Active and intelligent packaging in US set for healthy growth - report

Lower costs for the technology combined with greater demand for products offering enhanced shelf-life and/or improved quality will be major driver in sector growth, said The Freedonia Institute.

Gains in active and intelligent packaging will outpace overall packing demand, added the Cleveland-based organisation.

Greater emphasis on food safety, including the implementation of Food Safety Modernization Act and a rise in smartphone use to promote interactive packaging will also spur increased demand, said the group in its analysis entitled Active & Intelligent Packaging.

Intelligent packaging​

Demand for intelligent packaging is expected to soar by around 20 per cent annually to be worth $370m by the end of the review period.

Robust growth will be fuelled by rising demand for Quick Response and other two dimensional (2D) barcode technologies.

Increasing use of time temperature indicator labels and tags will also have a positive effect thanks to need for enhanced traceability for perishable foods and temperature sensitive drugs.

Active packaging​

Active packaging demand is set to be more modest because of already wider adoption, with the analysts forecasting a 6.5 per cent increase year-on-year to reach $1.9bn in 2015.

Gas scavengers will show especially strong growth as a result of “expanded applications for oxygen scavengers in food, beverage and pharmaceutical packaging”, said The Freedonia Group.

Gas scavengers are expected to grow by almost 10 per cent between 2010 and 2015 to be worth $795m by the end of the period. Growth of moisture control technologies is forecast to remain at 2005-20105 levels at around 4 per cent reaching a value of $365m

Healthy growth for self-ventilating packaging and susceptor packaging in applications other than microwave popcorn will also play a part in spurring growth in the segment.

Food and bev –largest markets​

In 2010, food and beverage applications remained the two largest markets for active and intelligent packaging.

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“Above-average gains in food uses will be based on heightened requirements for longer shelf life for processed foods and packaged fresh foods containing fewer or no preservatives,”​ added the report.

However, fastest growth to 2015 is expected to be seen in the pharmaceutical sector driven by an ageing population, along with the increasing presence of high-value, temperature-sensitive drugs.

Active and Intelligent Packaging is available from The Freedonia Group priced $4,900