Segments of the Food Industry

Segments of the Food Industry
The food industry is divided into four major segments:
Production
Manufacturing/processing
Distribution
Marketing’

Production includes such industries as farming, ranching, orchard management, fishing and aquaculture.

Technologies involved in production of the raw materials include the selection of plant and animals varieties, cultivation, growth, harvest, slaughter and the storage and handling of the raw materials.

Manufacturing converts raw agriculture products to more refined or finished products.

Manufacturing required many unit operation and processes that are at the core of food technology.

Distribution deals with those aspects conducive to product sales, including; product form, weight and bulk, transportation, storage requirements and storage stability.

Marketing in the selling of foods and involves wholesale, retail institutions and restaurants.

These four divisions are rather artificial and the divisions actually overlap one another.

Nevertheless the food industries requires planning and synchronization in all its divisions to be successful.

Another way of dividing the food industry is along major product lines:
Cereal and bakery
Meats, fish and poultry
Dairy products
Fruits and vegetables
Sugars and other sweets
Fats and oils
Nonalcoholic beverages/alcoholics beverages

These division are typically where consumer consumption is measured and reported.
Segments of the Food Industry