Summary

The global canned food market, valued at $91.4 billion. Meat and fish dominate the market share, making up about one-third of the total value. Although Europe leads in canned food consumption, the Asia-Pacific region is expected to show the highest growth rates in the future. In Italy, the market is showing robust growth, fueled by domestic preference for long-life foods and increased exports, particularly to Britain, Germany and the United States. Import levels, however, have declined. Despite concerns about potential health risks from packaging materials, the market is set to grow due to consumer preference for convenience and the demands of a faster-paced lifestyle: Increasing appetite for convenience and quality.

Driving Growth: The Rise of Italian Canned Foods in Global Markets

The Italian canned food market is experiencing a period of positive growth, boosted by several key factors that align with broader global trends in food consumption. Consumers are increasingly turning to long-life food options, driven by a desire for convenience and a more hectic lifestyle that leaves little room for lengthy food preparation and cooking. Canned foods fit perfectly into this emerging pattern, offering solutions for quick meals without sacrificing nutritional value. The preference for Italian canned foods has not only affected domestic consumption, but has also had a significant impact on the global market. Italian exports of canned goods have increased, especially to countries such as the United Kingdom, Germany, and the United States, highlighting the international reputation and demand for Italian food products. Although imports have decreased, the overall stability of trade suggests a robust market that relies more on domestic production and consumption habits. The inclination of Italian consumers toward domestic products could also be seen as a factor in reducing import dependence. Despite concerns about the possible presence of harmful substances from canned food packaging materials, the market outlook remains optimistic.

The global canned food market is growing and is projected to grow between $100 billion and $150 billion by 2026, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of about 3 to 4 percent. Meats and fish lead the market segments and account for about one-third of the total market value, underscoring their continued popularity among canned food options. The regional perspective shows that Europe is currently the leader in canned food consumption, with Italy playing a significant role in this trend. However, it is the Asia-Pacific region that is expected to experience the fastest growth in the coming years, offering potential opportunities for Italian producers to expand their market presence. In summary, the Italian canned food market is in a strong position, supported by exports, a reputation for quality, and a consumer base that prioritizes convenience and nutritional value. It is expected that the search for convenient consumption solutions, combined with a modern and vibrant lifestyle, will continue to drive the growth of this sector.

Exploring the Diverse Landscape of the Canned Food Market: Key Players and Specializations

The canned food market is full of different players, each of which contributes its strengths and specialties to meet the diverse demands of consumers globally. The major market players mentioned above are representative of significant segments of the canned food industry.

  • Del Monte Foods, Inc: Del Monte Foods is one of the giants in the canned food industry, best known for its wide range of high-quality fruits and vegetables. Being a household name, Del Monte has established a strong brand identity associated with freshness and reliability.
  • Conagra Brands, Inc.: Conagra Brands is a major contender in the market and provides a broad portfolio of food products, including canned meats, which form a significant part of its offerings. With established brands and a focus on innovation, Conagra is at the forefront of consumer trends.
  • Nestlé SA: Although Nestlé is more famous for its multitude of products beyond canned goods, it has a solid stake in the canned food market, mainly due to its culinary brands and ready meals that meet the convenience sought by modern consumers.
  • Bolton Group: The Bolton Group operates several businesses, but in the canned food sector it is particularly well known for canned fish, a segment that holds a substantial share of the market. With quality products and a focus on sustainability, it has carved out a niche in the market.
  • Bonduelle Group: Bonduelle is a key player in the canned vegetable segment, with a commitment to providing healthy, plant-based products. It has won accolades for its approach to preserving the nutritional value of its canned offerings.
  • Campbell Soup Company: Campbell Soup Company is an iconic brand, synonymous with canned soups that have been a staple in many households for generations. It has effectively maintained its market position by continuously reinventing its product lines in tune with consumer preferences.
  • Thai Union Group PCL: Recognized for its leadership in the canned fish industry, Thai Union Group has made great strides in ensuring a sustainable fish supply, thus earning the trust and loyalty of environmentally conscious consumers.
  • JBS S.A.: JBS S.A., one of the largest meat processors globally, has extended its reach to the canned meat market. Its expertise in meat products is reflected in the quality of its canned meat offerings, which enjoy global demand.

These key players, with their distinctive specializations and commitment to quality, convenience and sustainability, underscore the dynamic nature of the canned food market. 

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  • Number of pages : 30 pages
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  • Last update : 04/07/2023
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Summary and extracts

1 Market Overview

1.1 Definition and presentation

Canned food famously refers to those foods of various kinds (fruits, dairy, legumes, vegetables, meats, fish) prepared and placed in airtight containers in such a way as to ensure their preservation for long periods of time ranging, normally, from one to five years, with the aim of preserving not only the food but also all the nutritional values it contains.

In 2018, the global canned food market was worth $91.4 billion but is expected to reach a value of $124.8 billion by 2026 growing at an annual growth rate of 3.9 percent. Specifically, in terms of foods, the highest market share was held by meats and fish, segments that account for about one-third of the total market value. In terms of geographic distribution, Europe is the region with the highest consumption of canned food, while the Asia Pacific region is expected to experience higher growth rates in the coming years.

The Italian canned food market has been characterized by relentless growth in recent years. In fact, the Italian population appears to be increasingly inclined to prefer long-life foods. Moreover, the fact that the value of exports, especially to Britain, Germany and the United States, has increased considerably confirms the consideration of Italian food as one of the most appreciated globally. Imports, on the other hand, have declined despite the relatively stable trend by which they have always been characterized.

Despite the growing concerns regarding this type of food, caused mainly by the possible presence within these foods of substances harmful to the body from the containers in which they are contained, the market has good growth prospects.The main drivers of the market's growth certainly include the growing inclination of the population to prefer convenience foods and people's more hectic lifestyles.Canned foods are, in fact, an excellent solution to these problems as they do not require significant cooking and preparation time.

1.2 The growing global market

The global canned food market reached a value of about $***.** billion in ****. The market is expected to grow further in the forecast period ****-**** at a CAGR of *.**% to reach nearly $***.** billion by ****.

The development of the market is driven by an increase in canned foods by consumers, among the drivers ...

1.3 An extremely important market

The canned food industry is quite relevant to the Italian economy by virtue of the wide distribution of these products and their cultural value.

Those vegetable ones from fruits and vegetables, in particular, occupy the first place with a turnover of **.* billion euros in ****, according to Istat data searched with ateco ...

1.4 A surplus trade balance

The following graphs show the evolution of imports and exports of the following products:

Prepared or preserved meat, offal, blood or insects (***) Preparations of vegetables n.e.c.; prepared or preserved otherwise than by vinegar or acetic acid, not frozen, other than products of heading **** (***) Tomatoes, prepared or preserved otherwise than ...

1.5 Impact of COVID-19

During the COVID-** pandemic, manufacturers of metal cans for food preservation benefited, along with the canning market, from consumer habits. The latter resorted to canned goods and other canned products to fill their pantries as they feared food shortages and therefore considered resorting to foods with a long shelf life. In ...

2 Demand analysis

2.1 Demographic characteristics of demand

The demographics of demand for canned food in Italy can vary depending on several factors, including age, gender, geographic area, and income level.

Canned foods may be in demand among a wide range of age groups, but they may be especially popular among older people. The latter tend to be more ...

2.2 Determinants of demand

Italians' choices

The data in the graph below show that Italians consider several aspects important when choosing food, with a strong emphasis on freshness, taste, quality, and seasonality. The aspect of shelf life occupies a median position in the list of priorities. It is significant for about a quarter of Italians. ...

3 Market structure

3.1 Market structure

Considering that canned foods are foods in airtight containers, the market can be segmented by type, thus into canned meat products, canned fish/seafood, canned vegetables, canned fruits, and others. Based on distribution channel, the market is accordingly segmented into supermarkets/hypermarkets, convenience stores/grocery stores, online retail stores, and other ...

3.2 The production cycles

Production cycle of canned tomatoes

The production of vegetable preserves begins with the harvesting process, which for tomatoes is almost exclusively done by mechanical harvesting. During harvesting, pre-sorting takes place and green, split, rotten or characterized by other impurities is removed. Harvesting takes place over ** days, usually from July ** to September ...

3.3 Distribution channels

In Italy, canned food, including canned tomatoes, is distributed through different distribution channels. As for canned products and tomato derivatives (***) alone is worth ** percent of the turnover of the entire sector[***].

On the other hand, with regard to preserved legume products, *** thousand tons of products with legumes worth *** million euros were ...

4 Supply analysis

4.1 Supply analysis

The main inherent feature of canned foods, which has made them widely common in the market, is their long shelf life. Because of this feature, canned goods have long shelf lives and minimal quality decay, both of which are achieved through modern food preservation technologies[***].

The term preserves refers to a ...

4.2 Price analysis

The following graph shows the consumer price indexes for the whole community on the following products indicated by COICOP code:

******: other preserved or processed products and meat preparations ******: other preserved or processed fish and seafood ******: preserved fruits and fruit products ******: other processed or preserved vegetables

Consumer price indexes for the ...

4.3 Supply trends

Major market players are focusing on providing organic and healthier canned food products to meet the growing needs of consumers. As a result, they are providing new product variants with higher quality, taste, and nutritional value to the market. Some new launches are shown below.

Source: ****

5 Regulations

5.1 Current regulations

Current regulations on canned food in Italy are regulated mainly by Legislative Decree No. *** of January **, ****. This decree provides general provisions for the labeling, presentation and advertising of food products. . Some key points of the legislation include:

*. Labeling with related mandatory information to be included on the label of canned ...

6 Positioning of actors

6.1 Segmentation

Source: ****

  • Agricola Tre Valli
  • Bolton Group: Rio Mare, Palmera, Simmenthal
  • Conserve Italia: Cirio, Valfrutta, Yoga, Derby
  • Mutti
  • Saclà
  • Star
  • La Doria
  • Nova

List of charts

  • Exports, Imports, Coverage rate of preparations or preserves of meat, offal, blood or insects
  • Exports, Imports, Coverage rate of prepared or preserved vegetables
  • Exports, Imports, Coverage rate of stored tomatoes

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Latest news

Mutti, champion of tomato sauce - 05/07/2023
  • The Mutti Group, European market leader in tomato by-products, achieved sales of 563 million euros in 2022, up 16% on the previous year.
  • The group processed some 60,000 tonnes of tomatoes.
  • For the first time, the group's export volumes exceeded those sold in Italy.
  • The Mutti subsidiary in France has been in existence for 10 years.
  • Mutti's sales in France are expected to reach 56 million euros in 2022, up 24% on the previous year.
  • California is the world's leading producer of tomatoes for the industry, followed by China, with a production of 9 million tons, and Italy, with a production of 6 million tons.
  • Worldwide tomato consumption is growing by around 2% a year.
  • The tomato industry is forecasting a 60% increase in costs by 2022
  • . The price of tomatoes rose by 65% in 2023, to 150 euros per tonne. The price of Mutti products in stores rose by around 10% in 2022.

Companies quoted in this study

This study contains a complete overview of the companies in the market, with the latest figures and news for each company. :

Agricola Tre Valli
Bolton Group: Rio Mare, Palmera, Simmenthal
Conserve Italia: Cirio, Valfrutta, Yoga, Derby
Mutti
Saclà
Star
La Doria
Nova

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