Processed Food Market Expected Shift Toward Health & Sustainability in 2025

Processed Food

People these days are showing a clear move towards eating healthier and more sustainable foods. The processed food market is also following suit. A 2024 study by PwC found that a significant proportion of consumers, approximately 52%, are making an effort to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables. Additionally, around 22% plan to eat less red meat. This shift is being facilitated by new developments in custom-made diets and the increasing availability of more plant-based choices.

• Think of the world's processed food market as a full circle. Europe is responsible for the biggest chunk, nearly 40%. The Asia Pacific region comes in second, accounting for approximately 31%. The United States also contributes a significant portion, around 21%. And all the other countries combined account for the remaining, smaller part, which is just 9%. This kind of visual helps you quickly see which parts of the world are producing the most processed food.
• In Nagpur, at the ICAR-Central Citrus Research Institute (ICAR-CCRI), folks are finding really smart ways to use everything from citrus fruits. They're not just squeezing juice; they're turning the leftovers into cool stuff. Think tasty gummies packed with extra goodness and powders made from citrus. Even the peels and seeds, which are usually discarded, are now being utilized for making food, beauty products, and even medicines. They've even figured out how to bake cookies with mandarin orange bits and make wrappers that break down naturally from lime peels. It's all about being smart and not letting anything go to waste, as per the Times of India.
• In May 2025, a big food company from the UK called Greencore bought another one, Bakkavor Group, for a lot of money – around £1.2 billion. For every share of Bakkavor, the people who owned them got some new shares in Greencore and some cash. Bakkavor produces items such as soups and dips that can be found in large stores like Tesco. Now that they've joined forces, the people who owned Greencore before will have a slightly larger share of the new, combined company (approximately 56%), and the former Bakkavor owners will have the remaining stake (around 44%).
• "It's clear that people are increasingly thinking about what they're eating and putting into their bodies," noted Francisco Troncoso, Global Executive Chef at Zuma. "They're drawn to brands that line up with their own beliefs, especially when it comes to using natural, wholesome stuff that's sourced responsibly – things they feel good about trusting," as per Forbes.