Food processed to be healthy produced in 2021 a global turnover of 500 billion dollars, that by 2027 it will reach 745 billion, with an annual growth rate of 6,9%. This was claimed by the Mediobanca Research Department in a report dedicated to nutraceutical (nutrition + pharmaceuticals) and to the so-called “novel foods”, categories which include different types of products: from sugar-free to lactose-free ones, from those for celiacs (therefore gluten-free) to synthetic meat, passing through enriched products, supplements, insect flours, foods vegans and those for children.
What shines above all is the sector of weight control food, which today alone is worth $214 billion, a figure that could rise to $303 billion by 2027.
Follow food supplements (150 billion last year and 237 expected by 2027) e baby food (which should grow from 73 to 107 billion).
As regards the vegan food, in 2021 produced a turnover of 25 billion dollars, should rise to 42 by 2027: in this case the annual growth rate would be 9%, the highest in all sectors.
The situation in Italy
If we narrow our gaze to Italy, in 2020 nutraceuticals were worth around 4,8 billion euros.
The lion's share goes to the Dietary Supplements, a market in which Italy is queen in Europe and which is growing rapidly: in 2020 it reached 3,8 billion euros (+9,2% on 2008 and +2,9% on 2019). Not only that: Italy should remain the leader in this sector at least until 2025, when the turnover of supplements could reach 4,8 billion euros, outclassing those recorded in Germany (3,6 billion) and France (3,1 billion).
They complete the Italian market specialized nutrition in the strict sense (with a turnover of 700 million, of which 400 million related to food for celiacs) and the baby food (300 million euros in 2020).
The impact of the food industry on the environment
According to some estimates, the food chain is responsible for the 26% of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and this quota 50% refers to breeding activities, due to deforestation and the production of methane from the digestive processes of animals.
Also water resources they are strongly solicited by agricultural and breeding activities, which account for 92% of global freshwater consumption, against 8% absorbed by industrial and human consumption.
Finally, the use of land: 50% of the habitable area is used for agricultural activities and of this 77% is used for breeding.
The chain of production, processing and transport of meat and eggs produces 56% of emissions and the dairy one 27%, while the rest can be traced back essentially to fruit and vegetables.
The hypothetical replacement of animal meat and eggs with their vegetable substitutes in 2035 would lead to a reduction in emissions equal to those produced in a year by Japan, as vegetable substitutes involve emissions equal to one twentieth of those relating to beef from breeding, one tenth of that of poultry and one ninth of that of swine.
