South America Food Cans - Market Share Analysis, Industry Trends & Statistics, Growth Forecasts (2026-2031)

The South America food cans market size was valued at USD 1.34 billion in 2025 and estimated to expand from USD 1.39 billion in 2026 to reach USD 1.71 billion by 2031, at a CAGR of 4.23% during the forecast period (2026-2031). This report is segmented by Material Type (Steel/Tin, and Aluminum), Can Type (2-Piece Cans, and 3-Piece Cans), Can Size (Small (Less Than or Equal To 200 G), Medium (201-500 G), and Large (Greater Than 500 G)), Food Application (Ready Meals, Fish and Seafood, Fruits and Vegetables, Processed Food, and More), and Geography (Brazil, and More). The Market Forecasts are Provided in Terms of Value (USD).

South America Food Cans Market Trends and Insights

Demand for Convenient, Shelf-Stable Food

Supply disruptions between 2022 and 2024 increased pantry-stocking behavior among South American households. This created a steadier base for canned vegetables, tomato products, and canned proteins. Metal containers remain important for foods that require ambient storage over extended periods. Brazil's ANVISA Resolution RDC No. 854/2024 tightened limits for heavy-metal contaminants and strengthened hygiene and migration controls for metallic food packaging. These rules increase compliance requirements for imported cans and reinforce the position of established material suppliers. Social programs in Brazil and Argentina also support recurring institutional purchases of canned protein products.

Expansion of Ready Meals and Processed Foods

Canned ready meals are moving beyond traditional corned beef and stew products. Producers are introducing seasoned, portion-controlled, and more varied protein products for urban households. Processed food accounted for a significant share of demand, reflecting the importance of canned tomato products, beans, meat, and sauces. Ready meals are expected to expand steadily as consumers seek convenient products with longer shelf life. This shift favors medium and small formats suited to individual servings. The South America food cans market benefits when processors use decorated cans to distinguish ready meals in modern retail channels.

Competition From Flexible Pouches and Plastic Packaging

Flexible pouches and aseptic cartons remain a competitive constraint in packaged meals. Their appeal is strongest in informal retail and online channels where the price per serving is important. Food cans retain advantages in institutional procurement, retort processing, and longer pantry storage. Younger consumers in Brazil and Colombia have shown a stronger preference for pouch formats in convenience meals. This makes filling-line choices more difficult for food brands. Pet food and seafood continue to offer a more defensible base for the South America food cans market because pouch use is more limited in those applications.

Other drivers and restraints analyzed in the detailed report include:

• Growth in Pet Food Consumption
• Expansion of Seafood and Horticultural Processing
• Volatility in Metal, Energy, and Freight Costs

Segment Analysis

Steel and tin held 67.23% of the market in 2025, giving the material the leading South America food cans market share. Three-piece tinplate cans remain widely used for sardines, tuna, mackerel, legumes, and other products requiring demanding sterilization cycles. Seafood processors in Chile, Peru, and Brazil depend on these cans because they withstand high retort pressure and prolonged heat treatment. Existing filling systems and supply relationships also support continued steel use. These factors make a rapid replacement of steel unlikely over the forecast period.

Aluminum is the fastest-growing material segment through 2031. Its position is strongest in premium pet food and ready-meal formats where lower weight and printed decoration are valued. Brazil's Selo Verde framework under ABNT NBR 17298:2026 has made carbon accounting and energy traceability more relevant for laminated aluminum supply. Ball Corporation and Grupo Mariza launched Brazil's first canned juice carrying the ASI Responsible Aluminum Sourcing label in March 2026. Smaller converters face a more difficult choice because two-piece aluminum equipment requires capital investment. The South America food cans industry is therefore likely to retain parallel steel and aluminum supply chains.

Three-piece cans held 50.66% of the market in 2025, supported by the installed base of compatible filling, retort, and logistics systems. Sardine, tuna, and legume processors have long used welded cylinders in their production lines. Replacing this equipment can require major capital spending. The format also remains cost-effective for staple foods and institutional packs. These conditions preserve a large role for three-piece cans in the South America food cans market.

Two-piece cans are projected to expand at a 4.72% CAGR through 2031. New pet food and ready-meal investments increasingly favor drawn-and-ironed lines because they reduce material weight and remove interior welds. Trivium Packaging reported in 2025 that a major pet food customer was shifting from steel three-piece cans to aluminum two-piece cans. Two-piece designs also suit inline printing and faster production throughput. Brasilata maintains FSSC 22000 certification for food can production and offers multi-format food can capability. Greater use of this format increases demand for verified aluminum coil and compliant food-contact coatings.

Complete Report Scope:

• By Material Type
  • Steel/Tin
  • Aluminum
• By Can Type
  • 2-Piece Cans
  • 3-Piece Cans
• By Can Size
  • Small (Less Than or Equal to 200 g)
  • Medium (201-500 g)
  • Large (More Than 500 g)
• By Food Application
  • Ready Meals
  • Fish and Seafood
  • Fruits and Vegetables
  • Processed Food
  • Pet Food
  • Other Food Applications
• By Geography
  • Brazil
  • Argentina
  • Colombia
  • Chile
  • Peru
  • Rest of South America

List of Companies Covered in this Report:

• Crown Holdings, Inc.
• CANPACK S.A.
• Ball Corporation
• Trivium Packaging B.V.
• Brasilata
• Metalpren
• Gomes da Costa Embalagens
• Conservas Oderich S.A.
• Industrias El Nihuil
• Companhia Metalgraphica Paulista
• Envases Universales, S.A.P.I. de C.V.
• Massilly
• Mauser Packaging Solutions Holding Company
• Sonoco Products Company
• Greif, Inc.
• Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A.
• Wells Can Company Ltd.
• Allstate Can Corporation
• Silgan Holdings Inc.

Additional Benefits:

• The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format
• 3 months of analyst support