Feb 6 (Reuters) - Packaging company Amcor Plc missed market expectations for second-quarter sales on Tuesday, hurt by softer demand for its containers and cartons.

The company's volumes were dragged by weaker demand from customers such as Cadbury parent Mondelez International trimming their inventory levels on lower demand from cash-strapped consumers.

Its peers including International Paper and WestRock also struggled with weakening demand for their packaging products.

The company said that inventory destocking in the beverages segment accelerated "considerably" in the reported quarter due to lower consumer demand. In North America, overall beverage volumes were 19% lower than same period last year.

Softer demand in categories such as healthcare, snacks and coffee also dampened net sales in Europe.

Still, the company maintained its fiscal 2024 adjusted earnings per share forecast, with CEO Ron Delia adding that Amcor saw volumes improve in January.

Amcor's net sales for the quarter ended Dec. 31, 2023 fell to $3.25 billion from $3.64 billion last year, compared with analysts' expectation of $3.63 billion, as per LSEG data. (Reporting by Anuja Bharat Mistry and Juveria Tabassum in Bengaluru; Editing by Alan Barona)