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Market Facts: Frozen ready meals provide variety and convenience

More consumers are dining alone at home, so more are turning to frozen meals for controlled portions and convenience.

The most common packaging solution in 2018 for the U.S. frozen ready meals market was paper-based containers.
The most common packaging solution in 2018 for the U.S. frozen ready meals market was paper-based containers.

Top Five U.S. Brands in 2018

Brand                 Company

Stouffer’s            Nestlé SA

Lean Cuisine      Nestlé SA

Hot Pockets       Nestlé SA

Totino’s              General Mills

Amy’s Kitchen    Amy’s Kitchen, Inc.

Market Analysis 

Frozen ready meals typically constitute a whole meal and include meat, poultry, fish and vegetarian-based meals. A typical product contains a type of meat (beef, pork, lamb, poultry, fish, etc.) or meat substitute accompanied by vegetarian ingredients (rice, pasta or vegetables) and sold frozen. The products do not require any cooking preparation other than heating. Note that vegetable and meat pies are included here (quiches, pot pies, pizza rolls, etc.). But this category excludes frozen pizzas, snacks and appetizers where leading global brands include Healthy Choice (Conagra), Weight Watchers (Kraft Heinz) and Swanson (Pinnacle Foods).

Frozen ready meals appeal to consumer convenience, especially to the increasing number of people who dine alone at home. These meals provide a quick and easy way to prepare a wide variety of offerings while controlling portions.  

The frozen ready meals market in the United States is estimated at $17.5 billion.

To gain more insight into the frozen ready meals sector, attend ProFood Tech, the only processing trade show in North America that addresses all food and beverage market sectors. The event will feature educational sessions with industry experts and innovative technologies from 400 exhibitors designed to give you a competitive edge. ProFood Tech will take place March 26-28 at McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois. Register for the event at www.profoodtech.com.

Source: Euromonitor

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