New research has reported that there is an increasing demand for rapid microbiological testing in the food industry. One possible cause for this development is the food manufacturers’ discontent and disappointment over the current quality control methods that are being implemented. These food companies are turning to automated tests that produce fast results to determine the level of food safety of their products. Another driving force for this development is the increasing demand for food consumption, as well as the increasing demand to prioritize food safety and regulations.
Currently, there are more than 60 types of rapid tests that are used to check the safety of food, and most companies all over the world accept these testing methods. It has also been indicated that rapid tests will increase in usage even more in the next five years. Despite these tests being more expensive than the traditional ones, rapid testing methods will still have a significant gain in the market.
Contributing to the growth of rapid testing methods in the food safety industry is the consumers’ growing awareness of microbiological hazards that can be found in food. This increasing awareness will also lead to the demand to give more priority to food safety. Also, the development of new biotechnological tools in rapid testing will be adopted by the food industry, further spurring the growth of the rapid food testing market around the world.
Currently, what is being utilized the most are tests for determining the presence of pathogens in food. However, in years to come, rapid testing will also cover Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) testing, as well as other tests for processed food products.