This paper presents factor productivity growth measures in the European food industry over the period 2001-2008 by using data envelopment analysis. The Malmquist productivity growth indicator is used to identify the contributions of technical change, technical efficiency change and scale change. The study contributes to the literature by analysing the dairy and meat processing industries in eight European countries based on a sample of 4,584 firms. Results will underline differences between these countries concerning the productivity growth measures as well as differences between different company sizes. Further research should include an impulse response analysis for the effect of investment spikes.