Food Packaging Bowl Sales to Grow 7.3% Annually Through 2025

Cleveland OH, March 15, 2022 – A new Freedonia Group analysis of the $2.6 billion food packaging tray and bowl market projects above average growth for bowls through 2025, driven by their novelty and convenience in single-serving fresh and frozen prepared foods like frozen meal bowls:

• While trays continue to see much wider use, bowls are expected to see faster growth from a lower market base.
• Bowl sales will be boosted by the shift to bowls from traditional trays in some frozen dinner applications due to their shelf appeal, which evokes a more contemporary and fresh image for many consumers.

Food Packaging Tray & Bowl Demand to Total $3.1 Billion in 2025

Demand for food packaging trays and bowls is forecast to increase to $3.1 billion in 2025, driven by:

• healthy sales growth following a pandemic-related acceleration in popularity for frozen dinners and fresh prepared foods in trays and especially bowls due to their convenience
• continuing popularity of packaging-intensive single serving sizes in key food applications, such as prepared foods (e.g., frozen meal bowls, personal pizzas, fresh prepared meals); frozen desserts; and fresh-cut produce
• increased focus on sustainability causing major food brands to shift from plastic to higher value materials such as molded fiber, paperboard, and bioplastics

However, competition from rigid and flexible packaging alternatives are expected to continue to hinder further growth in some applications.

Want to Learn More?

Food Packaging Trays & Bowls, now available from The Freedonia Group, provides historical data (2010, 2015, and 2020) and forecasts for 2025 for food packaging tray and bowl demand in US dollars by product, material, and application. Also provided are analyses of key developments in corporate activity and product development.

Products:

• trays
• bowls

Materials:

• rigid plastic
• foam plastic
• paper and paperboard
• molded fiber (molded pulp and sugarcane)

Applications:

• meat, poultry, and seafood
• fresh produce
• prepared foods
• baked goods
• other food applications, including dairy; sauces and condiments; processed fruits and vegetables; savory snacks; and candy and confections