The quality testing function in the food and beverage industry is being reshaped by three disruptive market trends. First, consumers are demanding more natural products with less additives, and there is a growing demand for specific dietary products due to allergies and "diseases of affluence." This requires food and beverage firms to expand their quality testing activities rapidly into new areas and address new demands. Second, technological innovation in food and beverage quality control is gaining momentum, with multiple effects on the type and level of performance required, as well as how and where tests are performed. Finally, the fight against deliberate contamination and adulteration is triggering increasing government regulation to ensure consistency in food quality and strengthen food defense. Overall, these trends are driving significant changes in the quality testing function and require firms to be "market ready" in order to maximize value from their quality testing operations.
