In the past, people ate and drank anything without any concern for their health. These days, however, people have become more conscious of what they consume. Organic food and beverages—meaning those free from pesticides, industrial solvents, and additives—are no longer just part of a niche market. They have become popular among many health-conscious consumers.
An article published at Gray.com’s News section highlights this increasing demand for organic food. This is due to the public perception that organic food is safer, has more nutrients, and tastes better than those made by traditional methods. Hence, a manufacturer with a single modern liquid packaging machine, for example, will surely not be able to meet the public demand for more organic beverages.
This has spurred the need for organic food producers to seek more access to organically-grown crops and raised livestock. The Organic Trade Association (OTA) reports that sales of organic food and beverages in the U.S. increased from $1 billion in 1990 to around $29.22 billion in 2011. On the other hand, some estimates indicate that organic sales now total over $35 billion and the industry is one of a few sectors that continue to have a positive effect on the U.S. employment rate.
In this regard, the National Organic Program (NOP), an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently published a list of certified organic operations in the country. It includes about 17,750 certified USDA organic farms and processing plants, or a whooping 240 percent increase since the NOP started gathering this data in 2002. With such expanding operations, the organic industry must fill the void between supply and demand by installing more industrial equipment in their various manufacturing facilities.
However, the organic industry’s growth isn’t solely an American phenomenon; it is also experienced by other countries around the world like China and Mexico. Many factors have contributed to this growth including rapid urbanization, higher levels of education, and a growing middle class. Studies have shown that organic food sales totaled up to a $4 billion increase since 2010, with 1.8 million farmers in 162 countries growing organic food on about 37 million hectares of agricultural land.
What do all these statistics mean to food and beverage manufacturers around the world? The Gray.com article indicates that supply falls short of the increasing demand and the only answer to this is to manufacture more of these products. In order to increase production, however, one needs to expand plant facilities like adding new jar filling machines for instance such as those provided by companies like Filling Equipment Co., Inc.
These companies offer various manufacturing devices like automatic straight line liquid fillers, bottling machine & equipment, and many more. With people becoming more selective about what they eat or drink, the demand for organic food will continue to grow. Fortunately, manufacturers can meet these market demands by adding more liquid packaging machines and other similar equipment to their operations.