays high in the U.S., with 42,523 new food and beverage products launched in 2024.

Product development in the foodstuff industry

  • 72% of shoppers cited good value as a reason for buying more private-brand food products in 2024.[12]
  • 46% of surveyed food and beverage brands cited reducing costs as a major reason to increase product-development investment in 2024.[16]
  • 23% of U.S. consumers ranked nutritional value among their top three food and beverage purchase influences in 2025.[1]
  • 42,523 new food and beverage products were launched in the United States in 2024, 0.68% fewer than in 2022.[79]
  • 51% of surveyed food and beverage brands cited remaining competitive as a major reason to increase product-development investment in 2024.[16]

Product lifecycle in the foodstuff industry

  • 1,961 of 2,016 USDA FSIS consumer complaints in fiscal 2025 concerned meat, poultry or egg products.[80]
  • 6.7 billion pounds of the 24 fresh fruits studied were lost at U.S. supermarkets in 2016 before removing nonedible pits and peels.[57]
  • 36% of USDA FSIS consumer complaints concerning meat, poultry or egg products involved foreign objects in fiscal 2025.[80]
  • 10 public-health advisories were issued following FDA CORE food investigations in the United States in 2024.[81]
  • 69 food-related incidents were evaluated by FDA CORE teams in the United States in 2023.[81]

After-sales in the foodstuff industry

  • 83 points was Quaker’s U.S. food-manufacturing customer-satisfaction score in 2022 on the ACSI 0–100 scale.[45]
  • 83 points was Hershey’s U.S. food-manufacturing customer-satisfaction score in 2022 on the ACSI 0–100 scale.[45]
  • 76 points was Kraft Heinz’s U.S. food-manufacturing customer-satisfaction score in 2022 on the ACSI 0–100 scale.[45]
  • 77 points was Campbell’s U.S. food-manufacturing customer-satisfaction score in 2022 on the ACSI 0–100 scale.[45]
  • 79 points was General Mills’ U.S. food-manufacturing customer-satisfaction score in 2022 on the ACSI 0–100 scale.[45]

Value proposition in the foodstuff industry

  • 52% of global consumers said they were clearer about the value they seek from a purchase in 2024 than three years earlier, according to foodservice research.[82]
  • 80.6% of U.S. consumers ranked price or value among their top three food and beverage purchase influences in 2025.[1]
  • 20% of Gen Z foodservice consumers prioritized low cost when defining value in 2024 research.[82]
  • 15.0% of U.S. consumers ranked brand reputation among their top three food and beverage purchase influences in 2025.[1]
  • 21% of Gen Z foodservice consumers prioritized portion size when defining value in 2024 research.[82]

13 Statistics

Sustainability & Ethics

Scope 3 dominates emissions footprint, with 73% of EU food and drink industry Scope 3 emissions coming from primary agricultural production in 2025.

Sustainability in the foodstuff industry

  • 73% of EU food and drink industry Scope 3 emissions came from primary agricultural production in 2025.[83]
  • 12% of EU food and drink industry emissions came from Scope 1 and 2 operations in 2025, while Scope 3 accounted for 88%.[83]
  • 84.2 million tonnes of CO2-equivalent emissions came from EU food and drink Scope 1 and 2 operations in 2025.[83]
  • 5.74 million tonnes of CO2-equivalent emissions came from waste management linked to the EU food and drink sector in 2025.[83]
  • 1.2 million tonnes of MSC-labelled seafood were sold worldwide in the year to March 2024.[84]

ESG in the foodstuff industry

  • 22 of 50 major North American food companies included land-use-change emissions in their disclosures in the 2025 Ceres benchmark.[85]
  • 17 of 50 major North American food companies had SBTi-validated 1.5°C targets in 2025.[85]
  • Food, beverage and agriculture companies targeted by CDP’s 2024 campaign were 4.2 times more likely to disclose than control-group companies.[86]
  • 75% of food and beverage manufacturers used tax credits to support ESG implementation in 2024.[87]
  • 83% of food and beverage manufacturers had an ESG policy in 2024.[87]

Ethics in the foodstuff industry

  • 36.82% of Fairtrade tea farmers were women in 2024.[88]
  • 29,650 banana workers were represented in Fairtrade systems worldwide in 2024.[88]
  • 678,897 coffee farmers were represented in Fairtrade systems worldwide in 2024.[88]
  • 36,985 cotton farmers were represented in Fairtrade systems worldwide in 2024.[88]
  • 79,152 flower workers were represented in Fairtrade systems worldwide in 2024.[88]

CSR in the foodstuff industry

  • 41,347 nut farmers were represented in Fairtrade systems in 2024.[88]
  • 15,524 rice farmers were represented in Fairtrade systems in 2024.[88]
  • 54.98% of Fairtrade tea workers were women in 2024.[88]
  • 5,237 vegetable farmers were represented in Fairtrade systems in 2024.[88]
  • 5,866 banana farmers were represented in Fairtrade systems in 2024.[88]

Circular economy in the foodstuff industry

  • 6.67 million tons of U.S. food-manufacturing surplus became food waste in 2024.[89]
  • 615,000 tons of dry-goods surplus food were wasted in U.S. manufacturing in 2024.[89]
  • 482,000 tons of U.S. food-manufacturing food waste went to landfill in 2024.[89]
  • 7.2% of U.S. food-manufacturing food waste went to landfill in 2024.[89]
  • 13.2 million tons of surplus food were generated by U.S. food manufacturing in 2024.[89]

Carbon footprint in the foodstuff industry

  • 5% was the year-over-year increase in lost sales associated with U.S. retail unsold food in 2024.[90]
  • 31% was the year-over-year increase in meals donated by U.S. retail businesses in 2024.[90]
  • 492,000 metric tonnes of methane emissions were generated by U.S. food-manufacturing surplus in 2024.[89]
  • 16.44 million metric tonnes of CO2-equivalent emissions were associated with U.S. retail unsold food in 2024.[90]
  • 15.23% of U.S. retail unsold food had an unknown destination in 2024.[90]

15 Statistics

Globalization & Expansion

Trade intensity remains significant, with food commodities representing 86% of global trade in crop and livestock products in 2024.

Globalization in the foodstuff industry

  • 26% of global pulse production was exported in 2023.[98]
  • 85% of global palm-oil exports came from the two largest exporting countries in 2024.[98]
  • 85% of global soybean exports came from the two largest exporting countries in 2024.[98]
  • Food commodities represented 86% of global trade in crop and livestock products in 2024.[98]
  • 15% of U.S. food and beverage purchases were direct imports in 2023.[57]

Cultural adaptation in the foodstuff industry

  • 33% of respondents in Germany ranked Chinese cuisine among their three preferred cuisines.[99]
  • 35% of respondents in the United States ranked Chinese cuisine among their three preferred cuisines.[99]
  • 50% of respondents in the United Kingdom ranked traditional British cuisine among their three preferred cuisines.[99]
  • 34% of respondents in India ranked Chinese cuisine among their three preferred cuisines.[99]
  • 40% of respondents in France ranked Italian cuisine among their three preferred cuisines.[99]

Supplier management in the foodstuff industry

  • 130,000 dairy farmers worked with Nestlé’s Dairy Plan across more than 40 countries in 2025.[76]
  • 199 farmers globally were certified to McDonald’s Good Agricultural Practices standards in 2023.[100]
  • 25% was the reduction in methane emissions across Nestlé’s dairy value chain against its 2018 baseline in 2025.[76]
  • 1,800+ third-party food-supplier audits were performed under McDonald’s Supplier Quality Management System in 2023.[100]
  • More than 200 global suppliers and partners participated in Nestlé’s Dairy Plan in 2025.[76]

Stakeholder management in the foodstuff industry

  • More than 80 million liters of water were recharged through PepsiCo nature-related projects in 2024.[101]
  • More than 16,000 farmers and household members experienced improved livelihoods through PepsiCo programs in 2024.[101]
  • 1.9 million farmers and community members received economic-empowerment training and resources through the PepsiCo Foundation in 2024.[101]
  • Over 1,500 farmers participated in PepsiCo nature-related project activities in 2024.[101]
  • $1 billion in worker income was generated by PepsiCo’s U.S. agricultural-sector network in 2024.[101]

Distribution channels in the foodstuff industry

  • 1.2% of U.S. food-at-home sales came from convenience stores in 2025.[57]
  • $2.51 trillion was spent on food at U.S. food-at-home and food-away-from-home outlets in 2025.[57]
  • $289 billion in inflation-adjusted food sales was generated by U.S. warehouse clubs and supercenters in 2025.[57]
  • 26.4% of U.S. food-at-home sales came from warehouse clubs and supercenters in 2025.[57]
  • $617 billion in inflation-adjusted food sales was generated by U.S. grocery stores in 2025.[57]

Key questions about the foodstuff industry

How big is the food and beverage market in 2026?
Food and beverage is a more than $5 trillion global retail industry, and U.S. food manufacturing reached $1.05 trillion in 2024 shipments.
What is the expected growth for U.S. food manufacturing employment and output?
Employment is projected to rise 6.2% from 2024 to 2034, reaching about 2.231 million jobs. Output is projected to increase from $872.5 billion in 2024 to $1.062 trillion in 2034.
Which companies lead the foodstuff industry?
Cargill leads Gitnux's 2026 foodstuff ranking with an Overall score of 9.3, with 70 countries and sales into 125 markets. Bunge is the highest-ranked food ingredients processor at 9.2, driven by 32.5% revenue growth and 2.2% operating margin.
Which technology shifts are most visible for food manufacturers?
We see AI and automation adoption intentions, with 96% of food-sector business leaders planning to invest in artificial intelligence during the next five years. Automation is expected to raise output by about 22% from 2024 to 2034 while moderating employment growth in some processes.
How concentrated is the market and what does consolidation look like?
Recent transactions show continued consolidation across branded food and ingredients. Ingredion announced a recommended all-cash acquisition of Tate & Lyle in June 2026 at an implied enterprise value of approximately £3.7 billion.
What food-safety and regulatory updates matter for 2026 operations?
The FDA issued the 2026 Food Code on September 17, 2026, updating provisions for employee illness policies, allergen cross-contact, and retail cooling processes.
Reference

Cite This Report

This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.

APA
Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 10). Foodstuff Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/foodstuff-industry-statistics
MLA
Samuel Norberg. "Foodstuff Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 10 Nov 2026, https://gitnux.org/foodstuff-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Samuel Norberg. 2026. "Foodstuff Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/foodstuff-industry-statistics.

Sources & references

111 sources cited across this report

  1. marketing.foodindustryexecutive.com
  2. trendsunplugged.io
  3. esmmagazine.com
  4. ampliro.com
  5. assets.ctfassets.net
  6. monitor-industrial-ecosystems.ec.europa.eu
  7. mckinsey.com
  8. oecd.org
  9. ec.europa.eu
  10. aptean-website-dev.aptean.com
  11. foodindustryexecutive.com
  12. fmi.org
  13. ift.org
  14. dnb.com
  15. manufacturingleadershipcouncil.com
  16. tracegains.com
  17. utah.ismworld.org
  18. rxo.com
  19. axios.com
  20. valuegeneconsulting.com
  21. static1.squarespace.com
  22. theatlantic.com
  23. publicnow.com
  24. ipsos.com
  25. tropicanabrandsgroup-com.tbg-staging.com
  26. cohnreznick.com
  27. pmcf.com
  28. capstonepartners.com
  29. bakertilly.global
  30. ey.com
  31. foodmanufacture.co.uk
  32. ingredion.gcs-web.com
  33. investegate.co.uk
  34. foodnavigator.com
  35. links.sgx.com
  36. tullyandholland.com
  37. bls.gov
  38. deloitte.com
  39. m.agcareers.com
  40. govinfo.gov
  41. 3ppartners.com
  42. danone.com
  43. culturemonkey.io
  44. peopleinsight.co.uk
  45. theacsi.com
  46. investors.valassis.com
  47. view.ceros.com
  48. mageloyalty.com
  49. tinuiti.com
  50. alvarezandmarsal-crg.com
  51. restaurant.org
  52. go.restaurant.org
  53. rrd.com
  54. images.fliprogram.com
  55. restaurant365.com
  56. uconnruddcenter.org
  57. ers.usda.gov
  58. stroke.org
  59. today.uic.edu
  60. ific.org
  61. apnews.com
  62. info.datassential.com
  63. media.sproutsocial.com
  64. epe.lac-bac.gc.ca
  65. fred.stlouisfed.org
  66. usda.gov
  67. repository.library.noaa.gov
  68. sciencedirect.com
  69. business.qld.gov.au
  70. fpsc-ctac.com
  71. 1557649.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net
  72. marketingdev.touchbistro.com
  73. ebs.publicnow.com
  74. ir.mondelezinternational.com
  75. investors.generalmills.com
  76. nestle.com
  77. allianz.com
  78. sec.gov
  79. honey.com
  80. achesonfoodsafetyconsulting.com
  81. fda.gov
  82. coca-colacompany.com
  83. fooddrinkeurope.eu
  84. msc.org
  85. ceres.org
  86. cdn.cdp.net
  87. go.crbgroup.com
  88. impact.fairtrade.net
  89. refed.org
  90. foodwastepact.refed.org
  91. files.gao.gov
  92. wtwco.com
  93. foodandag-isac.org
  94. publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu
  95. afgc.org.au
  96. financialfilings.com
  97. unileverusa.com
  98. fao.org
  99. statista.com
  100. corporate.mcdonalds.com
  101. pepsico.com
  102. acp-aep-cs-blobstore-prod-va6c2-data.adobe.io
  103. census.gov
  104. ir.ingredionincorporated.com
  105. unilever.com
  106. fnbdaily.net
  107. time.com
  108. jbs.com.br
  109. ferrero.com
  110. tysonfoods.com
  111. nass.usda.gov