By Tomoharu Mizuno

Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

Japanese chemical makers are stepping up their production of special resins used in food packaging overseas.

The resins are highly effective at preventing fresh foods and condiments from going bad, thereby reducing food waste. Because of this, demand for these products is growing particularly in Asia and Europe. So,the chemical makers hope that producing these materials will help them expand their operations.

Kuraray Co. is set to invest about 62 billion yen to establish a new plant in Singapore, set to open in late 2026. The plant will produce a sophisticated resin named "Eval," which was developed by Kuraray for use in the packaging of food products such as fruit jellies and condiment bottles. The company will also open a research and development center in the Asian country in the autumn of 2025.

Eval's ability to keep out oxygen is 100 times higher than that of nylon and 10,000 times higher than polyethylene, so the product is useful in preventing food spoilage caused by oxidation. Kuraray also plans to expand the production facilities of Eval-making plants in the United States and Belgium.

Mitsubishi Chemical Corp. plans to increase the production capacity of a factory in Britain which manufactures "Soarnol," a synthetic resin used in packaging for foods such as meat and cheese, to about 40,000 tons, more than twice its current level, by 2027. The resin is thin, highly impermeable to oxygen and recyclable. This last trait is expected to boost demand for it in highly environmentally conscious Europe.

Research firm Global Information Inc. estimates that the global market for food packaging will reach 468.7 billion dollars (about 67 trillion yen) in 2030, about 20% higher than in 2025. Economic growth in emerging countries is one reason the global market is expanding. Another reason is the strong demand for high-quality packaging that extends food shelf life, which in turn helps improve logistics efficiency. Japanese manufacturers with the technological capacity to meet strict safety standards for food products are benefiting from this trend.

Mitsui Chemicals Inc. plans in June to double the capacity of its Shizuoka Prefecture facilities to produce a resin used in packaging for such items as retort-packaged foods and confectioneries, with the aim of improving sales in Europe and Asia.

Companies outside the chemical industry are also entering this promising market. Oji Holdings Corp. acquired a Finland-based packaging processing company in April 2024. In April this year, as part of a plan to expand its overseas operations, Toppan Holdings Inc. purchased a U.S. company that specializes in packaging for food and other products.

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This article is from The Yomiuri Shimbun. Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal were not involved in the creation of this content.

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May 26, 2025 03:07 ET (07:07 GMT)

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