10 月，食品三大子行业工业增加值增速均较上月有所放缓。食品制造业工业增加值同比增长 3.4%，农副食品加工业增加值同比下降 2.7%，酒、饮料和精制茶制造业工业增加值同比增长4.3%。食品工业主要产品中，鲜、冷藏肉与白酒产量同比均出现下跌；乳制品产量虽较上月下跌，但增速较上月有所加快。行业固定资产投资总体依然低迷，其中，酒、饮料和精制茶制造业固定资产同比增长 5.4%，食品制造业固定资产投资同比下滑 3.8%，农副食品加工业固定资产投资同比减少 10.1%。

9 月，食品三大子行业工业增加值增速较上月呈“两降一升”态势。食品制造业工业增加值同比增长 4.2%，农副食品加工业增加值同比下降 1.2%，酒、饮料和精制茶制造业工业增加值同比增长 7.6%。食品工业主要产品中，乳制品与白酒产量均实现了同比增长，但增速有所放缓；鲜、冷藏肉产量同比下跌，跌幅进一步扩大。行业固定资产投资总体低迷，其中，酒、饮料和精制茶制造业固定资产同比增长 4.7%，食品制造业固定资产投资同比下滑3.0%，农副食品加工业固定资产投资同比减少 10.8%。

Coding and marking have remained an integral part of the product/commodity supply chain for years now. The overall technology itself has a crucial role to play in our daily lives, be it from the perspective of businesses, industries, or even mere consumers. The coding and marking process in simple terms involves the imprinting of information and data on products and its packaging to enable an efficient track & trace process throughout the supply/distribution chain. This packaging could either be a primary or secondary form of packaging, depending on the product material to be coded. Similarly, the information or the data to be printed can vary as per product category. For instance, the coding and marking of a food item such as fruit cakes can have information such as best before dates and bar codes for tracking it, while in case of chemical fertilizer, the information related to the chemical may be highlighted more expansively.

In Africa, more than 300 million people depend on maize as their major food crop, and it is one of the most important crops in the region. Maize also serves as an important source of feed, for farm animals. The region’s maize production is constantly being affected by several challenges, such as weeds, insects, bacteria, viruses, nematodes, fungi, low-quality seeds, low levels of mechanization, sub-optimal post- harvest management, drought, and climate change. Most countries are, therefore, dependent on imports, to meet their demand. A lot of new varieties of maize are being developed. For instance, the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), the Weizmann Institute of Science, the Kenya Agriculture Research Institute, and the company BASF developed a herbicide-resistant maize variety, StrigAway, which helps reduce Striga infestation in the fields. As a result, there is an increasing productivity of maize.

The global meat output was estimated at 336 million tons in 2018, which was 1.7% higher than that in 2017. The major markets driving the meat output were the US, the EU, and Russia. However, Brazil and China, which were among the major meat markets, are witnessing stagnation in recent years. The year 2018 was a very productive year for meat producers, as North America and Europe increased their productivity owing to better farm management practices, streamlined production processes, and the use of innovative technologies, including feed additives. The meat market was faced with various challenges that plagued market growth over the past few years. Some of these challenges are drought in certain parts of the world, including the US in the first half of 2019, extreme heat during summer in the EU, and throughout the year in Australia, resulting in a large number of animal slaughters.

Consumers are increasingly demanding ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook meat products with better taste and quality. The increase in consumer awareness and acceptance, regarding the convenience of meat products, is an important factor driving the growth of the market studied. The US production of pork hit considerable margins in recent years. Additionally, in the United States, the US Department of Agriculture estimates the pork production to increase by 1.4% in 2019, as compared to that in 2018. This, in turn, is expected to allow manufacturers to produce more products, like bacon, due to the abundance of raw materials, such as pork. The pork industry witnessed increased demand for pork belly, especially from foodservice outlets.

The push for healthy living is the primary factor poised to drive the demand for health ingredients, like blueberries. Consumers today, prefer nutritional food to enhance overall health and wellbeing. Blueberries are also known for preventing cancer, as they contain vitamin C and vitamin A. Moreover, the various phytonutrients in blueberries function as powerful antioxidants that may help protect cells against damage from disease-linked free radicals. Thus, food and beverage manufacturers are increasingly incorporating healthy ingredients, like blueberry, in the form of powder, pieces in on-the-go snacks. However, increasing demand for snacks made using real fruits and vegetables is on the rise. Thus products, like blueberry fruit-based snacks, are gaining popularity among consumers across the world.