< Previous40 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net READY MEALS Busy lives have spurred on the use of pre- packed, chilled, and frozen meals that remove the need to cook from scratch. Yet the ready meals market is gaining new competition and facing less interest from consumers in the wake of coronavirus as people get used to preparing, and have more time to make, home cooked meals. A survey of nearly 11,000 consumers in eleven countries found that shoppers were prioritising vegetables and fruits during the pandemic, reducing ready-made purchases while looking to eat healthier. In Britain, ready meal sales plunged by almost a fifth as the country entered lockdown in contrast to the concurrent rise in frozen food spending, with Nielson data showing frozen food supermarket sales grew by £194 million, a 16.1 per cent increase, Fresh Ready meals are seemingly well placed to capitalise on convenience trends, but with competition from delivery services, meal kits, heightened snacking, and lockdowns providing more time to cook, the sector is facing fresh obstacles. competition 40-43.qxp_Layout 1 29/07/2020 11:20 Page 1Food & Drink International 41 www.fdiforum.net READY MEALS © Shutterstock /Natasha Breen 42 Á in the twelve weeks to April 18. Products like flour, cooking oil and frozen pastry, which are associated with cooking from scratch, meanwhile, flew off the shelves, seeing over one hundred per centgrowth. Lockdowns around the globe have seen increased time for cooking. More confident in the kitchen, the question arises - will people maintain this new lifestyle as the world returns to a sense of normality, or be swept up in the re-entry to a busier schedule and require quicker options? Outside of the pandemic, the convenience culture boom, and time-poor consumers, are seemingly poised to boost ready meal demand, as a product that is typically quick to microwave or cook in the oven. However the sector is now fighting the snacking trend and eat on-the-go lifestyles. More consumers are gradually replacing three meals a day and filling gaps with snacks, too busy to eat and cook in any manner. The struggle for ready meals to maintain a place in the home of consumers comes alongside fresh competition from the surge in meal kit services like HelloFresh, and the expanding recipe menus these services are providing that are quicker to cook, which bring together convenience with the benefits of cooking from scratch without needing to take time to shop. Further, easier delivery options such as Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Just Eat alongside this are running major campaigns to gain customers and have grown in importance as people are advised to leave the home less. 40-43.qxp_Layout 1 29/07/2020 11:21 Page 242 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net READY MEALS To maintain and win back the interest of consumers, NPD in the ready meal sector is reflecting changing tastes to offer “posh” premium meals, those that mimic takeaways, and meals traditional to restaurants. Restaurant branded chilled and frozen ready meal products have made their way onto shop shelves, with a poll from Mintel finding that thirty per cent of those who eat ready meals believe these branded items to be of a higher quality than supermarket own label products. Consumers are also demanding ready meals be more nutritious so they do not have to compromise on health aims, seeking out better for you ingredients, products that avoid additives and preservatives, clean labels and those that serve changing dietary trends, including gluten free, vegetarian and dairy free. Taking Higgidy’s recent step into the premium and vegetarian ready meal markets, based on consumer feedback and busy lifestyles, the brand has focused on the growth of the healthy eating trend and a desire to eat more vegetables without having to regularly cook from scratch with products like Mac n Super Greens. Meanwhile more exotic flavours and spice, authentic recipes and artisanal goods are craved, as evidenced by the expansion of world cuisine products, street food, et al. Enabling the consumption of these novel meals, without learning to cook them or venturing out to restaurants, ready meals are ready to address these desires. With modern techniques allowing for greater quality ready meals that mirror the depth, flavours and © Shutterstock /Monkey Business Images :(67(51 0(&+$1,&$/ +$1'/,1* 8. /7' 0RVV 6LGH ,QGXVWULDO (VWDWH&DOOLQJWRQ &RUQZDOO 3/ 6' HQTXLULHV#ZPKXNOWGFRP ZDD^ ZZZZPKXNOWGFRP 40-43.qxp_Layout 1 29/07/2020 11:21 Page 3Food & Drink International 43 www.fdiforum.net READY MEALS textures of various cuisines, these products are becoming increasingly authentic, improving the reputation of ready meals. NPD is taking advantage of burgeoning vegetarian and vegan diets in particular, as well as the flexitarian trend (on the up as consumers recognise the environmental benefits of eating less meat), which present a huge potential market capable of rejuvenating the sector. A survey of over 6,000 consumers purchasing and eating plant-based products across nine European countries, by ProVeg International, recently found ready meals to be amongst the biggest opportunities for product development in the plant-based sector, alongside plant-based cheese, seafood and egg alternatives. Ready meals were the second most demanded product by those actively reducing animal product consumption and third most clamoured for by those with a plant-based diet. The rise in plant-based meals is also playing a role in improving ready meal perceptions, due to their association with high quality and health. Many supermarkets have dipped their toes into this pond to offer plant-based lines, and vegetarian and vegan brands are launching additional ready meal options. Another changing aspect of the ready meals sector is packaging, with black plastic trays continuing to be phased out in favour of recyclable plastic, and other environmentally friendly alternatives. The past year has seen a plethora of retailers and brands commit to removing black plastic from the supply chain due to the black pigment used in the packaging’s production being unreadable by modern recycling equipment (NIR optical sorting equipment), preventing the trays from being recycled. Firms are switching to different colours and materials to reduce plastic waste, a prevalent issue connected with the food industry. Public pressure has seen brands seek out alternatives such as clear PET trays, card and paper options, packaging made from wood from FSC certified forests, and compostable trays. Though it should be noted in the case of the latter, concerns over whether they can be effectively disposed of without suitable waste disposal routes have arisen, with minimal locations for industrial composting and many homes without an area for composting of their own. © Shutterstock /mark_gusev 40-43.qxp_Layout 1 29/07/2020 11:21 Page 444 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net FROZEN FOODS Frozen food has long garnered the reputation of being economic and, ultimately, unhealthy food brought for convenience and affordability and not for nutrition. This was despite the numerous producers working within the frozen foods arena offering a variety of healthy frozen food options. There’s also the persisting notion that freezing negatively affects product integrity. In reality, the freezer aisle has undergone a radical change over the last decade, and is now a cornucopia of healthy and vibrant food products alongside more traditional fare. The drivers behind this shift are largely reactionary, responding to industry happenings and changes in consumer taste and product preferences. The 2013 horse meat scandal dealt a damaging blow to the frozen food industry, as it was frozen pies, lasagnes and other ready-meals that bore the brunt of the scandal. It left consumer confidence in tatters, and drove others towards fresh, organic On the up Driven by necessity and changes in consumer demand, frozen food has radically evolved over the last decade, as Food and Drink International. © Shutterstock /wavebreakmedia 44-45.qxp_Layout 1 29/07/2020 11:22 Page 1Food & Drink International 45 www.fdiforum.net FROZEN FOODS © Shutterstock /gowithstock food with sales spiking in the immediate aftermath. Some seven years later, equilibrium has returned. Far from returning to the pre-scandal days, the industry has evidently evolved, with a greater emphasis on traceability between suppliers, producers and stockists, and nurturing a two-way relationship with consumers. One of the persisting misconceptions regarding frozen foods is the high levels of preservatives. Although budget ready meals still contain high levels of sugar, salt, saturated fat and preservatives, that’s not to say that products need preservatives in order to be frozen. The freezing process itself often bypasses the need for such additives altogether. In the case of fresh produce, quick freezing often occurs shortly after picking, preserving the integrity and texture of the fruits and vegetables but also locking in nutrients. Studies have shown that food frozen immediately after it was picked and processed boasted more nutrients then their fresher counterparts as little as three days after picking. For this reason, many producers use this promised freshness and nutritional profile as unique selling points. Quick freezing also helps to sidestep freezer burns, a boon when it comes to specific textures and visual properties of, say, meat and fish. Aesthetics will assist in facilitating the market shift, as consumers begin their relationship with food and beverage products at a visual level – either with an advertisement of the packaging itself. In all honestly, frozen foods don’t look particularly appealing, meaning they are reliant on packaging and design. Though fruits and vegetables are still packed and sold in PET bags – as is also commonplace for ice cubes and fried potato products – it is becoming more commonplace for fruit pieces to be packaged in plastic or even paperboard boxes. The best canvas for producers to convey nutritional information and appealing graphics, however, is through cartoning and sleeving applications – namely a plastic tray, topped with a film and sleeved in card. The difficulty lies in packaging and sleeving these products quickly so that the nutritional benefit of the foods inside is preserved. The frozen food industry is also a fertile ground for new product innovation. Given the freezer is twinned with the history of consumer convenience, it makes sense that convenience itself is still a major selling point. Convenience, however, isn’t synonymous with high salt and fat fare, and can instead be applied to healthier options. Supermarkets in the UK, for example, have started selling pre-peeled and –sliced avocados to tap into the persistent trend, while bags of frozen pomegranate seeds are now commonplace, meaning consumers can take advantage of the fruit’s nutritional profile without needing to peel and de-seed it themselves. The nature of frozen foods is that they are caught in time, preserving their freshness and sensory profiles. That’s not to say that the frozen food industry itself is static, far from it. They are among some of the most market savvy and forward thinking in the food and beverage sector, riding the changing waves of consumer taste and quick to react to legislative changes. A case in point is the utilisation of the freezer and frozen foods as a means to circumvent the food waste crisis both here in the UK and globally. It also means big business for suppliers and manufacturers of sleeving and conveying machines, as producers look to increase efficiency in the frozen food chain. And, in the wake of the coronavirus crisis, there has been a spike in the sale of frozen foods. Needless to say, it’s a market on the up and is very much here to stay. 44-45.qxp_Layout 1 29/07/2020 11:23 Page 214 – 17 September Alimentaria Fira Barcelona Gran Via, Spain This edition of Alimentaria presents a new concept which multiplies its offer to boost the business of each sector and facilitates transversal synergies. In addition to a commercial platform, Alimentaria shows its close relationship with the tourism sector and the food industry, putting value on gastronomy, innovation and trends through a wide range of activities. 2018’s edition brought together almost 4,000 exhibitors and played host to 140,000 visitors from 157 countries. For more information, visit www.alimentaria.com/en. 22 – 24 September Vertical Farming World Congress 2020 London Heathrow The inaugural Vertical Farming World Congress will enable visitors to hear from leading global players and to visit London’s leading operations. Bringing together vertical farming operators, investors, suppliers and experts, our aim is to debate and help advance the sector’s future. To find out more, visit www.zenithglobal.com/events/vfwc2020. 1 – 3 September Vitafoods Europe Palexpo, Geneva, Switzerland Over the past 22 years, Vitafoods Europe has established itself as the meeting place for the nutraceutical industry with over 24,000 industry experts attending the show every year from more than 110 countries. Located in Geneva, the annual show offers the perfect platform to network, learn and forge long-term collaborations within the health and nutrition industry, source innovative quality ingredients and products, discover product development solutions and meet technical experts and thought leaders. To find out more, visit www.vitafoods.eu.com/en/welcome. 7 – 9 September Food & Drink Expo Birmingham NEC One of the UK’s largest and most well- respected food and drink focused trade exhibitions, Food & Drink Expo is an event for the grocery, food service, wholesale, manufacturing and speciality retail markets. Along with Farm Shop & Deli Show and National Convenience Show, the show has been moved from its original date to September. To find out more, visit www.foodanddrinkexpo.co.uk. 46 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net 29 – 30 October Dairy Asia Pacific Summit 2020 Singapore The seventh Dairy Asia Pacific Summit 2020 will gather distinguished experts as well as industry leaders to provide thorough analysis of the latest regulatory dynamics and industry integration. The two-day event will provide an effective platform for attendees to share their valued experiences and opinions on the Events Food & Drink © Shutterstock /monticello © Shutterstock /casanisa 2 – 3 October Plant Based World Expo Jacob K. Javits Convention Centre, New York Plant Based World Conference & Expo is the only professional 100% plant-based focused event for foodservice, retail, and healthcare professionals, distributors, investors, manufacturers, and the savvy consumer community. Network with professionals who have successfully embarked on both personal and professional plant-based journeys, many of whom have created some of the world’s most revolutionary plant-based products and foods. Share experiences, learn from peers, and immerse yourself in a truly collaborative plant-based environment. Test all the new products that will be the talk of 2020 from companies committed to harnessing the power of plant-based. To find out more, visit www.plantbasedworldexpo.com. 46-47.qxp_Layout 1 29/07/2020 11:24 Page 1many challenges and opportunities within the Asia-Pacific industry. To find out more, visit www.duxes- foodbeverage.com/dairy-ap. 20 – 22 October Global Water Drinks Congress 2020 The Gleneagles Hotel, Auchterarder, Scotland Tour Highland Spring’s bottling operations, followed by two days of conference sessions, networking opportunities with key industry figures and a gala awards dinner. Delegates will hear from leading international and regional businesses on the latest market and strategic developments, as well as from innovators and entrepreneurs contributing to the industry. For more information, visit www.zenithglobal.com/events/gwdc2020. 10 - 12 November Braubeviale 2020 Exhibition Centre Nuremberg About 40,000 trade visitors, including around 18,000 from outside Germany, will travel to the most important international capital goods exhibition for the beverage industry this year. With 1,086 exhibitors, the exhibition will provide an opportunity to learn all about the beverage manufacture process chain: high-quality raw materials, innovative technologies and components, efficient and sustainable packaging, and creative marketing ideas. Once again this year, the exhibition had the key theme of ‘Future viability of the beverage sector’. For more information, visit www.braubeviale.de/en. 4 September UK Soft Drinks Conference 2020 London Zenith Global’s annual UK Soft Drinks Conference brings together senior industry managers, innovators, retailers, suppliers, opinion formers and advisers to provide the fullest possible one-day overview of the latest developments, issues and opportunities. The theme for 2020 is ‘Personal Choice’, with a focus on premium, adult, craft innovation, while also tackling challenges from society choice to new technology. In association with British Soft Drinks Association. For more information, visit www.zenithglobal.com/events/uksd2020. Food & Drink International 47 www.fdiforum.net 10 - 11 November World Food Innovate Summit 2020 Milan Marriott Hotel, Italy The 18th Annual World Food Innovate Summit 2020 offers a full programme with industry-leaders, experts, and senior food professionals who are leading the future direction of the industry. To find out more, visit www.foodinnovateworld.com. © Shutterstock / Sergey Nivens 46-47.qxp_Layout 1 29/07/2020 11:24 Page 2FEATURES Machinery & Equipment Spotlight Packaging Materials & Design Loading Bays & Doors Dust Control Vision & Inspection Bakery & Confectionery Import & Export Next month in September 2020 - Deadline 12th August INTERNATIONAL Food &Drink Food &Drink Visit us at www.fdiforum.net where you’ll find the latest news as it breaks – and why not subscribe to our newsletters so you can have the latest news emailed to your inbox, in between printed issues? 48.qxp_Layout 1 29/07/2020 11:25 Page 1Classified Often imitated… …never equalled You can feature your company in our hugely popular Online Directory with a description, contact details and a hyperlink If you would like further information please contact Sam Trott on +44 [0] 1472 310310 or email s.trott@blmgroup.co.uk or visit www.fdiforum.net/directory From field to fork, Food & Drink International is the voice of the industry. 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