Individual Quick Freezing Market - Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast, 2021-2031

The Global Individual Quick Freezing Market is projected to expand from USD 24.66 Billion in 2025 to USD 33.37 Billion by 2031, reflecting a compound annual growth rate of 5.17%. IQF technology preserves food by freezing distinct items separately, preventing them from sticking together while retaining texture and nutritional content. This market growth is largely fueled by the globalization of food supply networks and the urgent need to curtail food waste through extended product shelf life, a demand evident in rising industrial capacities. As reported by the Global Cold Chain Alliance in April 2025, the total temperature-controlled capacity among its global members hit 231 million cubic meters, marking a year-over-year increase of more than 10%.

However, a significant impediment to market expansion is the high energy consumption associated with operating IQF facilities. The substantial electricity requirements necessary to maintain ultra-low temperatures create financial pressure on operators and complicate adherence to increasingly stringent environmental regulations. This economic strain can deter new entrants and limit scalability in price-sensitive markets, potentially slowing the industry's overall trajectory.

Market Drivers

A primary catalyst for the IQF market is the escalating global appetite for convenience and ready-to-eat foods, as consumers seek high-quality, time-saving meal solutions. Rapid urbanization and busier lifestyles have shifted dietary habits, necessitating increased production of frozen produce, meats, and complete meals that maintain freshness through individual quick freezing. In response, manufacturers are broadening their product lines to offer more easy-to-prepare options, leading to increased retail volumes. This strong consumer demand is highlighted by Frozen & Refrigerated Buyer in February 2025, which noted in its '2024 Ends on a High Note' article that frozen food sales within the MULO+ universe totaled $85.5 billion for the year.

Simultaneously, technological progress in IQF machinery and efficiency plays a crucial role in enabling processors to satisfy this demand while managing operational costs. Innovations in freezing tunnels and spiral freezers are boosting throughput and enhancing hygiene standards, which are vital for preserving the texture and nutrients of sensitive foods, while also addressing energy usage. This drive toward advanced processing capabilities is reflected in significant industrial investments; JBT Marel Corporation reported in February 2025 that inbound orders from continuing operations reached $1.78 billion for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2024. Furthermore, GEA Group reported in 2025 that its total order intake for the 2024 fiscal year rose to EUR 5.55 billion, driven by sustained activity in the food and flow technology sectors.

Market Challenges

The intensive energy consumption mandated by Individual Quick Freezing operations acts as a major financial restraint that impedes global market growth. Because maintaining the ultra-low temperatures for IQF requires continuous and heavy electricity usage, facility operators face a high baseline for operational expenditures. This dependency on power renders the industry highly susceptible to fluctuating utility prices, which compresses profit margins for both processors and logistics providers. Consequently, capital that could be used for expansion, upgrades, or market entry is consumed by basic energy costs, creating significant barriers for smaller companies and discouraging investment in regions with expensive or unstable energy infrastructure.

The detrimental effect of these escalating costs is reinforced by recent industry data regarding financial performance. The Global Cold Chain Alliance reported in July 2025 that electricity costs for cold storage operators rose sharply by 4.95% in the first quarter relative to the same period the prior year. Such persistent increases in utility expenses make long-term financial planning difficult and diminish the sector's appeal to investors. As operators find it difficult to absorb these rising overheads without fully transferring them to price-sensitive consumers, the market's scalability is limited, resulting in a deceleration of industrial development and infrastructure rollout.

Market Trends

The Individual Quick Freezing (IQF) market is being reshaped by the proliferation of plant-based meat alternatives and vegan products, which demand precise freezing techniques to preserve their structural integrity. To prevent cellular damage and clumping in these delicate formulations, manufacturers are implementing IQF tunnels specifically calibrated for plant-based proteins, ensuring a premium presentation at retail. The necessity for robust industrial freezing capacity in this segment is evidenced by the Good Food Institute's April 2025 '2024 State of the Industry Report,' which indicated that global retail sales of plant-based meat analogues reached $6.1 billion for the year.

In parallel, the industry is migrating toward sustainable, low-Global Warming Potential (GWP) refrigerant solutions to mitigate long-term liabilities and adhere to environmental regulations. Operators are increasingly adopting natural refrigerants such as ammonia and carbon dioxide, which provide better thermodynamic efficiency than legacy hydrofluorocarbons. This shift is driving changes in equipment design, with manufacturers engineering systems to handle the high operating pressures of transcritical CO2 cycles for maximum heat transfer. According to the 'Natural Refrigerants: State of the Industry 2024' report by ATMOsphere in February 2025, the number of industrial sites in Europe utilizing transcritical CO2 systems rose to 4,900 in 2024, highlighting the rapid adoption of these eco-friendly cooling technologies.

Key Players Profiled in the Individual Quick Freezing Market

• John Bean Technologies Corporation
• Multivac Group
• Ningbo Xiaofeixia Refrigeration Equipment Co., Ltd.
• Marel HF
• GEA Group AG
• BUhler AG
• OctoFrost Group
• GEA Refrigeration Technologies
• Pilgrim's Pride Corporation
• Unifreezing Europe BV

Report Scope

In this report, the Global Individual Quick Freezing Market has been segmented into the following categories:

Individual Quick Freezing Market, by Equipment Type:

• Spiral Freezer
• Tunnel Freezer
• Box Freezer & Others

Individual Quick Freezing Market, by Processing Stages:

• Pre-Processing
• Freezing & Packaging

Individual Quick Freezing Market, by Technology:

• Mechanical IQF
• Cryogenic IQF

Individual Quick Freezing Market, by Product:

• Fruits and Vegetables
• Seafood
• Meat and Poultry
• Dairy Products & Others

Individual Quick Freezing Market, by Region:

• North America
• Europe
• Asia-Pacific
• South America
• Middle East & Africa

Competitive Landscape

Company Profiles: Detailed analysis of the major companies present in the Global Individual Quick Freezing Market.

Available Customization

The analyst offers customization according to your specific needs. The following customization options are available for the report:

• Detailed analysis and profiling of additional market players (up to five).

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