Hot Fill Food Packaging

Featuring 25 tables and 30 figures – now available in Excel and Powerpoint! Learn More

Food Packaging

Demand for hot fill packaging for food is forecast to increase 1.2% annually to $2.6 billion in 2026, sustained by the ongoing popularity of hot fill packaging for sauces and condiments. However, hot fill packaging will grow at a slow rate and will continue to lose share to aseptic packaging, which affords multiple benefits over hot fill processing, the most important of which is shorter heating times that minimize the impact of thermal processing of flavor, texture, and nutrition.

Hot Fill Packaging Demand for Sauces & Condiments to See Strongest Growth

Sauces and condiments – the largest application for hot fill packaging – is expected to experience relatively healthy gains through 2026 as foodservice revenues continue to rise following a sharp, pandemic-related decline in 2020. Bag-in-box and cups will grow at an above average rate due to their strong performance properties and convenience. Gains will further be supported by the increasing popularity of specialty and ethnic sauces at the retail level.

Plastic Continues to Offer the Best Opportunities Among Packaging Materials

Despite being the leading material used in the production of hot fill packaging, plastic will continue to take share from glass and metal packaging, due to its lower weight and lower cost. Plastic will also benefit from the development of more sustainable products with higher recycled content, as well as technological improvements that facilitate the hot filling process. Oriented polypropylene (OPP) will see particularly good growth due to its high heat capability, light weight, improved clarity, and growing cost competitiveness compared to traditionally used polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

Hot Fill Material Trends

Materials Trends

Demand by Material

Food packaging can be produced from a variety of materials, and the choice of material impacts not only packaging cost and performance but also product image and corporate sustainability efforts. Hot fill food packaging is primarily made from plastic, although glass also remains relatively significant. Plastic is used to make bottles, jars, and pouches, the dominant hot fill packaging formats.

Demand for hot fill food packaging is forecast to rise 1.2% per year to $2.6 billion in 2026. Cost, performance, and sustainability will continue to be the most significant factors driving packaging material choice in the food market, as packaging producers and end users alike continue to search for the optimal combination of these characteristics to maximize market share and profitability.

All packaging materials have strengths and weaknesses based on their production processes (including raw material and energy usage), performance, weight, appearance, durability, and sustainability (recyclability, use of recycled content, biodegradability, and compostability). In addition, for consumer-facing food products, product differentiation efforts can further shift trends in packaging material usage as food marketers strive to catch consumer attention in a crowded and competitive marketplace:

  • Plastic, primarily PET, will remain the most used material in hot fill food packaging applications – despite efforts to reduce single-use plastic consumption – due to its generally low cost, good performance, and the development of more sustainable products with higher recycled content.
  • Glass and metal packaging will continue to register below average growth as they lose market share to lower cost and/or better performing packaging types. However, glass has niche applications that will see respectable growth and support continuing material usage.

Historical Market Trends

Shifts in demand for food packaging from year to year are determined by a number of factors, primarily related to the production and marketing of food products. These activities in turn are influenced by:

  • demographic trends such as age, average household size, and levels of disposable income
  • consumer spending on food and the balance between at-home and away-from-home meals
  • food preferences (e.g., demand for enhanced convenience or for organic products)
  • restaurant and other foodservice industry trends

In addition, a number of competitive variables determine the mix of packaging types used and their cost, including:

  • raw material and conversion costs
  • changes in the mix of foods being packaged, particularly in terms of food format (canned, dried, frozen, fresh)
  • trends in packaging size and format, such as shifts toward smaller single-serving packages, family-size units, or multipacks
  • the proportion of food that is sold via retail channels versus foodservice establishments
  • environmental and regulatory factors, including trends such as source reduction, the use of recycled content, and recyclability

Demand growth for hot fill packaging in 2020 increased due to a shift in product mix toward more packaging-intensive retail foods as consumers cooked and ate more frequently at home. However, this increase was partly offset by declining sales of foodservice packaging due to the extensive disruption in the foodservice industry caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

This was followed by nearly flat growth in 2021 as consumers reverted to their normal shopping habits, causing declines in key retail sectors such as juices, processed fruits and vegetables, and sauces. This decline was somewhat mitigated by the recovery of the food service industry.

Back to Top

Purchase Hot Fill Food Packaging by the Section

Add Selections to cart

  1. Hot Fill Food Packaging

    $2,900.00

    1. 1 Executive Summary

      $323.00

      1. Figure 1-1. Hot Fill Food Packaging Market Outlook

    2. 2 About This Report

      $610.00

      1. 2.1 Report Details

        $323.00

      2. 2.2 Study Scope & Product Description

        $323.00

        1. Figure 2-1. Hot Fill Food Packaging: Product Examples

      3. 2.3 Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic

        $433.00

        1. Table | Annual Hot Fill Food Packaging Demand by Product Type, 2019 - 2022

        2. Table | Annual Hot Fill Food Packaging Demand by Application, 2019 - 2022

        3. Figure 2-2. Hot Fill Food Packaging Demand, 2018 - 2022

    3. 3 Overview

      $1,214.00

      1. 3.1 Historical Market Trends

        $323.00

        1. Table | Hot Fill Food Packaging Demand, 2011 - 2021

        2. Figure 3-1. Hot Fill Food Packaging Demand, 2001 - 2021

      2. 3.2 Unit Demand

        $323.00

        1. Table | Hot Fill Food Packaging Demand by Product Type, 2011 - 2026

      3. 3.3 Pricing Trends

        $323.00

        1. Table | Hot Fill Food Packaging Average Prices by Product, 2011 - 2026

        2. Figure 3-2. Hot Fill Food Packaging Average Prices by Product, 2011 - 2026

      4. 3.4 Materials Trends

        $404.00

        1. 3.4.1 Demand by Material

          $323.00

          1. Table | Hot Fill Food Packaging Demand by Material, 2011 - 2026

          2. Figure 3-3. Hot Fill Food Packaging Demand by Material, 2011 - 2026

        2. 3.4.2 Plastic

          $323.00

          1. Figure 3-4. Plastic Hot Fill Food Packaging Demand, 2011 - 2026

        3. 3.4.3 Glass & Metal

          $323.00

          1. Table | Glass & Metal Hot Fill Food Packaging Demand by Material, 2011 - 2026

      5. 3.5 Competitive Products

        $323.00

        1. Figure 3-5. Comparative Growth: Hot Fill Food Packaging & Competitive Products, 2021 - 2026

    4. 4 Factors Impacting Hot Fill Packaging Demand

      $456.00

      1. 4.1 Food Industry Production Trends

        $323.00

        1. Figure 4-1. Food Shipments by Type of Food, 2011 - 2026

      2. 4.2 Technology & Innovation

        $323.00

        1. Figure 4-2. Hot Fill Packaging: Product Innovations

      3. 4.3 Sustainability Issues

        $323.00

        1. 4.3.1 Recycling & Recycled Content

          $323.00

        2. 4.3.2 Food Waste

          $323.00

        3. 4.3.3 Packaging Weight

          $323.00

    5. 5 Packaging Types

      $2,183.00

      1. 5.1 Demand by Type

        $323.00

        1. Table | Hot Fill Food Packaging Demand by Product Type, 2011 - 2026

        2. Figure 5-1. Hot Fill Food Packaging Demand by Product Type, 2011 - 2026

      2. 5.2 Bottles (Including Jugs)

        $485.00

        1. 5.2.1 Scope & Product Description

          $323.00

          1. Figure 5-2. Hot Fill Bottles & Jugs: Product Examples

        2. 5.2.2 Demand by Material

          $323.00

          1. Table | Hot Fill Food Bottle & Jug Demand by Material, 2011 - 2026

        3. 5.2.3 Demand by Application

          $323.00

          1. Table | Hot Fill Food Bottle & Jug Demand by Application, 2011 - 2026

          2. Figure 5-3. Hot Fill Food Bottle & Jug Demand by Application, 2011 - 2026

      3. 5.3 Jars

        $419.00

        1. 5.3.1 Scope & Product Description

          $323.00

          1. Figure 5-4. Hot Fill Jars: Product Examples

        2. 5.3.2 Demand by Material

          $323.00

          1. Table | Hot Fill Jar Demand by Material, 2011 - 2026

        3. 5.3.3 Demand by Application

          $323.00

          1. Table | Hot Fill Jar Demand by Application, 2011 - 2026

          2. Figure 5-5. Hot Fill Food Jar Demand by Application, 2011 - 2026

      4. 5.4 Pouches

        $367.00

        1. 5.4.1 Scope & Product Description

          $323.00

          1. Figure 5-6. Hot Fill Food Pouches: Product Examples

        2. 5.4.2 Demand by Application

          $323.00

          1. Table | Hot Fill Food Pouch Demand by Application, 2011 - 2026

          2. Figure 5-7. Hot Fill Food Pouch Demand by Market, 2011 - 2026

      5. 5.5 Cups & Tubs

        $405.00

        1. 5.5.1 Scope & Product Description

          $323.00

          1. Figure 5-8. Hot Fill Cups & Tubs: Product Examples

        2. 5.5.2 Demand by Application

          $347.00

          1. Table | Hot Fill Food Cups & Tubs Demand by Type & Application, 2011 - 2026

          2. Figure 5-9. Hot Fill Food Cup & Tub Demand by Application, 2011 - 2026

      6. 5.6 Other Packaging

        $323.00

        1. Table | Other Hot Fill Food Packaging Demand by Application, 2011 - 2026

        2. Figure 5-10. Other Hot Fill Food Packaging Demand by Application, 2011 - 2026

    6. 6 Food Applications

      $1,433.00

      1. 6.1 Demand by Application

        $323.00

        1. Table | Hot Fill Food Packaging Demand by Application, 2011 - 2026

        2. Figure 6-1. Hot Fill Food Packaging Demand by Application, 2011 - 2026

      2. 6.2 Sauces & Condiments

        $323.00

        1. 6.2.1 Scope & Product Description

          $323.00

        2. 6.2.2 Demand by Product

          $323.00

          1. Table | Sauce & Condiment Market for Hot Fill Packaging by Product Type, 2011 - 2026

          2. Figure 6-2. Sauce & Condiment Market for Hot Fill Packaging by Product Type, 2011 - 2026

      3. 6.3 Juice

        $323.00

        1. 6.3.1 Scope & Product Description

          $323.00

        2. 6.3.2 Demand by Product

          $323.00

          1. Table | Juice Market for Hot Fill Packaging by Product Type, 2011 - 2026

          2. Figure 6-3. Juice Market for Hot Fill Packaging by Product Type, 2011 - 2026

      4. 6.4 Processed Fruit & Vegetables

        $323.00

        1. 6.4.1 Scope & Product Description

          $323.00

        2. 6.4.2 Demand by Product

          $323.00

          1. Table | Processed Fruit & Vegetables Market for Hot Fill Packaging by Product Type, 2011 - 2026

          2. Figure 6-4. Processed Fruit & Vegetables Market for Hot Fill Packaging by Product Type, 2011 - 2026

      5. 6.5 Other Foods

        $323.00

        1. 6.5.1 Scope & Product Description

          $323.00

        2. 6.5.2 Demand by Product

          $323.00

          1. Table | Other Foods Market for Hot Fill Packaging by Product Type, 2011 - 2026

          2. Figure 6-5. Other Foods Market for Hot Fill Packaging by Product Type, 2011 - 2026

    7. 7 Key Suppliers & Market Share

      $387.00

      1. 7.1 Industry Composition

        $323.00

      2. 7.2 Market Share

        $341.00

        1. Figure 7-1. Hot Fill Food Packaging Market Share, 2021

        2. Figure 7-2. Hot Fill Food Packaging Market, 2021: Leading Supplier

        3. Figure 7-3. Hot Fill Food Packaging Market, 2021: Second Leading Supplier

        4. Figure 7-4. Hot Fill Food Packaging Market, 2021: Third Leading Supplier

        5. Figure 7-5. Hot Fill Food Packaging Market, 2021: Fourth Leading Supplier

    8. 8 Appendix

      $2,918.00

      1. 8.1 Scope

        $388.00

        1. Table | Industry Codes Related to Food Packaging

      2. 8.2 Definitions

        $323.00

      3. 8.3 Freedonia Methodology

        $706.00

      4. 8.4 Study-Specific Methodology

        $323.00

      5. 8.5 Sources

        $323.00

      6. 8.6 Associations & Agencies

        $323.00

      7. 8.7 Related Studies & Reports

        $475.00

      8. 8.8 Macroeconomic Assumptions

        $2,101.00

        1. 8.8.1 Economic Environment

          $323.00

          1. Table | Macroeconomic Indicators, 2011 - 2026

        2. 8.8.2 Demographic Trends

          $323.00

          1. Table | Population & Households, 2011 - 2026

        3. 8.8.3 Consumer Spending

          $323.00

          1. Table | Personal Consumption Expenditures & Retail Sales, 2011 - 2026

        4. 8.8.4 Retail Sales

          $1,207.00

          1. Table | Nondurable Goods Retail Sales, 2011 - 2026

Add Selections to cart

Back to Top