The current state and future prospects of retort films and retort pouches in the world.

The latest version with a significant update on the impact of COVID-19 and future outlook.

Retort pouch products have managed to maintain their distribution volume even in the context of the pandemic, which has led to longer hours spent at home. Furthermore, after the pandemic has somewhat subsided, a resurgence in growth rates is anticipated. In the Japanese market, high growth rates have been sustained for over a decade, but in the last 4 to 5 years, there has been a noticeable decline in growth rates compared to previous periods. However, it is expected that a steady recovery will occur in the future. It is worth noting that in 2023, following the pandemic, there was a slight increase in inventory due to a rebound from increased production anticipated by rising demand. Future growth rates are estimated to continue at 2-3% per year. In the case of the Japanese market, looking specifically at retort pouch products, particularly the overwhelmingly dominant "retort pouch food," there continues to be a trend of "slowing growth rates for aluminum foil-based retort pouches" and "advancements in growth rates for transparent barrier film-based retort pouches." Especially concerning the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions, with the current emphasis on SDGs, transparent pouches are increasing in significance as environmentally friendly packaging. I hope this document serves as a helpful resource for the packaging industry and end-users in their business planning.

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