The US food pathogen testing market is projected to reach $10.79 billion by 2020, growing at a rate of 7.8 percent from 2015 to 2020, according to researchers at MarketsandMarkets.

A recent study reveals the growing level of foodborne illnesses due to food contamination and rising consumer inclination toward better quality and safe food has led to the rise in the food pathogen testing market for varied food products. Researchers say the market will also be influenced by rising trade, implementation of stringent food safety regulations, and media influence on consumer awareness for food safety.

Salmonella testing has dominated the market in recent years and will continue to drive the global demand for food pathogen testing owing to the large number of foodborne outbreaks due to Salmonella in foods such as meat and poultry, dairy, processed food, and fruit and vegetables.

The meat and poultry testing market is projected to grow at a significant rate through 2020, largely due to some highly publicized outbreaks of foodborne diseases caused by pathogenic bacteria. As a result, regulatory authorities and the industries have undertaken efforts to improve sanitary conditions and the microbiological limit in meat and poultry. North America dominated the testing market in 2014 and this trend is projected to continue through 2020. Japan and China constituted the largest markets in Asia-Pacific in 2014 and together with India they are projected to drive the regional growth with the Asia-Pacific market projected to grow at the highest rate between 2015 and 2020. The market is driven by stringent food safety regulations and the trend of globalization in food supply trade and is expected to further create enhanced opportunity in this region.