The global food and beverage metal can market is valued at $57.19 billion in 2026 and is projected to reach $80.21 billion by 2031, compounding at 7.0% annually, according to new research from MarketsandMarkets. For operators, procurement teams, and beverage brand builders, the numbers signal a tightening supply chain with consolidating infrastructure — and rising leverage for packaging suppliers.
What's Driving Growth
Beverages are the engine. Carbonated soft drinks, beer, energy drinks, and ready-to-drink formats continue to push aluminum can demand at scale. The 330 ml format specifically is expected to hold the largest capacity-segment share, aligned with consumer preference for single-serve convenience and compatibility with existing filling and distribution systems. Aluminum accounts for the largest material-type share overall, favored for lightweighting, recycling yield, and brand decoration flexibility.
On the food side, canned vegetables, soups, ready-to-eat meals, and shelf-stable proteins are driving the food application segment to a 7.2% CAGR — slightly faster than the overall market. For operators sourcing shelf-stable ingredients or running commissary-style production, this trajectory means contract pricing for steel and aluminum cans is unlikely to soften through the forecast window. Asia Pacific is projected to grow fastest at 7.9% CAGR, which will redirect some global aluminum supply toward that region.
M&A Reshaping the Supplier Base
Consolidation is accelerating among the top-tier packaging manufacturers, and the deals are directionally meaningful for buyers. Ball Corporation acquired Alucan, a European specialist in extruded aluminum aerosol and bottle technology with manufacturing in Spain and Belgium, expanding its recyclable and reusable bottle solutions. Ball also announced an agreement to acquire a majority stake in Benepack S.A., a Belgian beverage can manufacturer, further concentrating European aluminum can capacity in fewer hands.
Crown Holdings moved to acquire the Saarlouis facility in Germany, adding approximately 1 billion units of annual production capacity and inheriting Helvetia's customer base and contracts. For operators sourcing co-packed or contract-filled beverage products in Europe, these ownership shifts mean renegotiated supply agreements and potentially consolidated account management. CANPACK Group and U.S.-based CANOVATION also formalized a collaboration to commercialize CanReseal technology — a resealable metal can format that could eventually reach foodservice and retail applications.
Procurement and Brand Intelligence
For foodservice operators and beverage brands in early-stage brand launch planning, the key takeaway is that aluminum can supply is becoming more concentrated, not less. Crown, Ball, Ardagh, CANPACK, and Toyo Seikan collectively dominate the market. Smaller brands entering the canned beverage or shelf-stable food space will face longer lead times and higher minimum order quantities as these players prioritize volume customers.
Sustainability compliance is also becoming a procurement variable. Bright coating formats hold a 70.7% market share, but regulatory and ESG pressure — particularly in Europe — is pushing investment toward recyclable linings and lightweighted can bodies. Operators building retail-ready product lines or pitching to grocery buyers should factor sustainability-certified can sourcing into their packaging and retail readiness strategy, as retail buyers are increasingly requiring documentation on packaging recyclability claims.
The two-piece can format is projected to grow at a 7.02% CAGR, outpacing three-piece construction. For brands working with co-manufacturers, confirming filler compatibility with two-piece aluminum stock should be a procurement checkpoint before locking in a co-packer.
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.
