Growing consumer consumption of protein-rich products has resulted in rising demand for packaged meat. Meat packaging is specifically designed to protect the protein from mechanical, chemical and biological hazards during processing, storage and distribution.
The global meat packaging market is estimated to reach US$ 7.4 billion at the end of 2023, with a CAGR of 5.2 percent until 2033. Customers are moving away from traditional butchery meat products and towards more convenient, ready-to-go packaged meats.
Meat packaging is typically made from polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyvinyl chloride, as they help improve product shelf life while retaining the original items' characteristics. The polyethylene segment dominates 56 percent of the market share during the forecast period, as it is lightweight, cost-effective, flexible and recyclable.
The USA is a prominent industry for this market as it has a 15.2 percent global market share and an 85 percent share in the North American market. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Economic Research Service, consumers in the United States of America had access to about 224.6 pounds of red meat and poultry based on per capita retail weight.
In the UK, the meat packaging industry has a 2.6 percent CAGR until the end of 2033. Beef and pork products have a growing focus. According to the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), the UK produces around 900,000 tonnes of beef annually, of which 148,000 tonnes are exported. They are the world’s fifth largest meat producer and third largest exporter of sheep meat, at 88,000 tonnes annually.
Current issues the global market faces when producing new packaging includes discolouring, purge loss, traceability, bone puncturing, durability and sustainability. Trends within the industry include transparent solutions that allow consumers to view the product before purchase and put the product at the centre of buying decisions, alongside sustainable solutions such as composite films and bio-based materials.
The landscape is competitive and international companies to keep an eye on are Chola from Italy, Amcor PLC from China, Mondi PLC from the UK and Winpak Ltd from Canada.
