The global food contact paper market was valued at US$ 68.6 billion in 2020 and is projected to reach US$ 97.8 billion by 2028; it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.7% from 2021 to 2028.

Food contact papers are used as primary packaging materials for various food products, such as baked food, confectionery, meat, snacks, and grain mill products. The papers are sustainable alternatives to many other food packaging materials, such as plastic and glass. Growing initiatives by companies to reduce their carbon footprint are influencing the adoption of food contact paper across the world. The increase in demand for sustainable and eco-friendly food packaging has also increased the demand for food paper packaging.

Based on application, the global food contact paper market is segmented into bakery and confectionery; dairy products; fruits and vegetables; meat, fish, and poultry; and others. In 2020, the bakery and confectionery segment accounted for a significant revenue share. The food contact paper is increasingly used in the bakery and confectionery sector. Parchment paper is used in baking as it is heat-resistant and provides a non-stick surface to bake on. The common use of parchment paper is to eliminate the need for grease sheet pans. It also allows a very rapid turnaround of batches of baked goods with minimal clean-up. Greaseproof paper is also an ideal solution for bakery items as it can withstand a wide range of environments, from hot oven to deep freezer & humidity.

Geographically, the ffood contact paper market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC), South and Central America, and Middle East & Africa (MEA). In 2020, Asia Pacific dominated the global food contact paper market and is expected to continue its dominance during the forecast period. The growing foodservice industry in Asian countries, rising awareness about the environment, increasing government initiatives to ban plastic packaging in several Asian countries are expected to accelerate the demand for eco-friendly and sustainable packaging solutions, which would drive the growth of the food contact paper market in Asia Pacific.

Many industries, such as the chemicals & materials industry, faced unprecedented challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the shortage of raw material and labor, shutdown of factories, and other operational difficulties under COVID-19 safety protocols, manufacturers of packaging products faced a contraction in sales during the initial months of the pandemic. Furthermore, the shift in the lifestyle of the consumers and their changing eating patterns have reduced the consumption of ready-to-use and outside food due to the virus spread, which has negatively affected the demand for food contact papers. However, as several countries are lifting the lockdown with proper precautionary measures, the demand for food contact papers is likely to back on track. As the lockdown was imposed in various countries, the e-commerce sector witnessed a significant demand for various products, such as packaged food and groceries including fresh vegetables and fruits, owing to the shutdown of offline stores, which fueled the utilization of food contact papers.

Mondi; Westrock Company; Georgia-Pacific LLC; Twin River Paper Company; UPM; Ahlstrom-Munksj?; GM Packaging (UK) Ltd; Superiorpaper Pty Ltd. TopCare; and KRPA Holding CZ, a.s are among the major players operating in the global food contact paper market.

The overall global food contact paper market size has been derived in accordance with to both primary and secondary sources. To begin the research process, exhaustive secondary research has been conducted using internal and external sources to obtain qualitative and quantitative information related to the market. Also, multiple primary interviews have been conducted with industry participants to validate the data, as well as to gain more analytical insights into the topic. The participants of this process include industry experts such as VPs, business development managers, market intelligence managers, and national sales managers-along with external consultants such as valuation experts, research analysts, and key opinion leaders-specializing in the global food contact paper market.