France: Food Processing Ingredients

The food processing industry an important sector for France. In general, it has successfully managed the Covid-19 crisis by adapting to cost increases and more stringent sanitary measures. Food processing industry statistics have not yet released for 2020, but in 2019, the sector was valued at $212 billion with over 17,000 food processors, from small family-owned businesses to some of the largest food companies in the world. Progress in food technology, marketing innovations, and exports of finished food products contribute to France's increasing demand for food ingredients. Exports of processed foods are higher than other large industrial sectors in France and its food industry is the third largest in the world behind Germany and the United States.