One undeniable reality reaffirmed in 2016 is that interest and investment in processing and packaging equipment continue to grow. In fact, by 2020 the value of domestic shipments of packaging machinery will exceed $8.5 billion, with more than half of this growth projected to come from the food and beverage markets, according to research from PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies. The primary driver of this steady growth is the always evolving demands of consumers, i.e. a desire for specific packaging options leading to an explosion of SKUs. Today’s shopper wants environmentally safe packaging, for channel-specific products, for shelf-ready packaging, for extended shelf life packaging and for packaging that is easy to open and reseal.
While the food sector projects consistent growth, U.S. food companies do not usually lead the charge in packaging innovation, as noted by most food company respondents, equipment providers and industry experts in PMMI’s 2016 Food Packaging Trends & Advances. Of those that do, however, most packaging innovation is perceived to be within four specific segments of the U.S. food industry: