Produce packaging demand blooms to $5.7bn

Sales of produce packaging in the US is expected to continue increasing over the next several years, reaching $5.7bn by 2017. In addition to growing interest in convenience packaging, the increase is fuelled by heightened nutritional awareness and shoppers’ desire to add more fresh, healthful foods to their daily diet.

While corrugated boxes continue to make up the largest component of produce sales, plastic containers make up the fastest-growing segment. Plastic containers offer a degree of safety and pathogen resistance; they also are capable of tamper-resistant features, which appeal to wary consumers.

Stand-up pouches have not made much of an inroad into produce packaging. However, some fresh-cut vegetables and salad products are creeping onto produce shelves in such packaging, and retailers should expect to see the format’s presence increase in years to come.

Other trends to keep an eye on in produce packaging include breathable bags, modified atmosphere packaging, reusable plastic containers for transport and more. The market data was generated by intelligence outfit ReportsnReports.