That’s according to business information provider Visiongain, which claims total sales of such packaging will reach $12.66bn in 2012 in its report The Active, Intelligent & Smart Food & Drink Packaging Market 2012-2022.
The growth will be constant over the next 10 years, claims Visiongain. One of the factors contributing to growth in the market is “immense food wastage as in the UK where nearly 45,000 tonnes of food is wasted on an annual basis”, according to the study.
Steady growth
“Being a niche market so far, the active, intelligent and smart (AI&S) food & drink packaging market is likely to register steady growth with new applications, product conceptions and production processes during the next decade,” Visiongain states.
Included within Visiongain’s overview are gas scavenging, corrosion control and moisture control packaging.
It predicts rapid growth for intelligent packaging in the next decade. This would be “mainly propelled by robust gains for time-temperature indicators and the emergence of smart packaging systems offering product differentiation, traceability and other interactive features at more affordable prices”, it says.
“Also, the growth in the active packaging segment will be mainly influenced by expanded applications for oxygen scavengers in food and beverage sectors.”
Other trends
Other trends influencing the growth in AI&S packaging cited by the report include:
- Increase in consumer demand for ready-prepared foods
- Change in retail and distribution practices associated with globalisation
- Environmental concerns, including food wastage, recycling, biodegradable packaging, etc.
- Stricter requirements regarding consumer health and safety
- Shelf-life extension
- Cost-efficiency
- Request for fewer or no food additives/preservatives
The Visiongain report claims Asia-Pacific countries now claim significant shares of the total market. It lists the other top 10 countries outside the US and Europe with the largest shares of this market as Japan; Australia; China; Thailand and India.
The UK, Germany, Italy and France are the EU countries that make it into the top 10 list.