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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:
www.amfori.org 3
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.
45
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: [email protected]
www.amfori.org