Preserved food, market trends and packaging
2024 closes on a positive note, with production up 2.7% compared to 2023, reaching 3,074,200 tonnes. Italy among the world leaders in the sector
Barbara Iascone
The preserved food sector represents one of the cornerstones of the Italian agri-food industry. Born from the need to preserve food over time while ensuring safety and quality, the industry combines tradition, technology, and sustainability, meeting the demands of increasingly discerning, informed, and convenience-oriented consumers.
Italy ranks among the leading producers in this segment, alongside Spain, France, Germany, and the United States, with Asia experiencing strong growth. The sector includes a wide range of products, from vegetable preserves (tomatoes, pulses, vegetables) to fish preserves (tuna, anchovies, sardines).
Tomato preserves – in all their versions, from peeled tomatoes to purée and pulp – stand as an emblem of Made in Italy, followed by canned fish products (tuna, anchovies, mackerel) and vegetables preserved in oil or vinegar, true ambassadors of Mediterranean cuisine. Italian exports continue to grow steadily, with well-established reference markets in Europe, North America, and Asia.
Market trends
The preserved food market closed 2024 on a positive note, recording a 2.7% increase in production compared to 2023, reaching 3,074,200 tonnes. The main driving force behind this growth was the tomato derivatives segment, which accounts for 70.3% of total production and recorded a 4.2% increase. Exports played a decisive role, rising by 8.7% year on year.
Vegetable preserves – including corn, olives, vegetables in oil or vinegar, and canned pulses, make up 26.2% of the sector and showed a slight decline of 0.8% in 2024. In this case too, foreign trade had a clear impact: exports, which represent nearly 60% of production, fell by 5.2%, significantly affecting the segment's overall performance.
Fish preserves account for 2.6% of national production and closed the year with a 1.5% increase. Once again, exports proved crucial: with a growth of +10%, they account for 41% of the segment’s total production. Completing the breakdown, canned meat represents 0.6% of total output and recorded a 0.6% decline in 2024.
Overall, foreign trade in the preserved food industry showed imports down by 5% and exports up by 4.4%. Early forecasts for 2025 suggest a stable outlook, with an anticipated growth of 0.4%, imports in line with the previous year, and exports expected to see a slight increase (+0.9%).
Packaging breakdown by product segment
To analyse the segmentation of packaging within the preserved food sector, it is essential to consider the specific characteristics of each product category. In 2024, the sector as a whole used approximately 903,000 tonnes of packaging materials, including primary, secondary, accessory, and transport packaging.
Tomato derivatives. In the industrial tomato processing sector, tinplate steel is confirmed as the most widely used material, with a share of 48.2%, predominantly for pulp and peeled tomatoes. Glass packaging follows with an overall 25.3% share (1.4% jars and 23.9% bottles), the preferred format for tomato puree.
Flexible laminates from converters account for 15.1% of the total, while paper-based laminated containers cover 6.5% of the market mix. Steel drums reach a 4% share, whit PET bottles (0.5%) and aluminium tubes (0.4%) completing the segmentation.
In 2024, approximately 612,000 tonnes of packaging materials were used for tomato derivatives, of which 536,000 tons related to primary packaging alone.
Within this segment, the composition of packaging varies significantly depending on the product: vegetables preserved in oil or vinegar: 76% of the packaging consists of glass jars, followed by steel cans (17%) and flexible pouches (7%), for a total of 63,000 tonnes of packaging in 2024. Table olives: packaging is composed of 49% glass, 31% flexible pouches, and 20% steel, totalling 16,000 tonnes of primary packaging. Sweetcorn: aluminium cans dominate with 78%, followed by steel (9%), laminated cardboard containers (8%), and glass jars (5%). Canned fruit in syrup: steel leads with a 66% share, plus an additional 23% of drums destined for industry; followed by glass and laminated cardboard (both 4%) and plastic trays (3%), for a total of 11,000 tonnes of primary packaging. Pulses: the breakdown shows steel cans (61%), glass containers (23%), and flexible pouches (16%), with an overall use of approximately 89,000 tonnes of primary packaging in 2024.
Fish Preserves. In the tuna segment, the most common packaging format is steel tins (67%), followed by glass jars (16%) and aluminium cans (14%); flexible pouches account for the remaining 3%. Approximately 28,000 tonnes of primary packaging were used in this market in 2024.
For anchovy and mackerel fillets, glass jars dominate with a 95% share, while the remaining 5% consists of metal containers.
Canned meat. This segment is characterised by exclusively metal packaging, divided between steel (43%) and aluminium (57%). Approximately 2,700 tonnes of primary packaging were used in 2024.
A challenge in the name of tradition and sustainability
The data analysis highlights a highly structured preserved food sector with established packaging choices, yet one that is gradually evolving under the influence of three main drivers: functionality, traditional usage, and environmental sustainability.
Steel and aluminium are confirmed as the benchmark materials for the most “traditional” categories – notably tomato derivatives, tuna, and pulses – thanks to their ability to ensure long shelf life, excellent durability, and well-established material recyclability. Specifically in the tomato segment, steel maintains a dominant position, supported by a favourable balance between cost, performance and consumer familiarity. The same applies to tuna and canned meat, where metal packaging is a defining feature of product identity.
As for glass, another of the most widely used materials, it is associated with segments of higher perceived value (premium tomato purees, vegetables preserved in oil, fish fillets), where it is appreciated for its transparency, elegance, and artisanal appeal.
Flexible pouches and converter-produced materials show growth momentum in segments that are particularly sensitive to packaging weight reduction, thanks to their lower logistical impact, reduced material weight, and the possibility of portioning the contained product (e.g. single servings), a highly felt need in modern society.
