Skip navigation
Reports & Analysis Custom Research Research Subscriptions
Sign In / Create Account Cart
Sign In / Create Account Cart
  • Reports & Analysis
  • Custom Research
  • Research Subscriptions

Resources

  • Analyst Buzz
  • Press Releases
  • Blog
  • Resources & Downloads
  • Impact Tracker

The Freedonia Group

  • Contact
  • About
  • Our Staff
  • Help Center
  • Career Opportunities
Freedonia Market Research Freedonia Group US Hot Fill Food Packaging

US Hot Fill Food Packaging

Industry Reports, United States

Report Overview

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

Image of Fruit Sauce Squeeze Pouch

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.

 

Table of Contents

    • $323.44

    • $609.91

      • $323.44

      • $323.44

      • $432.68

    • $1,214.40

      • $323.44

      • $323.44

      • $323.44

      • $404.04

        • $323.44

        • $323.44

        • $323.44

      • $323.44

    • $456.44

      • $323.44

      • $323.44

      • $323.44

        • $323.44

        • $323.44

        • $323.44

    • $2,183.39

      • $323.44

      • $485.07

        • $323.44

        • $323.44

        • $323.44

      • $419.50

        • $323.44

        • $323.44

        • $323.44

      • $367.38

        • $323.44

        • $323.44

      • $404.90

        • $323.44

        • $347.06

      • $323.44

    • $1,433.45

      • $323.44

      • $323.44

        • $323.44

        • $323.44

      • $323.44

        • $323.44

        • $323.44

      • $323.44

        • $323.44

        • $323.44

      • $323.44

        • $323.44

        • $323.44

    • $386.57

      • $323.44

      • $340.76

    • $2,918.13

      • $388.00

      • $323.44

      • $705.85

      • $323.44

      • $323.44

      • $323.44

      • $474.77

      • $2,100.92

        • $323.44

        • $323.44

        • $323.44

        • $1,206.67

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).

Chart Hot Fill Food Packaging Demand by Material, 2011-2026

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.

Purchase Options

Purchase Report

Select your license:

  • $2,900.00
  • $4,400.00
  • $5,500.00
  • — —
    Section prices in Table of Contents

Subscription Options

License by subscription

Check to see if this report is available through our subscription services.

Subscription Pricing
Already have a subscription? Log in.

Free Sample Report

A free sample report is available.

Questions & Assistance

Our representatives are available to help answer your questions.

Live Chat is Offline
Email us

Share This Report

Copied to clipboard. Could not copy to clipboard.

Download a Free Sample Report Now

Sample Reports include examples of all the tables, charts, infographics and topics included in this study.

Use Licenses

The Single User License (SUL) authorizes a single individual to use the electronic study acquired. Agreement to the SUL is required in order to purchase the study. If you require more than one user a Departmental Site License or Global Site License should be purchased. 

The Departmental Site License (DSL) authorizes up to five users to share the study acquired. Agreement to the DSL is required in order to purchase the study. If your organization requires more than five users, the Global Site License should be purchased.

The Global Site License (GSL) allows everyone in your organization to share the study intelligence. Agreement to the Global Site License terms is necessary in order to purchase it. 

FAQs

Hot fill food packaging is defined as primary and secondary packaging materials that are sterilized via hot filling and have ambient shelf lives exceeding 6 months, primarily for products targeted at retail or foodservice markets.
Demand for hot fill food packaging is projected to increase less than 1.0% per year in unit terms to 18.0 billion in 2026, restrained by a general declining interest in shelf-stable food, which is see by consumers as less nutritious than fresh and frozen alternatives.
Plastic will remain the most used and fastest growth material.
;

Related Reports and Studies

  • Active Packaging: United States

    Focus Reports

    This report forecasts US active packaging demand in US dollars at the manufacturers' level to 2019.

    October 2015 24 pages
    Free sample available
  • Intelligent Packaging: United States

    Focus Reports

    This report forecasts US intelligent packaging demand in US dollars at the manufacturers' level to 2019.

    October 2015 29 pages
    Free sample available
  • Aseptic Packaging: United States

    Focus Reports

    This report forecasts US aseptic packaging demand in US dollars at the manufacturers' level to 2020.

    March 2016 30 pages
    Free sample available
  • Caps & Closures

    Industry Reports

    Caps & Closures presents historical demand data (2005, 2010, 2015) plus forecasts for 2020 and 2025 by product (e.g., threaded, unthreaded, dispensing, child-resistant, screw and lug, crowns, roll-ons, paperboard, elastomer and rubber) and market (e.g., beverages, pharmaceuticals, food, automotive chemicals, household cleaning chemicals, cosmetics and toiletries).

    June 2016 333 pages
    Free sample available
  • In Vitro Diagnostic (IVD) Test Packaging

    Industry Reports

    In Vitro Diagnostic (IVD) Packaging provides historical data (2005, 2010 and 2015) plus forecasts (2020 and 2025) by product (primary containers, IVD packaging accessories) and application.

    June 2016 174 pages
    Free sample available
  • World Wine Packaging

    Industry Reports

    World Wine Packaging analyzes the world wine packaging market. It presents historical data (2005, 2010, 2015) plus forecasts (2020, 2025) for supply and demand.

    July 2016 358 pages
    Free sample available
  • In Vitro Diagnostic Packaging: United States

    Focus Reports

    This report forecasts US in vitro diagnostic (IVD) packaging demand and shipments in US dollars at the manufacturers' level to 2020.

    June 2016 28 pages
    Free sample available
  • Wine Packaging: United States

    Focus Reports

    This report forecasts US wine packaging demand in US dollars at the manufacturers' level to 2020.

    July 2016 26 pages
    Free sample available
  • World Wine Packaging

    Focus Reports

    This report forecasts total world demand in 2020 for wine packaging by product and major world region in US dollars at the manufacturers' level.

    July 2016 31 pages
    Free sample available
  • Retail E-Commerce Packaging Market in the US by Product, Market and Merchandise Type

    Industry Reports

    This Freedonia industry study analyzes the $2.5 billion market for retail e-commerce packaging in the United States.

    November 2016 180 pages
    Free sample available
View More

Have unique research needs?

Freedonia Custom Research listens intently to your needs and objectives. Then we work diligently to define a service offering to meet them.
Learn About Our Custom Research Services

Stay informed with Freedonia

Receive periodic updates about new market research in areas relevant to your business. Have the convenience of Freedonia research at your fingertips when you need it.
  • Contact
  • About
  • Help Center
  • Career Opportunities
  • Press
  • User Agreement
  • Privacy Policy
  • Site Map
Facebook Linkedin Twitter

Additional Resources

  • Market Size Resources
  • Lawn Mowers Research
  • Global Motor Vehicle Research
  • Global Paint & Coatings Research
  • Global Industrial Valves Research
  • Global Agricultural Equipment Research
  • Indoor Air Quality Equipment Research
  • Global Adhesives & Sealants Research
  • Hardscaping Products Research
  • Residential Landscaping Research
  • Food Packaging Research
  • Global Carpets & Rugs Research
  • Global Residential HVAC Research
Copyright © 2023 MarketResearch.com, Inc. All rights reserved.