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

Resources

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

The Freedonia Group

  • Contact
  • About
  • Our Staff
  • Help Center
  • Career Opportunities
Freedonia Market Research Freedonia Group Sweetener Packaging

Sweetener Packaging

Industry Reports, United States

Report Overview

Featuring 23 tables and 29 figures – now available in Excel and Powerpoint! Learn More

Infographic with Top Markets and Key Trends for Sweetener PackagingDemand for sweeteners packaging is expected to fall from a high base in 2020, gradually returning to growth and forecast to reach $455 million in 2025. Gains will be supported by the increasing popularity of organic and premium sweeteners – which tend to use more expensive packaging – and conversions to higher-value packaging formats with performance or product differentiation benefits.

 

Table of Contents

    • $323.44

    • $627.50

      • $323.44

      • $323.44

      • $323.44

    • $1,728.58

      • $323.44

      • $323.44

      • $1,106.31

        • $323.44

        • $323.44

        • $338.65

        • $323.44

      • $323.44

        • $323.44

        • $323.44

    • $1,626.05

      • $323.44

      • $384.49

      • $351.74

      • $323.44

      • $323.44

    • $1,897.89

      • $323.44

      • $348.46

      • $376.96

      • $323.44

      • $330.45

      • $323.44

      • $323.44

    • $323.44

      • $323.44

      • $323.44

    • $2,918.13

      • $414.29

      • $323.44

      • $808.94

      • $323.44

      • $323.44

      • $323.44

      • $500.42

      • $2,210.01

        • $341.60

        • $323.44

        • $323.44

        • $1,347.35

Play Video: Food Packaging

Demand by Packaging Format (Rigid vs Flexible)

The market for sweetener packaging is almost equally balanced between flexible and rigid formats, which is expected to remain the case going forward. Sweeteners come in both dry and liquid versions, supporting ongoing demand for both flexible and rigid packaging.

Flexible packaging consists primarily of pouches and bags, which are used for high volume applications such as granulated, powdered, and brown sugar. Stand-up pouches, in particular, have seen large demand gains since their introduction in the late 2000s, especially for use with organic sweeteners and sweetener alternatives.

Chart Sweetener Packaging Demand by Packaging Format, 2010-2025

Plastic

Plastic packaging for sweeteners is comprised primarily of bottles, jars, pouches, pails, cups, and wrap. Demand for plastic sweetener packaging is forecast to grow 2.4% per year to $280 million in 2025.

Plastic is the leading material used in the packaging of sweeteners; it is expected to take further shares from other materials in every market category due to the variety of advantages it offers:

  • In addition to being more crush-resistant than paperboard, plastic packaging is transparent and allows consumers to see the sweetener within.
  • Higher-value plastic packaging can convey a premium image.
  • Compared to glass, plastic is shatter-resistant, more cost effective, and lighter.

Granulated sugar is the largest category for plastic packaging – primarily because it’s the largest market category overall – and is expected to post above average gains through 2025 as manufacturers replace composite cans and paper bags with plastic bottles and stand-up pouches.

Chart Plastic Sweetener Packaging Demand by Application, 2010-2025

Confectioners’ & Brown Sugar

Confectioners’ sugar is finely powdered and used to make candies, icings, and as a topping for pastries. Brown sugar contains molasses, lending it its namesake color.

Packaging demand for confectioners’ and brown sugar is forecast to grow 1.9% per year to $33 million in 2025, supported by a rebound in the foodservice industry.

Pillow pouches are the largest packaging format for confectioners’ and brown sugar due to their low cost and light weight, but demand will be flat due to market maturity and completion from other packaging types.

Stand-up pouches are forecast to post above-average growth going forward thanks to the premium image they convey compared to folding cartons and pillow pouches.

Folding cartons are often used as secondary packaging for pouches of confectioners’ and brown sugar; they provide structural integrity and prevent puncturing and crushing.

Chart Confectioners' and Brown Sugar Packaging Demand by Product, 2010-2025

Pouches

Pouches used for sweetener packaging include plastic stand-up and pillow pouches for sugar and sugar substitutes, plastic side seal pouches for single-serving honey or syrup, and paper single-serve side-seal sugar packets.

Demand for pouches in sweetener packaging is forecast to grow 3.2% annually to 194 million in 2025 as manufactures continue to adopt them in favor of other formats. In general, pouches are better performing and lighter than bottles, cans, and canisters (which lowers the cost of raw materials and the environmental impact of transportation).

Stand-up pouches will continue to offer the best opportunities due to a number of advantages over competing packaging formats. Stand-up pouches are:

  • resealable, more convenient to use, and offer better barrier properties than paper bags
  • convey a more premium image compared to paper bags, making sugar appear as less of a commodity to consumers
  • provide product differentiation and shelf appeal compared to more traditional packaging

Pouches continue to be the primary form of packaging for sugar substitutes. Single-serve paper packets – usually packed in folding cartons – were historically the main form of packaging for alternative sweeteners, especially for the foodservice market; demand for these pouches will get a boost from rebounding foodservice activity. Expanding applications in the retail sector have driven growth for alternative sweeteners in larger stand-up pouches, a trend that was further boosted by an increase in at-home baking during the COVID pandemic.

The scope of this report includes packaging for sweeteners. These items are generally sold in the baking and condiment section of retail store but are also used by foodservice establishments.

Specific applications covered in this report include:

  • granulated white sugar
  • confectioners’ (powdered) sugar and brown sugar
  • honey, including liquid, crystallized/creamed, and powdered
  • sugar substitutes and alternative sweeteners such as Splenda, Sweet’n Low, Stevia, monk fruit, and coconut sugar
  • syrups, including simple syrup, corn syrup, maple syrup, molasses, and fruit flavored syrups

Excluded from this study are a variety of products including:

  • sweeteners for food and beverage manufacturing
  • chocolate and caramel toppings for desserts
  • corrugated boxes and protective packaging used specifically for shipping purposes as opposed to product packaging

Specific packaging products used for sweeteners are:

  • pouches
  • bottles and jars
  • bags
  • cans and canisters
  • boxes and cartons
  • other packaging (primarily pails, wrap, and cups)

Historical data (2010, 2015, and 2020) and forecasts for 2025 are presented for demand for sweetener packaging by value in current dollars (including inflation); demand data by market is presented in current dollars. “Demand” (or sales) is defined as all shipments from US plants, plus imports minus exports.

Demand for sweeteners packaging was $460 million in 2020, which is higher than is typical, as consumers greatly increased their at-home cooking and baking during the COVID-19 pandemic. This spike in the retail market more than offset weakness in foodservice sales of sweeteners and associated packaging. Though demand for sweeteners packaging is expected to fall from this high in 2021, it will return to gradual growth and forecast to be $455 million in 2025. 

Prior to 2020, demand growth for sweeteners packaging was relatively slow due to the maturity of the sweeteners market. However, this continues to be a dynamic packaging market due to:

  • the popularity of organic, alternative, and premium sweeteners, which boost market value since they tend to use more expensive packaging
  • continued materials competition, with plastic packaging taking market share away from both paper and glass packaging in many areas
  • consumer demand for convenience, which drives demand for packaging – such as stand-up pouches – with value-added features

Pouches To Be the Most Used & Fastest Growing Packaging Format Due to Versatility

Pouches of various types are used in every dry sweetener application due to the advantages they offer over other packaging formats:

  • Stand-up pouches see use with sugar and sugar substitutes due to their puncture-resistance premium image compared to paper bags.
  • Single-serve paper packets are used in the same applications because of the convenience they provide in sweetening beverages like coffee and tea, and they will see above-average gains as food service sweetener usage rebounds post-lockdowns.
  • Pillow pouches will continue to see widespread use due to their low cost and light weight, although market maturity and competition from other formats will lower growth prospects.

Plastic Bottles to See Above Average Growth Due to New Applications

Plastic bottles have historically been used for packaging liquid sweeteners such as syrups and honey, where they consistently take market share from glass and metal. Going forward, demand will be further boosted by the expansion of plastic bottles into dry sweeteners like granulated sugar. Not only do plastic bottles offer performance and convenience advantages, they also provide product differentiation and help to “de-commodify” sugar with their more modern design.

Plastic Packaging Continues to Take Share from Paper & Paperboard

Historically, dry sweetener packaging has been the domain of paper and paperboard thanks to the popularity of paper bags, folding cartons, and composite cans. However, plastic is now the most used and fastest growing material, owing to the popularity of stand-up pouches and bottles that offer performance advantages over traditional paper packaging.

Purchase Options

Access Options

Membership

Complementary Access to Report Including:

  • consultative access to our analyst
  • unlimited downloads to reports
  • global market research in 9 languages
  • customized PPT presentations
  • passwords for your teams available
  • and more...
Become a Member
Purchase This Report

Select your license:

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

Free Sample Report

A free sample report is available.

Questions & Assistance

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.
By submitting this sample request you consent to receiving marketing communications from us. See our privacy policy to learn how to unsubscribe.

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

Factors include demographic trends, consumer spending, consumer food preferences and restaurant and other foodservice industry revenues.
The report includes packaging for sweeteners, foods whose primary purpose is to add sweetness to other foods and beverages.
Pouches remain the largest and fastest growing product format.
;

Related Reports and Studies

  • US Folding Cartons Report

    Industry Reports

    Through 2029, demand for folding cartons in the US is projected to rise 2.6% per year to $15.1 billion, with manufacturers seeking out new, higher growth niches to help offset the mature nature of most applications.

    NEW! July 2025 118 pages
    Free sample available
  • Beverage Packaging: United States

    Focus Reports

    This report forecasts to 2027 US beverage packaging demand in nominal US dollars at the manufacturer level.

    NEW! July 2025 30 pages
    Free sample available
  • Food Packaging: United States

    Focus Reports

    This report analyzes the US food packaging market and forecasts its demand by material and application to 2027.

    NEW! July 2025 29 pages
    Free sample available
  • Pharmaceutical Packaging: United States

    Focus Reports

    This report forecasts to 2025 US pharmaceutical packaging demand in nominal US dollars at the manufacturer level.

    NEW! July 2025 22 pages
    Free sample available
  • The Future of Grocery: Online Grocery, Meal Kits, & Direct-to-Consumer Food, 3rd Edition

    Industry Reports

    Meal kits have benefited from the pandemic to give consumers sick of planning meals and grocery shopping something different and more convenient to cook.

    NEW! June 2025 336 pages
    Free sample available
  • Online Grocery Shopping: United States

    Focus Reports

    This report forecasts US online grocery retail sales and total grocery retail sales in US dollars for 2023-2027.

    NEW! June 2025 33 pages
    Free sample available
  • Global Packaging Machinery Report

    Industry Reports

    Global packaging equipment demand is forecast to expand to $87 billion in 2029.

    NEW! June 2025 442 pages
    Free sample available
  • Food Processing: United States Report

    Focus Reports

    Food Processing: United States forecasts to 2029 processed food demand and shipments in nominal US dollars at the manufacturer level.

    NEW! June 2025 42 pages
    Free sample available
  • Meat & Poultry Retail: United States Report

    Focus Reports

    This report forecasts total US meat and poultry retail sales in pounds and nominal US dollars for 2025-2029.

    NEW! May 2025 20 pages
    Free sample available
  • Salty Snacks Retail: United States Report

    Focus Reports

    This report forecasts to 2029 US salty snack retail sales in pounds and nominal US dollars.

    NEW! May 2025 23 pages
    Free sample available
View More

Have unique research needs?

Freedonia Strategic Insights 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.
The Freedonia Group needs the contact information you provide to us to contact you about our products and services. You may unsubscribe from these communications at any time. For information on how to unsubscribe, as well as our privacy practices and commitment to protecting your privacy, please review our Privacy Policy.
  • Contact
  • About
  • Help Center
  • Career Opportunities
  • Press Contact
  • User Agreement
  • Privacy Policy
  • Site Map

Additional Resources

  • Market Size Resources
  • Lawn & Garden Market Research
  • Roofing Market Research
  • Pet Products Market Research
  • Countertops Market Research
  • Power Tools Market Research
  • Publishing for the PreK-12 Market Research
  • Insulation Market Resaerch
  • Cabinets Market Research
  • Flooring Market Research
  • Pet Supplements Market Research
  • Agricultural Equipment Market Research
  • Open Access Publishing Market Research
  • Silicones Market Research
  • For Legal Inquiries, contact Cohen & Cohen
Copyright © 2025 The Freedonia Group, Inc. All rights reserved.