The 2005 level, compiled by Improve from national labour force statistics, marks a 4.5 percentage point increase over the 2003 level, indicating the industry's increasing dependence on immigrant workers.
The statistics indicate that European Commission proposals last week to make it easer for companies to hire foreign workers would be welcomed by food and drink processors.
In raw figures there were 22,900 foreign nationals estimated to be working in the industry in 2003, a figure that grew to 35,600 in 2005, an increase of 55 per cent, according to Improve, the UK's skills training agency for the sector.
"The foreign national workforce is young, predominantly male, permanent and is for the most part undertaking blue collar roles in the sector," Improve stated.
Foreign national workers are concentrated in the "other food", meat, and dairy categories. The "other food" classification includes companies in the bakery and confectionery sectors.
Together, the three sub-sectors account for 88 per cent of the foreign national workforce in the industry, Improve stated.
Some sectors have reduced their dependence on foreign workers. The proportion of foreign nationals working in the fruit and vegetables processing sub-sector fell to 2 per cent in 2005 from 12.5 per cent in 2003.
Beverage manufacturers depended on foreign nationals for 5 per cent of their workforce in 2005, compared to 10 per cent in 2003.
About 77 per cent of foreign nationals employed in food and drink manufacturing work in blue collar roles. About 47 per cent are working as process, plant and machine operatives alone.
Another 8 per cent are working in skilled roles, such as managers, senior officials, professionals, and associate professional and technical roles.
About 76 per cent of the foreign national workforce are permanent employees, with 24 per cent hired on a temporary basis, Improve stated.
In the overall workforce foreign workers in the sector account for 8 per cent of the total permanent workforce, and 39 per cent of the total temporary staff.
The regional distribution has been changing since 2004, with the main areas they are being hired concentrated in Yorkshire and Humberside, South East, West Midlands and London.
About 47 per cent of all the foreign nationals working in the industry are aged between 21 to 30 years, the survey found.
The European Commission forecasts that the EU needs to open the door to an extra 20m workers over the next two decades to fill the gaps.
Last week the Commission presented proposals to ease their way into the bloc. These include fast-track procedures to admit "highly-qualified third country workers" and the launch of an EU version of the US' green card system for foreigners.
EU immigration ministers meeting in Lisbon last week debated the unified immigration programme to fill gaps in the bloc's workforce.
The "Blue EU Labour Card" would make it easer for immigrant workers to move throughout the EU for available jobs. Those who live in the EU for five consecutive years would be allowed to stay permanently.
EU legislators will also consider a proposal for a law laying out minimum working standards for unskilled immigrant workers. A one-stop shop for work permits for unskilled immigrants would co-ordinate the approval process for such workers.
The Commission has identified Germany, Italy and Hungary as the countries most in need of immigrant labour.
A Commission report estimated that in January 2006 the number of third-country nationals residing in the EU was 18.5 million, or 3.8 per cent of the total EU population of about 493 million.
