The food industry, which includes farming and food production, packaging
and distri- tion, and retail and catering, is enormous. states that in
the United States, consumers spend approximately US$1 trillion annually
for food, or nearly of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Over 16. 5
million people are employed in the food industry. In 2004, processed
food sales worldwide were approximately US$3. 2 trillion. According to
Reuters, "food processing is one of the largest manufacturing sectors in
the United States, accounting for approximately of all manufacturing
shipments (by value). The processed food industry has grown by over
between 1998 and 2004, and in 2004, the value of processed food
shipments was approximately $470 billion. The largest sectors of the
industry, in terms of value, are meat, dairy, fruit and vegetable
preservation, and specialty foods. Other niche sectors include bakeries
and tortilla manufacturing, grain and oilseed milling, sugar and
confectionery, animal food manufacturing, and seafood products. " The
size of the machinery component of the food processing industry is
hardly static, and it is an area where engineers can have a major
effect. The U. S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics,
states: "Fierce competition has led food manufacturing plants to invest
in technologically advanced machinery to be more productive. The new
machines have been applied to tasks as varied as packaging, inspection,
and inventory control . . . . Computers also are being widely
implemented throughout the industry . . . .
