Meat, Poultry and Seafood Packaging Demand to Reach $9.2 Billion in 2013

Demand for meat, poultry and seafood packaging is expected to increase 3.5 percent annually to $9.2 billion in 2013.  Gains will be driven by an expansion in meat, poultry and seafood production, as well as the continuing shift to case-ready packaging by many retailers.  Packaging demand will also be supported by changes in packaging practices, such as the increasing prevalence of meat and poultry items in smaller, more convenient sizes and the expanding range of products.  Value gains will slow from the 2003-2008 period as a result of a moderation in prices of such raw materials as plastic, metal and paper. These and other trends, including market share and product segmentation, are presented in Meat, Poultry & Seafood Packaging, a new study from The Freedonia Group, Inc., a Cleveland-based industry research firm.

Flexible packaging demand will continue to outpace rigid packaging, advancing at a 4.4 percent annual pace to $4 billion in 2013.  Growth will be driven by favorable prospects for high barrier film and pouches.  High barrier film demand will be aided by the rising percentage of meat in case-ready packaging.  Healthy gains for pouches will result from further penetration of retort pouches into traditional can applications. Below-average gains for rigid packaging will reflect maturity in the large corrugated box segment and declines in the metal can segment.  However, gains will be supported by healthy growth for plastic containers and trays. 

Poultry applications will log slightly above-average advances, benefitting from poultry’s lower cost than beef, favorable nutritional profile and versatility.  In addition, the continued popularity of ready-to-eat poultry items such as rotisserie chickens will support gains.  Seafood applications, while substantially smaller than meat and poultry, will be bolstered by seafood’s perceived health benefits and revised government nutritional recommendations promoting seafood consumption.

The ready-to-eat market will continue to post the fastest advances, driven by the expanded availability of prepared foods in retail venues.  Demand in the fresh and frozen market will benefit from the growing importance of higher value case-ready and modified atmosphere packaging to extend the shelf life of fresh meat, poultry and seafood.  In the processed market, demand will be aided by ongoing new product introductions of convenience-oriented items, such as sliced lunch meats in resealable plastic tubs.

The Freedonia Group is a leading international business research company, founded in 1985, that publishes more than 100 industry research studies annually. This industry analysis provides an unbiased outlook and a reliable assessment of an industry and includes product segmentation and demand forecasts, industry trends, demand history, threats and opportunities, competitive strategies, market share determinations and company profiles.