FOOD CONTAINERS (US industry forecasts for 2013 & 2018)

Abstract

US food container demand is projected to reach $25 billion in 2013. Gains will be based on an expanding population base, real growth (albeit decelerated) in disposable personal income, smaller household sizes, consumer demand for foods offering a combination of convenience and value, and trends toward value-added packaging providing enhanced freshness protection and convenience of use. Unit expansion will be aided by the growing popularity of single-serving packaging, such as plastic cups and pouches, in an increasing range of applications, with such formats increasingly chosen to meet consumer demand for food products offering convenience and portability.

Plastic containers, and bags and pouches will experience the fastest growth among food container types, often supplanting paperboard, metal and glass containers. Plastic container advances in the US will be attributable to performance advantages over glass, metal and paperboard alternatives, as well as improved resin and processing technologies. While rapid price increases in recent years have reduced plastic' s cost advantage versus paper, metal and glass, plastic containers have a well-entrenched market position and their excellent product protection qualities will sustain continued opportunities.

Opportunities for bags and pouches will be the result of cost and performance advantages that will enable continued inroads into rigid packaging applications. Moreover, the source reduction advantages of flexible packaging such as bags and pouches will support gains as brand owners seek to enhance the environmental friendliness of their packaging.

Though expected to grow more slowly, paperboard food container demand will be aided by heightened demand for recycled content packaging and the promotion of paper as a renewable resource as part of efforts to “go green” in packaging. In addition, aseptic cartons will log robust gains in soups and canned specialties, and sauces and condiments, often at the expense of metal cans.

Greater use of metal food cans with differentiating features, such as easyopening and/or resealable tops and nontraditional can types, such as retortable aluminum bowls and shaped cans, is anticipated. Moreover, cans will remain an important segment of the food container mix due to their long shelf life and the economic advantages of canned items in controlling food expenditures.

Glass container demand is expected to continue to decline as a result of further inroads by plastic and flexible containers. Nonetheless, glass' high quality image will enable it to remain an important part of the container mix in certain markets.

Markets expected to post above-average growth include frozen specialties, sauces and condiments, snack food, dairy products, fruit and vegetables, and meat and related products. Advances in these markets will reflect favorable shipment growth and/or an increased presence of convenience-oriented products.

Study coverage

This new Freedonia industry study, Food Containers, presents historical demand data (1998, 2003, 2008) plus forecasts for 2013 and 2018 by product and market.The study also considers market environment factors, evaluates company market share and profiles 37 industry competitors.