Pet Food Packaging Market Size & Share Analysis - Growth Trends & Forecasts (2024 - 2029)

Pet Food Packaging Market Analysis

The Pet Food Packaging Market size is estimated at USD 12.85 billion in 2024, and is expected to reach USD 17.52 billion by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 6.40% during the forecast period (2024-2029).

Pet food packaging is growing significantly. Proper packaging is essential for maintaining the freshness and nutritional value of pet food by protecting it from contaminants, moisture, and air. Proper packaging ensures the food remains safe from pests and other environmental factors that could compromise its quality. This makes it easier for pet owners to handle, store, and dispense food.

• The pet food packaging market is gaining traction due to the growing adoption of pets as companions and the increasing awareness among owners about maintaining a pet's health. Growing concerns over pet health are driving the adoption of advanced, spill-proof packaging for pet food, ensuring its quality is preserved. Data from Shelter Animals Count in 2023 revealed that 3% more dogs entered shelters than exited. Specifically, 2.2 million dogs found new homes, 625,000 were reunited with their owners, and 561,000 were moved between organizations.
• In 2023-2024, the American Pet Products Association Inc. reported that around 65.1 million US households had at least one dog. Cats and freshwater fish followed, with about 46.5 million and 11.1 million households, respectively. As pet owners increasingly view their pets as family, there is an increasing demand for premium and high-quality packaged pet food.
• As the social contract shifts and treating pets as faithful family members is more of a social norm, the growth and development of the premium pet food category emerged as a natural consequence. The emergence of new brand players and the proliferation of SKUs unleashing dramatic packaging drive the pet food industry. In addition, online pet food sales are rising, which boosts demand for packaging that supports shipping and handling. As reported by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, online retailing in India saw pet food making up 14.5% of its sales in 2023. Such expansion in online pet food sales may create demand in the studied market.
• The increasing adoption of food safety regulations poses several challenges to the growth of the pet food packaging market. Stricter food safety regulations require manufacturers to invest in compliant packaging materials, technologies, and processes. This leads to higher production costs, which can be difficult for smaller companies to absorb. Tighter regulations may result in more frequent inspections and a higher likelihood of recalls if packaging is found to be non-compliant. Recalls can damage a brand's reputation and lead to financial losses.
• Moreover, increasing inflation drives up costs for raw materials, energy, and transportation, raising the expenses associated with pet food packaging production. This uptick in packaging material costs can, in turn, elevate the prices of the pet food products themselves. Furthermore, as inflation impacts the cost of living, consumers are likely to adopt a budget-conscious approach. This shift in priorities may lead them to focus on essential expenses, shortening their spending on premium or specialty pet foods and their associated packaging.

Pet Food Packaging Market Trends

The Dry Food Segment is Expected to Hold a Considerable Share in the Market

Pet Food Packaging Industry Segmentation

Pet food packaging ensures products remain fresh, durable, and contamination-free. As pet owners grow increasingly concerned about their pets' nutritional intake, there has been a surge in the production of diverse pet foods. This, in turn, amplifies the demand for innovative materials in pet food packaging. The study meticulously monitors fundamental demand-side dynamics, leveraging a comprehensive set of base indicators, including pet food demand and local production trends. 

The pet food packaging market is segmented by material (paper and paperboard, metal, and plastic), product type (pouches, folding cartons, metal cans, bags, and other product types), type of food (dry food, wet food, and chilled and frozen food), animal (dog food, cat food, and other animal), and geography (North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East and Africa). The market sizes and forecasts are provided in terms of value (USD) for the above-mentioned segments.