The market for casings and nettings is growing, according to suppliers of the materials used for sausage, roasts, hams and other protein products.
Industry estimates value the global market at nearly $5 billion with an annual growth rate of about 4 percent. Suppliers attribute the growing demand to population growth, changes in eating habits, urbanization and technological developments such as coextrusion of product and casing. Growth is particularly strong in developing countries. As a result, several plants recently started up or are under construction in China and Latin America.