China Fresh Food Packaging Market Size, Share, Opportunities, COVID-19 Impact, And Trends By Material (Plastic, Paper And Board, Glass, Metal), By Application (Poultry And Meat Products, Dairy Products, Produce (Vegetables And Fruits), Sea Food, Others), And By Province - Forecasts From 2023 To 2028

The China fresh food packaging market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 7.26% to reach US$56.641 billion by 2028 from US$33.462 billion in 2021.

Fresh food packaging is a technique that helps prevent the food from changing its state or helps prevent contamination of the food. This new packaging is gaining popularity around the world as there is a significant increase in health consciousness and there is an increasing awareness among people regarding the consumption of fresh food that has an extended shelf life that can be obtained with the help of fresh food packaging.  As there is an increase in urban population in China the demand for fresh food packaging is expected to increase in the country. For instance, according to World Bank Group China’s urban population is expected to rise to one billion or close to 70 percent of the country's population by 2030. Furthermore, the easy availability of raw materials in the country coupled with the presence of cheap labor is also one of the factors aiding China's fresh food packaging market growth. Taking advantage of this increased demand many companies are expanding their operations in China.

Increasing focus of people on health

China has a history of consuming a diet that is rich in salt, sugar, and fats leading to increased cases of cardiovascular diseases, factors of obesity, cancer, and diabetes. Hence the government of China has come up with an initiative for the health of Chinese people called Healthy China 2030, which is an initiative for health and development. The strategic goals of this initiative are to continuously improve population health, increase healthcare service delivery capacity, significantly expand the healthcare industry and lastly develop an institutional agreement for health promotion. And the people are responding to this initiative adequately. People in China have become health conscious and are responding to the initiative and are demanding a healthy packaging pattern to achieve this goal. Hence, various such initiatives are aiding the China fresh food packaging market.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the current daily consumption of free sugar, edible oil, and salt in China is 30 grams, 42.1 grams, and 10.5 grams. The Health China target for 2030 is 5 grams of salt, 25-30 grams of edible oil, and 25 grams of free sugar. The increased need for healthy food and preventing that from good packaging is increasing in China. Various such initiatives are taking place that will help the China fresh food packaging market to increase in the projected period.

Growing utilization of paper and board for packaging

Paper bags satisfy the requirements of customers for safe, leak-proof, and recyclable packaging for food products. China is a region where takeout and online food delivery are growing in popularity, paper bags are gradually replacing plastic packing options. It is anticipated that paper packaging will also be able to meet the growing demand from the food and beverage industry in China. Rapid modifications in beverage packaging trends across the country are one of the primary drivers of business expansion. The usage of creative packaging techniques increased considerably. The main areas of recent innovations in beverage packaging include customer acceptability, food security, creating new active systems that can interact with the product or its surroundings, and improving the preservation of different beverages like milk due to increased consumption of milk. For instance, as per the 2022 report by USDA, the consumption of milk in China increased from 36,977 million metric tons in 2021 to 38,025 million metric tons in 2022.

Growing awareness of the use of sustainable packaging materials

To satisfy consumer demand, food and beverage producers work to offer sustainable materials and packaging, useful and practical displays, and healthier food selections. In addition to other food establishments, paper bags are becoming more and more common in restaurants, hotels, and cafes. As takeout dinners and online delivery services for meals become more popular, so has the demand for paper bags in the food and beverage service industry. For instance, Evergreen Asia, a division of Pactiv Evergreen that sold carton packaging and filling equipment, was purchased by SIG in January 2022 for USD 335 billion. The business serves the fresh market by providing filling equipment, cartons, closures, and after-sales services, primarily for milk. After the acquisition, SIG intends to use its local research and development footprint to introduce more avant-garde and eco-friendly packaging formats in the fresh dairy industry.

Market Key Developments

• In December 2022, Amcor Plc launched China’s largest flexible packaging plants with an investment of US$ 100 million, in a 5,90,000 square foot area that will strengthen their position in Asia Pacific. The plant will focus on producing flexible packaging for food and personal care.

Segmentation:

• By Material
  • Plastic
  • Paper and Board
  • Glass
  • Metal
• By Application
  • Poultry and Meat Products
  • Dairy Products
  • Produce (Vegetables and Fruits)
  • Seafood
  • Others
• By Province
  • Guangdong
  • Zheijiang
  • Beijing
  • Shanghai
  • Jiangsu
  • Others