Pouches a key driver in food container growth

The US market for food containers is projected to exceed US$31 billion by 2020, driven in part by the growth in flexible packaging options such as pouches.

The continuing shift away from rigid packaging formats is expected to be a key trend in the industry, as will efforts to improve both the reality and optics of sustainability initiatives.

Package revisions will feature strongly in efforts to reignite interest in sluggish product categories, and novel packaging formats will continue to emerge, such as clear plastic cans and squeezable spouted pouches. These trends are presented in ‘Food Containers: Rigid & Flexible’, a study by Freedonia Group.

Food products perceived and marketed as healthful, such as yoghurt and nuts, are forecast to register strong growth beyond 2020, boosting demand for related packaging including plastic tubs, cups, jars and pouches.

Consumer perception will continue to feature heavily in packaging decisions, analyst Mike Richardson said: “Although nearly every major packaging type can make a legitimate case for its environmental suitability, consumer perceptions often weigh more heavily into purchasing behaviour than careful analysis of data from lifecycle sustainability assessments. For example, while rigid plastic, foam and molded pulp egg containers all offer environmental benefits, moulded pulp is often considered the ‘greenest’ option of the three.”

Pouches will continue to be popular due to cost and performance advantages, as well as their more contemporary image — especially among younger consumers — when compared with bags, bottles and cans.

Competition from pouches and the maturity of many applications is expected to limit the growth potential of bags. Among more mature segments, demand for paperboard food containers will be supported due to their appealing graphics and improved microwave oven performance.

Despite a loss of market share, metal cans will remain an important segment of the food container mix due to their long shelf life and positioning as a means of controlling food expenditures, while prospects for glass containers will be enhanced by their premium image and use for natural and organic products.