An estimated 786,095 million units of flexible packaging will be consumed within global retail food markets in 2018, according to a report by Canadean. This means flexible packaging is set to expand its share in the food packaging market even further, reaching 53.1% in the next three years. While glass, metal and paper packaging are slowly falling out of fashion, innovative flexible packaging such as pouches is becoming more popular. The Canadean report finds that the global demand for pouches in the food market will grow by 2,489 million pack units between 2014 and 2017 – a 14.9% increase in the total food pouches market size. Metal, on the other hand, will record the slowest growth in the food packaging market, increasing at a marginal 2,5% CAGR between 2013 and 2018.
“Pouches are both lightweight and durable, meaning products can be stored more easily in cupboards, are less likely to get damaged and are lighter to transport. They also provide time-scarce consumers with instant meals and on-the-go snacks,” says Kirsty Nolan, analyst at Canadean. Microwavable pouches, for example, are on the verge of replacing tinned ready-meal products. “The outer plastic layers of microwavable pouches are designed to cool quickly while keeping contents hot, allowing consumers to eat straight from the microwave,” says Nolan. Pouches are growing strongly in the packaging market because they:
Reduce costs with lightweight, thin plastic walls and no outer packaging
Feature easy-to-open and re-sealable grooves or zips
Minimise waste through sustainable and biodegradable material
Improve the shelf-life of the product though multiple plastic layers
06-Aug-15 
{{comment.DateTimeStampDisplay}}
{{comment.Comments}}