amec has prepared an executive summary based on three reports from the journal Food Engineeringmagazine, a reference publication in the food and beverage industry.

The synthesis, accessible on the CoLab platform, brings together in a single document the main findings on infrastructure, manufacturing operations and corporate developments in the U.S. food market, with data and trends that can be extrapolated to the industry as a whole.

Here are the main conclusions:

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Active investments despite the economic context

The 48th Annual Plant Construction Survey indicates that, despite inflation and uncertainty, the sector maintains a steady pace of investment in expansions, technological improvements and modernization. It highlights the growing commitment to automation, secure remote access and end-to-end and comprehensive digitization of processes.

New or expanded projects are more focused on operational optimization. operational optimization than physical expansion. The lack of talent in manufacturing environments is one of the main challenges, and is answered with better spaces for labor welfare.

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Food safety and new regulatory requirements

Food security remains a priority. The extension of the deadline to comply with the FSMA Rule 204 requires companies to adapt their to adapt their traceability systems through investments in infrastructure, software and hygienic design. In addition, alternative protein production facilities are gaining prominence, with technical requirements similar to those of biotechnology.

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Operational vision: expectations and costs

According to the State of Food Manufacturing 2025 report, 60% of companies expect to increase revenues this year, with an average growth of 20%. Drivers include an increase in customers and higher demand.

However, the total cost per product increases in most cases, mainly because of the rising cost of ingredients, raw materials and transportation. Even so, more than half of the companies plan to increase its equipment budget, especially for production, packaging and quality control.especially for production, packaging and quality control.

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Global ranking: leaders and strategic moves

The Top 100 food and beverage companies show significant changes in global leadership: PepsiCo overtakes Nestlé and tops the list by revenue. In addition, the report highlights important strategic moves such as acquisitions, mergers and plant openings in the United States by groups such as Ferrero, Hershey, Campbell’s and Mars.