Designed to help consumers prepare and cook healthy meals with fresh ingredients, using products presented in attractive packages that are easy to open and use and, at the same time, ensure that products are easy to transport, prepared foods are the trend that is revolutionizing the food industry. Convenience is a buzzword in the food and beverage industry. These products are typically designed to optimize ease of consumption. While there is no doubt that convenience is not a new feat, the last two years have taken the sector to new heights, as restrictions and blockages caused by the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the aisles of fresh produce.
Food manufacturers, while benefiting from the same, should not avoid the nutritional aspects of such foods. The main factor behind this region's dominance is attributed to the large concentration of convenience food manufacturers in North America, including Nomad Foods Ltd. In the U.S. In the U.S., as convenience foods began to become more popular, the food industry shifted its focus to a healthier version of everything related to convenience.
Another elderly person, Mrs. Muthulakshmi Sankaran, says: “I don't value pre-cooked foods very much because they can't match the taste of fresh homemade foods. As the number of single-person households increases, people are looking for the same family-driven convenience food offerings, but without wasting additional food. The convenience food market in the region is mainly due to the growing demand for ready-to-eat foods, such as frozen pizza and portable breakfasts.
The recent proliferation of convenience foods from India in the United States, such as frozen samosas, tikka masala, Gujarati khandvi, dhokla, uthappam from South India, idli and upma, parathas and rotis ready to eat, are sending a clear message that there is a market for prepared foods. Precooked foods are convenient for people who cannot spend a lot of time preparing food, as well as for people with little or no cooking skills. Changing customer trends have also led to the growth of the convenience food retail industry as people migrate to urban areas. This has caused panic among consumers when buying and the accumulation of food products with a long shelf life, such as pre-cooked foods.
One of the online grocery stores based in India, called Grofers, even reported an increase in sales of 170% in the ready-to-eat food category, 31% in the ready meals and mixes category, and 41% in the frozen food category, indicating that consumers have suddenly switched from homemade food to ready-to-eat products. Choose precooked foods in moderation and eat large portions of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and other unprocessed whole foods. Some of the key players operating in the market include Tyson Foods Inc, Mondelez International Inc, General Mills, Kraft Food Group Inc and WH Group. Some food manufacturers do produce processed foods that are low in sodium or that contain potassium instead of sodium.
Almond and almond-based ingredients offer the versatility and ability to be formulated within numerous trends in precooked foods and beverages.
