Fruit and vegetables: packaging

Market data on the production, distribution, packaging and consumption of fresh fruit and vegetable products in Italy.

Barbara Iascone

Italy is one of the leading European countries in the production and sale of fruit and vegetables, significant also for the variety of products grown. An important feature of the national fruit and vegetable sector is the regional specialisation, causing clear distinctions between one territory and another (citrus fruits in Sicily, olives in Liguria, Tuscany and Puglia, etc..).

Fruit and vegetable products have different types of consumption, given that they can be used in industrial processes, be processed and preserved, or consumed fresh: it’s precisely on the third type of consumption that this packaging analysis focuses. Due to consumers’ greater attention to their diets, the fresh fruit and vegetable market appears to be evolving to a certain degree, with greater demand for quality products.

Distribution channels

Fruit and vegetable products are sold through various channels: wholesale or local markets and dedicated stores. Most fruit and vegetable products, however, are sold through the mass retail channel, that is, hyper- and supermarkets. Direct sales are very common, but it should be noted that, in the last few years, sales through online platforms with home delivery have also caught on: the pandemic had a strong impact in this regard.

Sector data

On the basis of an analysis of the Italian Packaging Institute’s Data Bank, in 2023 around 11,200,000 tonnes of fruit and vegetable products allocated to fresh consumption were produced, a fall of 4% compared to 2022. There was a strong increase in imports, +22%, and exports also grew, by +9%.

The consumption of fresh products in Italy in 2023 grew by 3.2%. Imports obviously influence our consumption habits, given that exotic fruit and vegetables or those of other origins have become part of our eating habits. Closely linked to distribution, there are certain types of fruit and vegetable products that are particularly sensitive to “packaging” methods: we are referring to the IV and V classes, the definition of which depends on different levels of processing and the transformation of fresh products, classified on the basis of the handling and level of preparation for consumption.

IV class products are fresh and already washed and peeled, ready to be consumed raw, such as, for example, ready salads, cut and washed vegetables, peeled and sliced fruit. The V class refers to fruit and vegetables which are cooked or processed, but are not subject to long-term preservation processes; they are, in practice, ready to consume products, without requiring further preparation but with a limited shelf life. Examples of V class products are steam-cooked or grilled vegetables, mashed potatoes, cooked fruit, etc. Around 4,500,000 tonnes of fruit and vegetables were allocated to the consumption of these two categories in 2023.

Types of packaging

The packaging of the fruit and vegetable sector has quite a complex segmentation, mainly because the different product processing phases vary considerably. In this regard, three macro-areas have been classified where we find different types of packaging:

• packaging from harvesting to sorting centre;
• transport packaging from sorting centre to sales point;
• packaging for small and large retailers. In 2023 around 1,062 t/000 of packaging was used, considering the entire life-cycle of fruit and vegetable products allocated to fresh consumption.
• Starting with the first type of packaging, that is to say, that used for harvesting and transport to the sorting centre, it’s mostly large returnable packaging, therefore used several times. 75% are plastic bins, 14.5% wooden bins, 10% returnable plastic boxes; finally, we have 0.5% of disposable boxes. Around 238.000 tonnes were used in 2023 for this segment.
• The second category relates to transport packaging used for moving from the processing and sorting centre to the distribution point; for this type of packaging, around 870,000 tonnes were used in 2023. The subdivision of the packaging mix sees large corrugated cardboard boxes (average 7 kg capacity) as the most used packaging in this area, with a share of 35.8%; returnable plastic boxes follow with 19.5% and disposable plastic boxes with 19.4%. Wooden boxes represent 19.3%, wooden mini bins 5.2% and, finally, raffia sacks with 0.5%. The first two packaging categories provide for the use of large-size packaging, ranging from 7 kg for boxes to 100 kg for bins.
• The last category, relating to sales to the consumer, are very varied, depending on the distribution channel used. With regards to distribution at wholesale or local markets or dedicated stores (grocers), the main form of packaging is the paper bag, followed by plastic bags and baskets.

 In mass retail there is a clear prevalence of plastic, converted flexible polylaminates for the IV class, thermoformed plastic trays for the V class. Only bioplastic bags are used for fruit and vegetables sold loose in mass retail. Fresh fruit and vegetable products sold directly by farmers are mainly packaged in wooden or corrugated cardboard boxes. The same breakdown applies to online sales. In this context, in 2023, around 192,100 t/000 of packaging was used, excluding that for transport and storage.

Analysing the segment overall, it emerges that 35% of products are packaged with converted flexible packaging and 29% are thermoformed plastic baskets and trays. Plastic bags follow with 11% and cardboard baskets with 10.6%; 6.9% is represented by plastic trays and 1.3% paper bags. The segmentation ends with wooden and corrugated cardboard boxes, growing year after year, with respectively 2.7% for the first and 2.3% for the second; finally, we find raffia for sacks, with 1.2%.

For packaging produced allocated for sale, the trend for the future is without doubt towards sustainability: this is confirmed by the widespread use of biodegradable plastic and paper. With regards to packaging for transport, increasing use, where possible, of corrugated cardboard emerges.

It should be remembered, however, that packaging for transport is characterised by a very strong presence of reuse: this gives rise to the need to have solid and long-lasting packaging, able to transport large quantities of goods. Plastic and wood are the most suitable materials in this sense.