US barrier films market to reach $4.1bn in 2021

Freedonia’s Barrier Films Market in the US identifies demand for higher performing gas barriers that prolong product lifespan as a driver for growth. However, gains will be restrained by the relatively high cost of manufacturing new film structures, which can sometimes involve investment in new processing machinery, the report states.

The food packaging market accounted for 77 percent of demand for oxygen and other gas barrier films in 2016, and Fredonia analyst Ellen Kriz explained: ‘Oxygen can induce food spoilage in a number of ways and otherwise damage the texture or visual appeal of almost any kind of food.’ 

Other applications for gas barrier films include pharmaceutical packaging, agricultural silage and fumigation films, and protective films for photovoltaic modules, flexible electronics and other durable goods. The pharmaceutical and medical products packaging market will see healthy growth through 2021 due to increased pharmaceutical shipments, with oxygen barriers protecting the reactive constituents of medications, and the nutritional content of vitamins and other supplements.  Moreover, new drug formulations require higher barriers. For example, as the particle size of medications decreases to facilitate absorption in the body, a more robust oxygen barrier is required.