The global food and beverage metal cans market is on track to reach $80.21 billion by 2031, up from an estimated $57.19 billion in 2026, according to new research from MarketsandMarkets. The 7.0% compound annual growth rate reflects accelerating operator and processor demand for shelf-stable, recyclable packaging across canned vegetables, soups, ready-to-eat meals, carbonated beverages, beer, and energy drinks — categories that directly drive volume through commercial cold-storage and prep-line infrastructure.
What's Driving Growth
For foodservice operators and commissary kitchen designers, the data signals a tightening link between packaging format and back-of-house workflow. Canned goods require dedicated dry-storage and cold-chain staging, and the continued shift toward convenient, shelf-stable inputs in high-volume foodservice settings — including ghost kitchens and contract commissaries — sustains that demand. The food application segment specifically is projected to post the highest CAGR among end uses at 7.2%, outpacing beverages on a growth-rate basis, even as beverages hold the largest overall market share. Operators relying on prep-and-storage planning for high-volume canned-ingredient throughput will recognize the supply-side implications of this expansion.
Aluminum leads by material type and is expected to retain the largest share of the market, while 2-piece can formats are projected to post a 7.02% CAGR — reflecting manufacturer preference for lightweighting and resource efficiency. The 330 ml beverage can remains the dominant capacity format, compatible with established filling and distribution systems widely used in food and beverage production environments. Bright coatings account for an estimated 70.7% of the coating-type segment.
M&A and Capacity Expansion
Leading suppliers are moving aggressively to add capacity. Ball Corporation acquired Alucan, adding manufacturing facilities in Spain and Belgium to strengthen its European sustainable-packaging position. Ball also announced an agreement to acquire a majority stake in Benepack S.A., a European beverage can manufacturer, further expanding its aluminum can footprint on the continent. Crown Holdings, meanwhile, is acquiring the Saarlouis facility in Germany, adding approximately 1 billion units of annual production capacity and absorbing the existing customer base and contracts previously held by Helvetia. CANPACK Group formalized a collaboration with CANOVATION to accelerate commercialization of CanReseal technology, targeting sustainable resealable solutions for beverage and other can applications.
Asia Pacific is forecast to register the fastest regional growth at a 7.9% CAGR through 2031, while Europe is expected to post the second-highest rate, supported by robust recycling infrastructure and circular-packaging mandates that increasingly favor aluminum and steel over single-use plastics. For foodservice operators monitoring energy-and-sustainability compliance in their supply chains, the recyclability profile of metal packaging aligns with growing procurement criteria around environmental performance.
The market remains moderately fragmented, with Crown Holdings, Ball Corporation, Ardagh Group, CANPACK Group, and Toyo Seikan Group Holdings among the leading players competing on manufacturing scale, coating technology, and customer integration.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
