Consumers love the convenience of microwaveable heat-and-serve foods and the time saved in putting meals on the table. As a result, the U.S. market for microwaveable packaging is expected to achieve a 9.4 percent annual growth rate to generate $2 billion in revenue by 2016, according to a study1 by Allied Development Corp., Burnsville, Minn. Much of this growth will be fueled by the rapid adoption of microwaveable packaging for products with meat, poultry or seafood ingredients, including prepared meals, pasta and pizza.
Demand for microwaveable packaging is expanding elsewhere in the world too, according to a report2 by Global Industry Analysts Inc. (GIA), San Jose, Calif. In fact, the GIA study predicts, growing urbanization, changing lifestyles, smaller family sizes, increasing awareness about the benefits of nutrient-retaining packaging, widespread availability of microwaveable foods and increased penetration of microwave ovens will propel the global market for microwave packaging to $11.9 billion by 2018.