As the second-largest manufacturing industry in the Canadian food supply chain as a percentage of GDP, it’s no surprise there are approximately 10,286 food manufacturing businesses located across the country.
Under the food manufacturing umbrella, various sub-sectors have distinct design and layout requirements for their facilities. The table below shows the number of businesses in each sub-sector across Canada, as reported in 2021.
All food processing businesses operate out of facilities that follow strict regulatory requirements to ensure food safety. Building designs are optimized for production efficiency, with each layout unique to the manufactured products.
For example, the layout requirements within the meat processing industry will differ whether the plant is for slaughter, raw, or ready-to-eat products. And a flour mill will look entirely different from a bakery. But all facilities have one thing in common - they transform a raw ingredient into a finished product.