The food and drink sector is a strategic industry in the EU, where it has grown steadily at around 2.6%. It accounts for 20% of Spain's total industrial output, whilst in Catalonia it represents 17.5% of sales and 7.9% of Spanish GDP.
Catalonia offers a wealth of know-how in food production and food technology, and leading ingredients suppliers and renowned packaging and process technology firms contribute to making Catalonia an advanced food cluster. The importance of the food sector is reflected by the fact that more than 4,000 companies in the Spanish food industry are established in Catalonia. These companies account for 22% of the total output in Spain's food sector and employ one fifth of all workers in the food sector nationwide.
Some of the homegrown Catalan food companies are multinational companies, such as Nutrexpa (Cola-Cao, Nocilla, La Piara, Aneto and Granja San Francisco), Borges, Freixenet, Codorníu i Torres. Other leading companies include Agrolimen (Gallina Blanca, Biocentury, El Pavo and Pans & Company), Gallo pasta, Panrico, Guissona, Argal, Noel and Damm, a brewing group. Catalonia has also spawned a number of other successful companies, although smaller in size, such as Casa Tarradellas or Europastry, which is ranked 32nd in Europe's top 500 fastest-growing small and medium-sized companies. In addition, many foreign multinationals including Danone, Nestlé, United Biscuits, Pepsico, Unilever, or Bimbo have established production plants and offices in Catalonia.
Alimentaria Barcelona (10-14 March, 2008) is one of the world's leading food shows and Barcelona Tecnoalimentaria (11-15 May 2009) promotes the food industry and food technology. Both are two well-known international food and beverage fairs.
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Updated 17/11/2008
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