On the occasion of the start of the world’s leading trade fair drinktec, the VDMA Food Processing and Packaging Machinery Association sees the industry in good shape despite major challenges. “The mood in our industry is mostly good. Contrary to the trend in the overall mechanical engineering sector, exports of food processing and packaging machinery continued to grow in the first half of 2025.We expect an increase in turnover this year, but it is currently difficult to forecast a growth rate” states Richard Clemens, Managing Director of the VDMA Food Processing and Packaging Machinery Association.

German exports continue to rise

With an average of 84 percent in export sales, the food processing and packaging machinery industry is one of the strongest exporting sectors in German mechanical engineering. In 2024, foreign deliveries increased by 6 percent to 10.6 billion euros, followed by another growth of 6 percednt in the first half of 2025. The EU-27 markets, which account for 34 percent of exports, are proving very robust and grew by a total of 10.2 percent during the period under review.

For many years, the USA has been by far the most important market for German manufacturers of food processing and packaging machinery. Exports have risen steadily, reaching a peak of €1.8 billion in 2024. In the first half of 2025, German deliveries were 0.4 percent below the previous year’s record level.

Richard Clemens, Managing Director of the VDMA Food Processing and Packaging Machinery Association, expects many visitors from the US to come to drinktec despite the tariff issue. “With over 1.5 million employees, the American food industry is the strongest sector in the US manufacturing industry. Automation and capacity expansion are considered the strongest drivers for investment. American companies are unable to meet their technology needs locally” says Clemens, pointing to EU imports of food processing and packaging machinery, which amounted to €5 billion in 2024.

China is also one of the important markets for mechanical engineering companies. German exports of food processing and packaging machinery to the People’s Republic have been declining since 2023 and fell by 29 percent in the first half of 2025 compared to the previous year. In addition to the ongoing economic weakness, China’s “buy local” strategy is also leaving its mark. “China still offers business potential for German companies – especially in the high-performance sector. However, this requires companies to make strategic decisions in favour of localisation in order to be competitive in the market,” comments Clemens.

More than half of the exports are delivered to countries outside Europe. Strong momentum with double-digit growth rates came in the first half of 2025 from nearly 40 countries in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America, including Brazil, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Vietnam, Egypt, Algeria, Ghana, Nigeria, and Tanzania. “The industry is very broadly positioned worldwide, which basically ensures good market opportunities,” summarises Clemens.

Europe leads the global machinery trade

The global food and beverage industry is one of the most dynamic growth sectors and is the most important industrial sector in many countries. As a result, not only the German exports are rising, but the global trade volume of food and packaging machinery has also been growing steadily for many years, reaching a preliminary peak of almost €54.5 billion in 2024.

European companies are clear leaders in the international trade of food and packaging machinery. Almost 70 percent of global trade comes from Europe. “This makes food and packaging machinery manufacturing the most successful export industry in the entire European mechanical engineering sector due to its high level of specialisation, performance, and innovative strength,” states Clemens. Italy and Germany are at the top of the list of the most important supplier countries, each with a 20 percent share of global trade. Germany is even stronger in some sub-sectors: in 2024, one in three internationally traded beverage packaging machines and one in two brewery machines came from Germany.

Positive market outlook – global beverage consumption and varieties on the rise

The future outlook for technology providers is positive, as the global beverage industry is growing. According to Euromonitor International, around 1.1 trillion liters of bottled and packaged beverages were sold worldwide in 2024. According to forecasts by the British market research company, sales will increase by around 14 percent by 2028. Euromonitor continues to predict double-digit growth in the Africa/Middle East and Asia/Pacific regions during this period, while beverage sales in saturated markets will increase only slightly. Here, the focus is on qualitative growth and product innovation.

According to Euromonitor, 7,000 new non-alcoholic beverage products were launched worldwide in 2024 alone, with just under 6,300 new alcoholic beverage products. The largest share of innovations came from the US, Canada, and European countries.

drinktec 2025 addresses important topics and trends

Demographic developments, health and nutrition trends, and ever-shorter product life cycles are shaping the development of the global beverage and liquid food industry. In addition, this industry is particularly concerned with high food safety and quality requirements, as well as efficient and sustainable production processes and packaging concepts, which are being taken to the next level through the use of data and digital tools.

The beverage and liquid food industry is focusing on intelligent recycling systems and sustainable resource management in both the production and packaging processes. “We see our industry as an important part of the solution here. After all, who else but the mechanical engineering industry can make a decisive contribution through innovation to making the processes in manufacturing companies economical, efficient, and sustainable at the same time,” Clemens states. In this context, digitalisation plays a key role in identifying potential for savings, optimisation, and improvement along the value chain.

When it comes to trends, Clemens sees drinktec as a clear source of inspiration. Growing health awareness, the desire for self-optimisation, new recipes, functional ingredients, and the increasing importance of proteins in beverages offer new business potential.

In 2023, German manufacturers of food processing and packaging machinery achieved a nominal export growth of 8.6 percent, reaching a record value of 9.85 billion euros. However, German manufacturers were not the only ones to benefit from the strong global demand. According to the data available to date, the global trade in food processing and packaging machinery is expected to rise to over 52 billion euros in 2023.

With an export turnover of 86 percent, the German food machinery and packaging machinery industry has an above-average level of activity in foreign markets. “On the one hand, we benefit from the continuing high level of investment in automated, efficient and sustainable production and packaging technologies in industrialised countries and, on the other, from the growth momentum in populous countries,” says Beatrix Fraese, economic expert at the VDMA Food Processing and Packaging Machinery Association. Last year, 53 per cent – and therefore more than half of exports – were delivered to countries outside Europe, with the focus on Asia and North America.

Food and beverage sector strongest industry in many countries

In many emerging economies, including the populous countries of India, Indonesia, Mexico, Brazil and Nigeria, for example, the food and beverage industries are the strongest industrial sectors (source: United Nations Industries Development Organisation UNIDO).

By investing in hygienic processing and packaging technology, these often resource-rich countries are increasing local value creation and self-sufficiency in safe, long-live food and beverages. They are increasingly moving away from exporting pure raw materials and instead exporting their own products in the region and, in some cases, worldwide. “The potential is far from exhausted and will continue to ensure a strong demand for machinery,” believes Beatrix Fraese.

The food and beverage industry is also the largest industrial sector in many industrialised countries, especially in the USA. In the United States, the sector employs almost 2 million people and generated a production value of over 1.1 trillion Euros in 2023 (source: Euromonitor International). Against the backdrop of a lack of skilled labour, the sector continues to invest in automated, efficient and stable processes. This ensures that imports of machinery are constantly reaching new records. German manufacturers have been the USA’s most important trading partner in the food processing and packaging machinery segment for many years.

USA remains number 1 market – India and Mexico among the TOP 10

The strongest impetus in 2023 also came from the USA. German deliveries of food processing and packaging machinery to the United States rose by 19 percent to €1.7 billion, which corresponds to an all-time high.

The USA has led the ranks of the top 10 sales markets for many years. France, China, the United Kingdom, Poland, Switzerland, Mexico, the Netherlands, India and Italy followed far behind in 2023.

From a regional perspective, German manufacturers sold 33 percent of exported machines in EU countries. A further 14 percent went to other European countries, 19 percent to North America, 17 percent to Asia, 8 percent to Central/South America, 4 percent to Africa, 3 percent to the Near/Middle East and 2 percent to Australia/Oceania.

Global machinery trade reaches record level in 2023

The global trade in machinery – the sum of exports from around 50 industrialised countries – reflects the global demand for imported food processing and packaging machinery and has been growing dynamically for years. Over the last 10 years, global trade in machinery has increased by 43 percent from €33.9 billion in 2012 to €48.6 billion in 2022, with EU countries accounting for a good 60 per cent of this. This makes the European food machinery and packaging machinery industry the most successful mechanical engineering segment in Europe, with Germany and Italy leading the way.

According to the data available to date, the global trade in food processing and packaging machinery will increase to over EUR 52 billion in 2023 despite difficult conditions, which corresponds to an increase of around 7 percent.

“We also see growth for our industry in 2024, as the global demand for safe and high-performance machines remains immense,” explains Beatrix Fraese, pointing to the strongest investment drivers, namely hygiene and food safety, automation and efficiency improvements, resource conservation and sustainability in production and the packaging process.

The IVLV/VDMA document “Hygienic filling machines of class V according to VDMA: Testing of packaging sterilisation devices for their efficiency” has been revised.

The document specifies test microorganisms for testing of sterilisation devices of this machine class and defines the procedure for carrying out a count reduction test or an end-point test.

This document was compiled in 2002 under the title ‘Testing of aseptic systems with packaging material sterilisation devices for their efficiency’ in the VDMA working group “Interface problems with aseptic systems” in consultation with the Industrievereinigung für Lebensmitteltechnologie und Verpackung e.V. (Industrial Association for Food Technology and Packaging). Compared to the previous version from 2008, the following changes were made:

• Restructuring of the trade association publication
• Alignment of definitions with other VDMA technical association publications
• Revision of the section “Requirements for test germs for testing packaging sterilisation devices for aseptic filling machines”.
• Revision of section “Procedure for inoculation of the packaging”.
• Revision of section “Germ reduction test” (additions to the practice with machines with multiple treatment stations)
• Revision of the section “Endpoint test” including the calculation example in the appendix (addition to the recommendation for the determination of the initial germination scale; additional criterion for the evaluation of the stability of the sterilisation process)
• Updating and addition of references
• Deletion of appendix “Growing conditions for Bacillus subtilis SA 22 and Bacillus atrophaeus and preparation of the spore suspension”.
• Update of annex “Sources of spore suspensions”.
• Additional appendix “Example of a sensitivity test of the spore suspension to the disinfection medium – using hydrogen peroxide as an example”.

The trade association publication is available in German and English and can be downloaded free of charge from VDMA.org using the link below.

An overview of all publications of the working group on the topic of low-germ and aseptic filling with links for free download is also available from there.

Since the financial and economic crisis, there has only ever been an upwards trend for food processing and packaging machinery. In 2020, the 10-year growth phase in tis mechanical engineering sector came to a temporary end with a decrease of 9 percent to 13.9 billion euros.

“The drop in production doesn’t come as a surprise, as 2019 was an exceptionally strong year for our industry. Even without the Corona pandemic, we would have probably only just exceeded this high level,” explains Richard Clemens, Managing Director of the VDMA Food Processing and Packaging Machinery Association.

In the packaging machinery sector, production dropped by a total of 8 percent to 6.7 billion euros. In food processing machinery, the change rates varied in the individual subsectors. Production of meat processing machinery slightly increased to over 1.2 billion euros. The demand also remained stable for bakery machinery. Both subsectors reported a good domestic business, which overcompensated the decrease in exports.

Production of confectionery machinery dropped by 18 percent below the very high level of the previous year. There was also a double-digit drop in the production of beverage machinery. “These two sectors are very active in non-European countries and are among those suffering from the Corona pandemic. In addition, the customers of these industries include many multinationals that have simply frozen their investment projects,” says Clemens, explaining the different developments.

Corona- pandemic weakens export business

Exports of food processing and packaging machinery dropped by a total of 8 percent to 8.5 billion euros in 2020. The decline varied greatly from one sub-sector to another. Manufacturers of packaging machinery, meat processing machinery and bakery machinery recorded downturns of 5 to 6 percent. Confectionery machinery was down by 24 percent, and brewery machinery saw a 38 percent drop in exports. However, the reference values of the previous year were also exceptionally high in these two sectors. The severe impact on the brewery machinery sector is also directly related to the limited or complete standstill of business activity in the hotel and catering industry as a result of the Corona crisis.

From a regional point of view, foreign shipments of food processing and packaging machinery decreased in almost all economic regions in 2020, except of North America. In particular, deliveries from Germany to the USA increased by 8 percent to over 1.2 billion euros. Positive impetus also came from important individual markets, such as Russia, Mexico and China.

However, deliveries to the EU-27 as the most important sales region dropped by 15 percent. Exports to Asia also decreased by a significant double-digit percentage.

Outlook

According to current estimations, a return to the 2019 level is not very likely for 2021. “We do expect production to grow this year, but it is unlikely to be in double digits,” says Clemens. The general outlook for the industry is positive, according to the trade association’s managing director, as the sector’s companies are well positioned internationally and continue to benefit from a rising global demand for processed and packaged food, beverages, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.

The VDMA represents around 3,300 German and European mechanical and plant engineering companies. The industry stands for innovation, export orientation, small and medium-sized enterprises and employs around four million people in Europe, more than one million of them in Germany only.

2019 was the ninth consecutive year of growth for packaging machinery manufacturers from Germany. According to the Federal Statistical Office, the approximately 250 mainly medium-sized companies produced packaging machinery worth around 7.3 billion euros, an increase of 2 percent. The production of beverage packaging machines increased by 4.3 percent to 2.3 billion euros. The production of other packaging machines increased by 1.2 percent to just over 4.9 billion euros.

While the production figures for packaging machinery in the first three quarters of 2019 still showed a total increase of 8 percent, they fell in the fourth quarter by 10 percent below the previous year’s figure. The slowdown in demand in the second half of the year was already affecting the German production.

Europe remains largest sales region

Half of all German packaging machinery exports went to European countries. The delivery volume reached a value of 3 billion euros and was thus 3.1 percent above the previous year. Asia purchased machinery and equipment worth just over 1.1 billion euros (plus 16 percent) and North America worth 886 million euros (plus 8 percent). Deliveries to Africa amounted to 351 million euros (plus 1 percent). Less positive was the development of the export business to Latin America, the Near and Middle East and Australia-Oceania. Exports fell by a double-digit percentage.

USA largest single sales market

With an export volume of 786 million euros (plus 7 percent), the USA remained the largest single sales market for packaging machines made in Germany in 2019. China is in second place with 451 million euros (plus 23 percent), followed by France (309 million euros, plus 3 percent), Poland (296 million euros, plus 9.5 percent) and the United Kingdom (248 million euros, plus 18 percent). Exports to Russia increased by 5 per cent to 203 million euros. This puts the country in eighth place among the ten largest export markets, after Spain (234 million euros, up 24.5 percent) and the Netherlands (219 million euros, up 29.1 percent).

Outlook: Everything open

It is currently impossible to estimate or quantify how the packaging machinery industry will develop in 2020. Due to the weak order activity in the second half of 2019 and, in particular, the drop in foreign orders, the German Food Processing and Packaging Machinery Association already assumed in its November 2019 forecast that production of packaging machinery would decline in the current year. “The extent of the decline caused by the outbreak of the corona crisis and the consequences associated with it will only become really clear in the coming months,” says Richard Clemens, Managing Director of the VDMA Food Processing and Packaging Machinery Association. Companies are increasingly feeling the effects of the corona pandemic. In addition to disruptions in the supply chain, especially in Europe, disruptions on the demand side in particular have increased further. Not only are fewer orders coming from Europe, but also from Asia and North and Latin America. Order intake in the first quarter was down 19 percentage points year-on-year. If this trend continues, it will continue into the coming year. “However, we are optimistic that demand will recover quickly following the easing of government restrictions. The increasing global demand for hygienically packaged and safe food and pharmaceutical products is a major contributor to this,” says Clemens.

The production of food processing and packaging machinery rose by 8 percent in 2018. This was not only a record figure, but also the highest growth rate in the current decade.

The past year was very successful for the manufacturers of food processing and packaging machinery: production rose by 8 percent to just under 15.2 billion euros.
“Many manufacturers started 2018 with a very high order backlog, which was gradually converted into sales in the first half of the year. This, too, explains the very high growth rate of 8 percent for the year as a whole,” says Richard Clemens, Managing Director of the VDMA Food Processing and Packaging Machinery Association.

The Packaging Machinery Industry grew by a total of 8 percent to 7.1 billion euros. The “Other Packaging Machinery” segment increased by almost 12 percent to 4.9 billion euros, while the Beverage Packaging Machinery segment increased by 1 percent and reached 2.2 billion euros, only slightly above the previous year’s level.

Where Food Processing Machinery is concerned, the degrees of the growth rates in the individual sub-areas do vary somewhat – but all are positive: The production of meat processing machinery grew by 7.6 percent to 1.2 billion euros. The production of bakery machinery increased by 9 percent to 667 million Euro. The confectionery machinery manufacturers recorded growth of 16 percent reaching 360 million euros and the production of beverage production machines grew by 7 percent to 552 million euros.

Exports and investment climate remain strong in Germany

In 2018, exports of Food Processing and Packaging Machinery rose by 6.1 percent to over 9 billion euros. Deliveries to the industry’s most important sales region, the EU-28, rose by 9 percent. Demand from the USA – the most important foreign market – remained high. Exports to China and Russia showed double-digit growth rates. Clear impulses came from many other markets, including Brazil, Japan, the Republic of Korea and India.

Domestic business, too, continued to be an important pillar of the positive business development in 2018. In some food sectors, substantial investments were made in order to expand capacity and to expedite modernisation projects. Also, the shortage of personnel in the processing plants led to further investments in machinery and equipment.

The outlook for 2019 is subject to uncertainties

Generally, the prospects for the Food Processing Machinery and Packaging Machinery sector seem good, as the industry continues to benefit from the rising global demand for processed and packaged food and beverages as well as pharmaceutical products. However, against the background of the exceptionally strong growth last year, only moderate growth of at most 2 percent is likely to happen in 2019.

“Although sales in the first four months of 2019 were higher than in the same period of the previous year, the sales growth is expected to be only moderate at 2 percent. However, incoming orders in the first four months clearly fell short of the previous year’s level. Uncertainties due to ongoing trade disputes, but also many regional political crises, are causing investors to hold back with new orders,” Clemens comments on the business outlook for 2019.