Europe fresh food packaging market is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 2.78% throughout the forecast period. Fresh food packaging means packing food using damage-resistant packaging solutions to protect the food from environmental influencing conditions, physical protection, and, most importantly, maintaining the quality of food as per the required standards. Furthermore, the market's growth is also attributed to the growing meat production, dairy products production, and seafood production in major countries of the region, such as Spain, Germany, and France, among others.
Furthermore, the market's expansion is attributed to increased meat production, dairy product production, and seafood production in major regional countries such as Spain, Germany, and France, among others. Furthermore, the shifting trend towards sustainable packaging solutions and the increasing requirements for improving the shelf life of the products are the major driving factors for the growth of the fresh food packaging market in Europe during the forecast period. However, stringent regulations regarding the use of plastic coupled with the wastage of food during the packaging of food are some of the factors considered the main concerns by the companies and are projected to hamper the growth of the market in the coming years.
Stringent regulations regarding plastic use
The regulations regarding the use of plastic in the European region may restrain the growth of the new food packaging market in the coming years as the government of various countries across the European region are planning to ban the use of plastic throughout Europe by 2021. For instance, the Spanish government is also taking initiatives to minimize the use of plastic, which may also hinder the market's growth. In January 2019, the parliament of Spain's Balearic Islands approved a new law to control waste, prohibiting plastic items such as bags and trays used for packing food in supermarkets.
The requirements for improving shelf life are projected to drive the demand for numerous packaging solutions.
Consumer expectations regarding the purchase of high-quality fresh food are driven by factors such as prolonged shelf life of the product and better packaging, among others. Presently, consumers are inclined towards products with a better shelf life. Along with this, food manufacturers are moving toward using advanced packaging solutions to improve shelf life and satisfy customers. In addition, the growing sale of fruits and vegetables through supermarkets is further expected to anticipate the requirements of packaging solutions, thereby positively impacting the market's growth.
Furthermore, the growing demand for fresh food exports from major food manufacturing countries is further projected to boost requirements for prolonged shelf life, which is further expected to positively impact Europe's fresh food packaging market throughout the forecast period. For instance, in November 2018, Spain and China signed two bilateral agricultural protocols in which Spain was allowed to export fresh pork, pork products, and Spanish table grapes to China (Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Services).
Plastics to hold a major market share
The European fresh food packaging market is segmented by materials: plastic, paper and board, glass, and metal. The plastics segment is anticipated to hold a significant share in the market due to the high use of plastics as packaging solutions on account of lesser lower costs and high durability. However, the growth is projected to be slow as the numerous regulations to mitigate the use of plastics is projected to reduce its usage over the years. The paper and board segment is anticipated to show robust growth as growing investments by players in the development of sustainable packaging solutions are bolstering the growth of this segment.
The U.K. to grow to show good growth opportunities during the next five years
The market has been segmented by Germany, France, the UK, Spain, and others. The United Kingdom is expected to show decent growth over the forecast period due to the country's rising pork meat consumption. Germany is anticipated to hold a significant share as the country possesses a highly competitive food industry.
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