The global food and beverage packaging market was valued at USD 429.9 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach USD 638.6 billion by 2032. That growth runs alongside rising waste, with packaging waste from food and drink projected to hit 12 million tonnes by 2040. In the EU, food and drink manufacturing accounts for 16.4% of manufacturing value added, tying economic scale to the sustainability pressure created by packaging.
Key Takeaways
- Global food and beverage packaging market size was valued at USD 429.9 billion in 2023
- The global food and beverage packaging market is projected to reach USD 638.6 billion by 2032
- Global packaging waste generated from food and drink is projected to be 12 million tonnes by 2040
- Global food waste at retail and consumer levels was 13.2% of food produced
- Food loss and waste accounts for about 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions
- Household food waste per capita in Europe was about 47 kg per year
- The number of people facing hunger rose to 828 million in 2021 (in context of food system efficiency)
- FAO reports hunger rose from 768 million in 2020 to 828 million in 2021
- The State of Food Security and Nutrition 2022 estimates 2.4 billion people experience moderate or severe food insecurity
- WHO recommends limiting free sugars to less than 10% of total energy intake
- WHO recommends reducing free sugars further to less than 5% of total energy intake
- WHO estimates 41 million children under 5 were overweight in 2020
- In 2023, about 55% of UK businesses were using data/analytics to improve operations (as proxy, not FoodTech-specific)
- In 2023, the UK had 3.5 million businesses using cloud computing (proxy)
Food and beverage packaging is set to surge from 429.9 billion in 2023 to 638.6 billion by 2032.
Related reading
01 · Category
Market Size & Growth17 stats
01
Global food and beverage packaging market size was valued at USD 429.9 billion in 2023
02
The global food and beverage packaging market is projected to reach USD 638.6 billion by 2032
03
Global packaging waste generated from food and drink is projected to be 12 million tonnes by 2040
04
Food and beverage packaging is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.5% from 2024 to 2032
05
In the EU, the food & drink manufacturing sector accounts for 12.6% of manufacturing turnover
06
In the EU, the food & drink manufacturing sector accounts for 14.1% of manufacturing employment
07
In the EU, the food & drink manufacturing sector contributes 16.4% to manufacturing value added
08
The EU’s food and drink manufacturing turnover was about EUR 1.7 trillion in 2022
09
The number of enterprises in EU food and drink manufacturing was 282,631 in 2022
10
The value added in EU food and drink manufacturing was EUR 341.7 billion in 2022
11
US food manufacturing revenue was $2.2 trillion in 2023
12
US food manufacturing industry growth was 3.2% in 2024
13
US food manufacturing employment was 1.56 million in 2023
14
The global plant-based food market size was USD 7.4 billion in 2019 and is projected to reach USD 74.2 billion by 2027
15
The global meat substitutes market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.1% from 2021 to 2027
16
Global alternative proteins market size reached $5.5 billion in 2020
17
Global alternative proteins market is projected to reach $25.4 billion by 2028
Interpretation
Market Size & Growth Interpretation
These figures tell a single, serious story: while the global food and beverage packaging business barrels toward $638.6 billion by 2032 with a 4.5 percent CAGR, the knock on costs are rising too, with food and drink packaging waste heading toward 12 million tonnes by 2040, and even as the EU and US food industry quietly anchors enormous value and jobs, faster growing plant based and alternative protein markets are clearly pushing the supply chain to innovate before sustainability becomes the bill everyone has to pay.
02 · Category
Waste, Sustainability & Loss15 stats
01
Global food waste at retail and consumer levels was 13.2% of food produced
02
Food loss and waste accounts for about 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions
03
Household food waste per capita in Europe was about 47 kg per year
04
In 2019, the EU generated 2.3 million tonnes of plastic packaging waste
05
In the EU, food waste is among the top waste streams, with around 58 million tonnes generated in 2020
06
The “Farm to Fork” strategy aims to reduce food waste by 50% by 2030
07
The SDG 12.3 target is to halve per capita global food waste by 2030
08
FAO estimates that 14% of food produced is lost between harvest and retail
09
FAO estimates that 17% of food is lost or wasted along supply chains
10
Food waste in the U.S. was 30-40% of food supply
11
In the U.S., food waste costs households about $1,500per year
12
Globally, 931 million tonnes of food were wasted in 2019
13
UNEP estimates food waste generates about 8-10% of global greenhouse gas emissions
14
Food waste in households globally was 61% of total consumer waste
15
EU aims to make food systems fair, healthy and environmentally-friendly, including reducing waste (50% reduction by 2030)
Interpretation
Waste, Sustainability & Loss Interpretation
These numbers add up to a slightly grim punchline for the Farm to Fork and SDG 12.3 crowd: we are wasting roughly a third of the world’s food story, and the biggest villains live in households and supply chains, where that waste quietly fuels climate pollution, piles plastic onto the heap, and costs families real money even as Europe sets an ambitious 50 percent reduction goal by 2030.
03 · Category
Food Security & Demand15 stats
01
The number of people facing hunger rose to 828 million in 2021 (in context of food system efficiency)
02
FAO reports hunger rose from 768 million in 2020 to 828 million in 2021
03
The State of Food Security and Nutrition 2022 estimates 2.4 billion people experience moderate or severe food insecurity
04
In 2022, 150.8 million people in 45 countries faced acute food insecurity (IPC/CH phases 3-5)
05
The UN projects the global population will reach 9.7 billion by 2050
06
The global population is projected to reach 10.4 billion by 2100
07
World food demand is projected to increase by 50% by 2050
08
Global agricultural production needs to increase by 50% by 2050 to feed a growing population
09
The global middle class is expected to grow to 5.3 billion by 2030 (driving food demand)
10
The global food and beverage industry is expected to grow due to population and income (use market growth proxy)
11
Global cereal production reached 2.8 billion tonnes in 2021
12
Global rice production reached 510 million tonnes in 2021
13
Global wheat production reached 781 million tonnes in 2021
14
Global meat production reached 342 million tonnes in 2021
15
Global dairy production reached 874 million tonnes in 2021 (milk equivalent)
Interpretation
Food Security & Demand Interpretation
In 2021 and beyond, FAO and UN data tell a grim tale in numbers: hunger climbed from 768 million to 828 million, 2.4 billion people experienced moderate or severe food insecurity, and 150.8 million faced acute crisis, all while the world hurtles toward 9.7 billion by 2050 and 10.4 billion by 2100, demanding roughly 50 percent more food as global cereal, rice, wheat, meat, and dairy production already reach 2.8, 510, 781, 342, and 874 million tonnes respectively, even as a swelling middle class to 5.3 billion and an expanding food and beverage market promise more demand than today’s food system can comfortably absorb.
More related reading
04 · Category
Regulations, Standards & Health27 stats
01
WHO recommends limiting free sugars to less than 10% of total energy intake
02
WHO recommends reducing free sugars further to less than 5% of total energy intake
03
WHO estimates 41 million children under 5 were overweight in 2020
04
EU nutrition and health claims regulation: Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 governs nutrition and health claims made on foods
05
EU food information to consumers regulation: Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on food information to consumers
06
EU maximum trans fat for industrially-produced trans fatty acids: less than 2 g per 100 g of fat (official limit in WHO/region contexts)
07
FDA’s Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) was signed into law in January 2011
08
FSMA was established to ensure food safety from farm to table
09
FSMA requires preventive controls for human and animal food under the Preventive Controls Rules
10
FSMA requires hazard analysis and risk-based preventive controls for covered facilities
11
EU novel food regulation requires pre-market authorization, Regulation (EU) 2015/2283
12
ISO 22000 is an international standard for food safety management systems
13
ISO 9001 is a generic quality management standard often used in food industry contexts
14
HACCP is defined by Codex Alimentarius general principles
15
Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene (including HACCP) is CAC/RCP 1-1969
16
Food allergy labeling—EU: Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 requires declaration of 14 allergens
17
EU requires declaration of allergens in ingredients lists and via emphasis
18
Microbiological criteria under EU Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005
19
EU Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 on food hygiene applies to food business operators
20
EU Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 lays down general principles and requirements of food law
21
EU Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 governs maximum residue levels of pesticides in/ on food and feed
22
EU Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 on food additives
23
EU Regulation (EC) No 1334/2008 on flavourings and certain food ingredients
24
EU Regulation (EC) No 1925/2006 on added vitamins and minerals
25
EU Regulation (EU) 2019/1381 on transparency for food chain risk assessment
26
FDA’s “Current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) and Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Human Food” final rule became effective in 2016
27
FDA’s “Current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) and Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Food for Animals” final rule became effective in 2016
Interpretation
Regulations, Standards & Health Interpretation
From WHO’s ever-tighter limits on free sugars and the stubborn reality of 41 million overweight children under five to the EU’s carefully choreographed web of food laws, labeling rules, allergen declarations, hygiene and residue controls, and premarket scrutiny of novel foods, all the way to the FDA’s farm-to-table preventive logic under FSMA and updated cGMP rules, these statistics collectively say the modern food industry runs on risk management, transparency, and paperwork so serious it could be classified as a flavor.
05 · Category
Technology, Automation & R&D2 stats
01
In 2023, about 55% of UK businesses were using data/analytics to improve operations (as proxy, not FoodTech-specific)
02
In 2023, the UK had 3.5 million businesses using cloud computing (proxy)
Interpretation
Technology, Automation & R&D Interpretation
In 2023, roughly 55% of UK businesses were leaning on data and analytics to run things better, while about 3.5 million were already using cloud computing, proving that Food Tech, like the rest of the business world, is increasingly powered by smarter systems rather than just smarter recipes.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Priya Chandrasekaran. (2026, February 13). Food Technology Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/food-technology-industry-statistics
MLA
Priya Chandrasekaran. "Food Technology Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/food-technology-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Priya Chandrasekaran. 2026. "Food Technology Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/food-technology-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
56 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+36 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)