The food industry is a complex and global network of various businesses that provides most of the consumed food by the people of the world. The term “food industry” includes a set of industrial activities that are involved in the production, distribution, transformation, preparation, storage, transportation, certification, processing and packaging of food. Today, the food industry has become very diverse and its production ranges from small, traditional and family activities that are very busy to large, capital-intensive and mechanized industrial processes. Many food industries depend almost entirely on agriculture and animal husbandry or fishing. The food industry includes the following:
Agriculture: Cultivation of agricultural products, breeding of livestock and seafood
Food processing: preparation of fresh products for the market and production of ready food products
Marketing: promotion of general products (e.g. milk), new products, advertising, marketing campaigns, packaging, public relations, etc.
Food wholesale and distribution: procurement, transportation, warehousing
Food service (including catering)
Retail sales
Regulations: local, regional, national and international laws and regulations for the production and sale of food, including food quality, food safety, marketing, advertising
Education: academic, consulting, professional
Research and development: food technology
Financial services: credit, insurance