US Flexible Food Packaging

US Flexible Food Packaging

Demand for flexible food packaging is forecast to increase 3.0% per year to $22.0 billion in 2027, with real growth of 1.4% to 225 billion units, above that of food packaging overall. Flexible packaging offers a number of benefits over rigid packaging – including its lighter weight, lower cost, and improved performance – and will continue to penetrate the food packaging market going forward. Nonetheless, food packaging remains a challenging market due to the need to balance cost, performance, sustainability goals, and consumer preferences:

• High-performance and newer products such as bag-in-box bladders, brick packs, and vacuum skin packaging will experience the strongest advances.
• Flexible packaging continues to significantly penetrate shelf-stable formats through aseptic and retort pouches and bladders, owing to their lower cost and weight compared to cans.

Meat, Poultry, & Seafood Propel Growth of High-Value Flexible Packaging

Vacuum skin packaging and brick packs – two forms of packaging used almost exclusively with meat, poultry, and seafood products – are expected to grow at the fastest rate of any flexible food packaging product, taking share primarily from wrap (which is used with trays in conventional packaging formats). The unique nature of fresh protein products – their high cost, short shelf life, and sensitivity to temperature and moisture – incentivizes the use of brick packs and skin packaging; despite their higher cost, they improve shelf life and reduce leakage compared to traditional wrap and tray packaging, decreasing food spoilage. These products are also increasingly used in the packaging of the high-growth meat alternatives market, as well as with other fresh, high-cost perishable foods, such as cheese.

Plastic Continues to Dominate Flexible Food Packaging

Despite comprising nearly 90% of total flexible food packaging demand, plastic is expected to continue to see healthy growth going forward due to the variety of advantages it offers, particularly with regard to its performance:

• Certain high-growth packaging formats – bladders for bag-in-box, brick packs, and skin packaging – can only be made using plastic due to its impermeability, a necessary feature to extend the shelf life of food products.
• Plastic also benefits from its clarity, allowing consumers to inspect the food before purchase, especially important for fresh applications.

Furthermore, manufacturers of plastic packaging continue to address its poor sustainability image by incorporating recycled content, improving recyclability, reducing plastic used per package, and offering more bioplastic options.Study description

This Freedonia industry study analyzes the US market for flexible food packaging. Historical data (2012, 2017, and 2022) and forecasts for 2027 are presented for flexible food packaging demand in current US dollars (including inflation) and units. Demand for flexible packaging is provided for food by material, packaging product, food format (fresh/refrigerated, frozen, canned or dry), and application. The study also evaluates company market share for key suppliers.