US Demand for Meat, Poultry and Seafood Packaging to Exceed $9 Billion in 2015

Demand for meat, poultry and seafood packaging will increase 3.0 percent per annum to $9.2 billion in 2015.

Gains will be fueled by expanding meat, poultry and seafood production for the domestic market, as well as rising export opportunities to countries such as Japan and Chile. Packaging demand will also be stimulated by the ongoing shift to case-ready packaging by many retailers as a means of reducing in-store labor costs. These and other trends are presented in Meat, Poultry & Seafood Packaging, a new study from The Freedonia Group, Inc., a Cleveland-based industry market research firm.

Flexible packaging demand growth will continue to outpace that of rigid packaging. Gains will be bolstered by good opportunities for high barrier film and pouches. Demand for high barrier film will benefit from a favorable outlook for case-ready packaging, which requires value-added materials to prolong shelf life and protect contents during shipping and handling. Pouch demand will be driven by further inroads by retort pouches into traditional can applications and healthy gains for stand-up pouches in frozen meat, poultry and seafood applications.

Gains for rigid packaging will lag those for flexible packaging, reflecting maturity in the large corrugated box segment and minimal advances for metal cans. However, plastic containers and trays will post robust gains. Demand for plastic containers will be driven by heightened demand for prepared meat and poultry items in supermarkets and other retail locations as a result of consumer preference for convenience foods that require little or no preparation. Tray demand will be aided by the growing use of case-ready packaging, which often employs larger foam or more costly rigid barrier trays. Increasing use of more expensive biodegradable trays will also stimulate value gains. Demand for packaging accessories will benefit from regulations requiring nutrition information and country-of-origin labels on a variety of meat and poultry items.

Meat applications will continue to account for the largest share of packaging demand as a result of red meat’s status as a favored main dish in the foodservice sector and the growing presence of case-ready meats in retail sites. However, demand growth in meat applications will lag the pace of poultry and seafood due to concerns over the fat and cholesterol levels of red meat. Although seafood applications will account for the smallest portion of packaging demand, gains will outpace those for meat and poultry as a result of seafood’s perceived health benefits.