The Canned Food Industry 2

The Canned Food Industry

Introduction and Environmental Hotspots

Due to their convenience and long shelf-life, canned foods have become an

integral part of many people’s diets since their invention in the 18th century.

Today, the canned food market is worth billions and includes a diverse

range of foods: seafood, meat, fruits, vegetables, desserts, soups, sauces,

beans, lentils and pastas.

Background

In 2018, the global canned food industry was valued at USD

91.4 billion and is expected to reach USD 124.8 billion by

2026, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.9%

during this time span.

The top 10 canned food consumer countries in kg per capita

in 2017 were:

Sweden 33.4

United Kingdom 23.5

Portugal 23.2

France 22.3

Belgium 21.4

United States 21.2

New Zealand 16.5

Norway 16.4

Czech Republic 16.2

Australia 16

Regional analysis

The canned food market has been geographically segmented

into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America and

Africa. The market is currently dominated by Europe and the

US, which hold 60% of the global canned foods market.

Projections show that the above regions will continue to

expand their current value within the next decade, with the US

alone expected to expand its value by a further 40% by the

end of 2027.

The market in the Asia-Pacific region is also expected to

experience a boom in the coming years. Currently, the region

holds almost one fifth of the global canned foods market and

is anticipated to see an expansion in value similar to the

United States (40%). Changing food habits and growing

urbanisation will play a pivotal role in driving the growth of the

canned food industry in the region and especially in the

ASEAN countries.

Product type segmentation

The canned food market is divided into four main product type

categories: meat & seafood, fruits & vegetables, ready meals,

and others. Amongst these categories, the meat & seafood

category accounts for the major market share in the canned

food market. Increased sales of this category are primarily

connected with the growing demand for seafood and healthy

food which is rich in protein. An increased focus on protein as

part of a healthy diet is expected to raise the worth of the

global canned seafood market by $4.7 billion by 2024.

Although all product type categories are estimated to grow in

the future, the ready meals segment is estimated to be the

fastest growing segment between 2020 and 2026.

Environmental hotspots in the canned food industry

Generally, the canning process involves many different

phases: cleaning and preparing the raw food; blanching it;

filling the containers; closing and sealing the containers;

sterilising the canned products; and labelling and

warehousing the finished goods.

Many of these processes, in varying degrees, may contribute

towards negative impacts on the environment. The four main

environmental hotspots of the canned food industry are

detailed below:

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1. Water consumption

In the canning industry, water consumption is largely justified

by the need to process the raw materials: peeling, scalding,

disinfecting workplaces and equipment, and refrigerating

finished products. A small amount of water is also used as a

covering liquid. The water used in canning facilities is either

drawn from local aquifers such rivers and lakes or from the

sea (saltwater). The amount of water consumed in food

canning facilities is highly dependent on the product.

For example, water consumption in fish canning facilities is

approximately 15 m3 (15,000 litres) per ton of raw fish with

global values of average daily consumption in the range of 20-

300 m3 per facility, depending on the plant capacity. By

contrast, when we look at the amount of water consumed in

fruit canning, we see that it is much lower, approximately 8.56

m3 per ton of raw material (8,560 litres).

The main impact of excessive water useage is that it can dry

out the local aquifers and cause water shortages.

2. Waste-water production

A significant by-product of the canning industry is wastewater.

The activity producing the most wastewater is the processing

of raw materials (i.e. cleaning, washing, blanching etc.), which

occurs at a very early stage of the canning process.

The wastewater generated by this industry may contain high

quantities of organic material, high levels of biodegradables

and variable pH levels. This means the wastewater needs to

be disposed of properly to avoid any form of sanitary

nuisance. The average amount of waste loads generated by

smaller, seasonal facilities is comparable to that of a

population of 20,000 people, whereas large facilities can

generate an amount comparable to 250,000 people.

This large quantity of wastewater, if not dealt with properly,

can pollute nearby natural water sources when discharged.

The degree to which ecosystems are affected will depend on

the food product processed and the systems used for

discharge.

❖ wastewater from fruit and vegetable canning

companies that is discharged into water bodies

(either into the sea or rivers) can cause

eutrophication and oxygen depletion. This

significantly affects aquatic organisms and the local

communities that rely on them

❖ wastewater from seafood canning companies has a

different impact when discharged into rivers in

comparison to when discharged into the sea. In the

case of river discharge, untreated water can cause

eutrophication and limit certain species due to high

salt content, while in the case of sea discharge it can

cause problems for fish if the level of pollution is too

high

3. Solid organic waste

Solid waste is usually generated in the stages of raw material

washing, grading, peeling and slicing. This waste gets

incorporated into the wastewater flows that are generated in

all other operations, which makes their collection and

treatment a challenge for the industry. In fish canning the

amount of total fish weight that becomes waste is between 20

and 50%, while in fruit and vegetable canning this amount can

vary from 5 to 67%, depending on the product being canned.

Source: Regional Activity Centre for Cleaner Production (RAC/CP) – Mediterranean Action

Plan (2001)

The proper collection and treatment of discarded food by the

industry could help to reduce overexploitation of natural

resources. The composition of these wastes suggests

enormous potential for producing value-added by-products.

For example, fish and fruit and vegetable waste could be

converted into animal feed.

4. Air pollution

Air pollution from the canning industry is generally related to

the question of unpleasant odours rather than toxic air

emissions (with a few exceptions). Unpleasant odours

generated by the canning industry vary since they can be

released throughout the whole canning process.

One major health concern in canning facilities is leaks of

ammonia gas from refrigeration units. Ammonia is highly

irritating to the eyes and respiratory tract and a major leak into

the environment could require the evacuation of a whole

community.

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25

12 10

3833

15

35

56

67

5

43

30

17

31

20

Fruit & Vegetable Canning - %

Waste by Product

4

Besides the release of unpleasant odours, the canning

industry also generates greenhouse gasses. This is mainly

through the choice of power for canning facilities, with many

being powered by oil, coal or gas boilers.

amfori BEPI

amfori BEPI offers a single system that enables all companies

sourcing all product types, including canned food products, to

address the environmental performance of their supply

chains.

The BEPI system focuses on the production site, letting the

producer take ownership of the knowledge acquired and pass

it down the tiers of the supply chain. BEPI offers producers a

tailored system with on-site support to help identify and

address high priority environmental areas where progress is

needed most.

The result is a comprehensive overview of producers’

performance in fields such as water usage, pollution, waste

management and nuisances, based on which BEPI can

provide individual support and capacity building activities to

assist progress.

To reduce the environmental footprint in the canned food

industry, the BEPI programme offers collective workshops on

Energy Management, Water Management, Wastewater

Management, amongst other solutions.

The whole BEPI journey includes the following steps:

amfori

Avenue de Cortenbergh 172

1000 Brussels – Belgium

Fax: +32 2 762 75 06

Phone: +32 2 762 05 51

Email: info@amfori.org

www.amfori.org