“PMMI is committed to delivering insights that help the packaging and processing supplier community better meet their customers’ needs,” says Jorge Izquierdo, vice president, market development, PMMI. “These three reports offer rich, actionable data, and we’re happy to share them at PACK EXPO, where the markets the studies discuss are so well-represented.”

Below is a sampling of topline findings from two of the reports:
2013 Dairy Industry -- A Market Assessment
Based on conversations with professionals representing 50 dairy product manufacturers, the study reports that global milk production is expected to reach 827 million tons by 2020 -- 19% over 2010 -- despite a decrease in fluid milk consumption by U.S. consumers. In efforts to optimize production, 80% of respondents reported that they are evaluating their machine needs; 75% of that group plans to purchase equipment in the next 12-24 months. Regulatory compliance, sustainability and exploration of aseptic shelf-stable packaging formats also ranked high among trends cited by the processors.

Confectionery Trends -- Market Study
Following interviews with 72 representatives of the confectionery industry, the study found that, globally, the sector is growing rapidly as middle-class consumers in emerging markets gravitate towards sophisticated, yet affordable, products. According to Symphony IRI and most participating retail channels, 2012 chocolate confectionery sales in the U.S. totaled $12.5 billion, a 3.8% increase over 2011. Non-chocolate candy sales were at $6.9 billion, growing 6.4%. However, participants cited a focus on chocolate production and tempering in their measures to advance their processing operations. The overall equipment investments are expected to increase by 4-5% annually for the industry as a whole.