Middle East and Africa Frozen Food Packaging - Market Share Analysis, Industry Trends & Statistics, Growth Forecasts (2025 - 2030)

The Middle East and Africa Frozen Food Packaging Market is expected to register a CAGR of 4.21% during the forecast period.

Key Highlights

• The major categories of packaged food are bakery products and frozen processed food. Some of the emerging categories in this sector are frozen, ready-to-eat foods. As consumer expectations of food quality rise, storage life can be extended notably by making storage temperatures colder.
• There is an increase in the frozen food packaging market with the consumer appreciation of product quality. With the growth in the economy and changing lifestyles, there is an increased demand for rigid food packaging in the Middle East and Africa, and the market is expected to grow lucratively during the forecast period.
• Frozen food is a good source of nutrients, especially for people on tight budgets or with limited access to fresh foods. Can linings prevent the interaction of food with a can's metal? Epoxy resin, made from polymers containing Bisphenol A, has been favored for can coatings because it protects against metal corrosion and holds up to the heat extremes of sterilization.
• South Africa is the largest foodservice market in sub-Saharan Africa, with a large and highly competitive hospitality industry. Despite negative impacts on several economic parameters of the country, the food service industry is expected to experience considerable growth during the forecast period. Similarly, the country has a large number of domestic as well as international restaurant chains, thereby fueling the growth of flexible packaging.
• However, frozen meals have a high salt content, which could cause blood pressure to rise. Additionally, excessive salt consumption increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. The market growth of frozen ready meals is being hampered as more individuals become aware of the impacts of frozen food and prefer fresh food over frozen food.
• Some studies suggested that the virus can be passed on through cardboard and plastic, resulting in increased usage of single-use materials across supermarkets to wrap products, such as cling film for fruit and vegetables in the country. In addition, paper and packaging manufacturers in the region faced fluctuations in demand as the COVID-19 pandemic intensified, with potentially disruptive effects on production and revenues. There has also been an impact of the Russia-Ukraine war on the overall packaging ecosystem.

MEA Frozen Food Packaging Market Trends

Plastic Packaging to Dominate the Market

• The expanding food & beverage industry, mounting consumption of dairy & frozen dairy products, surging focus on innovation in the food & beverage sector, and soaring demand for processed & frozen packaged food in the countries of the Middle East and Africa augmenting the plastic packaging growth. Flexible packaging is the most widely used packaging material. The rising demand for packaging foods in portable and convenient formats has driven the usage of flexible plastic packaging.
• The rising demand for packaged milk, frozen semi-prepared products, and on-the-go snacks has significantly risen in the countries like Egypt. Further, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed preferences, and purchasing behavior based on health concerns fueled food sales in the region that requires flexible packaging.
• The qualities and properties that have met customers' demand for convenient frozen food packaging propel the industry's rapid growth. Numerous plastic polymers are getting better all the time. Polymers have been employed to meet the needs of customers and the region's population, preserve food, guard against contamination, improve quality of life, and store food.
• Due to the harsh environmental conditions and few locally grown fruits and vegetables, the region, particularly the Middle East region, has to depend on packages and frozen food. Also, to meet the food requirement of the growing population, the region is dependent on packaged food, which positively affects the demand for plastic-packaged frozen food.

Increasing Demand for Convenience by Consumers to Drive Innovation and Market Growth

• Various factors, such as changing lifestyles, increasing disposable income, and rapid urbanization in developing countries, especially the growing middle-income population, are increasing the demand for bags for frozen food. Population density has increased demand for packaged food, with Millenials contributing to the growth.
• After packaging, it takes time for packaged food to reach consumers across various parts of the world. The packaged food may not be fresh and might lose its aroma and taste before reaching the consumer. The threat of food being spoilt before reaching the consumer is increasing, as it would result in a loss of the capital invested in the packaging.
• To overcome this, food processing industries are investing in technologies and various new packaging techniques, such as intelligent packaging and engineering science, which help increase the product's shelf life. This is the reason for the industry's increased demand for frozen food. Organizations are focusing on consumer satisfaction, apart from revenues, as it impacts the image and value in the market.
• The consumption pattern of consumers has also been switching from raw food to convenience foods as a result of a fast-paced and hectic lifestyle. Additionally, the demand for frozen prepared meals is rising as a result of expanding urbanization and a changing population lifestyle. Frozen-ready meals are a sensible choice to meet customers' daily nutritional needs because they are simple to prepare, widely accessible, inexpensive, and economical.
• The increase in frozen food is also due to the increased convenience of retail stores in the region. The demand from retailers has risen significantly in the past few years.

MEA Frozen Food Packaging Industry Overview

The Middle East and Africa Frozen Food packaging market is moderately fragmented and consists of several major players. The major players, such as Pactiv Evergreen, Amcor Ltd, GenPack LLC, and Graham Packaging Company, with a prominent share in the market, are focusing on expanding their customer base across foreign countries.

In October 2022, the Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON) and stakeholders in the food industry introduced a standard regarding plastic recycling, which would further improve the production processes of plastics. Such initiatives would increase the use of sustainable plastic for packaging by e-commerce players.

In March 2022, SABIC, Nueva Pescanova, and Polivougaand collaborated on a seafood packaging solution using certified circular PE from ocean-bound plastic. The world's first frozen food packaging solution using SABIC's certified circular polyethylene from feedstock sourced from ocean-bound plastic has been developed through collaboration with the Nueva Pescanova Group, a leading Spanish brand owner specializing in the fishing, farming, processing, and marketing of fresh, chilled, and frozen seafood products.

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