The packing products market for various types of food has long been noted for its strength.

Consumers' interests are pushing demand higher for more innovative and impressive forms of packaging as time goes on.

According to Packaging World, one example of this comes from United States demand for pet food packaging. From now until 2018, there's an expected 4.8 percent growth rate in the industry, eventually reaching a total of up to $2.5 billion, the news source found from citing a Freedonia Group study. This expansion will be based on the use of higher-value, more sophisticated packaging, as well as strength in increasing shipments caused by a rebound in the pet population. Many premium pet food brands are also working to provide their customers with healthier and more nutritious pet food, which will push for further growth in packaging demand.

"Plastic pouches will be the primary beneficiary of the trend toward more advanced pet food packaging," Freedonia Group analyst Joe Pryweller told the news source. "Pouch demand in pet food packaging will rise 8.3% per year to $540 million in 2018, the fastest pace of growth among pet food packaging types."

Much of this demand will be boosted further as consumers demand more convenient packages that are also seen in human food packaging, like zippered closure mechanisms, lightweight builds and reduced transportation costs.

However, the brunt of the market will continue to be represented by pet food packaging, which will still hold half of the market due to the strength of their bulk supplies. Multiwall paper bags will also gain favor, as will woven polypropylene bags.

Edible packaging?

Shifting to human food packaging, there may soon be a new innovation in packaging supplies that turns away from typical expectations like machine tape. Public Radio International reported that this evolution could come in the form of edible packaging. A Harvard researcher, David Edwards, believes that it could be possible for future grocery stores to have every product wrapped in an edible and grape-like skin that would only need to be washed.

Sustainability becomes larger focus in food packaging Edible packaging may arise in the food industry

Edwards told the news source that he's working to develop a number of different packaging membranes, ranging from soft and edible skins to hard and biodegradable shells, that will be able to protect food, taste good and retain nutritional value. His lab has started production with ice cream and yogurt already seeing success, with soups and cocktails coming up next.

What's more, Edwards believes the concept will be able to be scaled through an entire grocery store. While there are still some issues in the market - such as convincing some markets to choose exotic or organic food choices - this innovation may inspire a series of changes over a period of time.

Resealable gaining strength

As for immediate results, other companies are choosing to use increasingly popular packaging decisions like resealable packages. Neoplanta's Patelina fish and meat plates are one example, as their cups can be sealed repeatedly to extend the shelf life of the products inside. This improves upon what packages the company previously used - mainly aluminum cans - and will help extend the value of the food for the shoppers who decide to buy them.

These cups guard the products inside from both oxidation and drying out, which can negatively affect their tastes and quality. The cups themselves are combinations of new plastic materials and production technology, where they're thermoformed and then injection-molded. Changing these products will help meat and fish pate sales, as the food is a common delicacy in Eastern Europe.