Environmental and economic factors are having a significant impact on the global food and beverage processing market, according to a study released by PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, Reston, Va.

The study, “Global Trends Influencing Food and Beverage Processing report and infographic,” states that on the environmental side, concerns include depletion of natural resources, tighter regulations and heavier taxes to protect the environment, as well as ways to minimize waste and save energy. Economic considerations include financial and political uncertainty, low-order backlogs, dampened capital investments and changes in trade and security policies.

In addition, changing consumer demands, pricing pressures and the need for product differentiation are driving the need for investment in new or upgraded processing machinery.