Innovation and NPD in Ready Meals

Trends in Natural, Wellbeing, Artisanal and Ethical Meals

Publication Date	February 2008
Publisher	Business Insights
Product Type	Report
Pages	140
ISBN Number	not applicable
Product Code	RBI00208

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Summary

Key issues examined by this report...

The rise in organic/natural ready meals. Natural food is becoming a growing trend in the ready meals market. People want healthy food and have become concerned about artificial ingredients such as preservatives, artificial flavors and colors.
The rise in 'homemade' ready meals. There is a strong desire to reintegrate the family dinner and increase cooking activity. This desire is coming from government bodies and schools but also from the families themselves who want the nostalgia of h omemade dishes. Ready meals manufacturers have a role to play in developing meals which give people the feeling they have cooked a homemade dish, even though it may not be from scratch.
The domination of retailers. Retailers have been very active in the development of a variety of premium ready meals in the chilled category. Thus, in order to compete with private label, the big industry players will have to innovate in NPD and advertising in categories where the retailers have less presence, such as frozen and canned ready meals.

Innovation and NPD in Ready Meals

Trends in natural, wellbeing, artisanal and ethical meals
There are new trends driving the ready meals market forward in 2008. Consumers are regaining a sense of heritage which is driving demand for traditional national recipes. Manufacturers are developing ready meals that are making it more convenient for consumers to develop 'homemade' style food, involving the use of fresh and local ingredients. The demand for freshness overlaps with trends in healthy ready meals, which remains an important and growing sector. Future trends in health include natural, functional, satiety enhancing and low GI ingredients.
Innovation and NPD in Ready Meals is a new management report published by Business Insights that analyzes the key trends in the ready meals market and forecasts future growth and opportunities. The report breaks down opportunities in the ready meals sector by region and category to provide a unique insight into the factors shaping the market now and in the future. Anticipate future changes in the ready meals market and make the right decisions in terms of new product development and marketing strategies with this new report...

This new report will enable you to...

Predict future market growth levels with this report's analysis of key drivers of the ready meals market detailing changes in demographics, meal-time behavior and regulation.
Anticipate the impact of key trends in the ready meals market and quantify new and emerging opportunities using current and forecasted market value and volume data to 2010 across 7 European countries and the US, detailing the size and growth of the canned, chilled, dried and frozen ready meals markets.
Improve targeting and the effectiveness of your NPD strategies with this report's analysis of Productscan data of over 6,000 ready meal products launched between 2004 and 2007. Analysis was conducted to determine the key innovations in terms of formulation, packaging, shelving type and product labelling.
Benchmark leading executives' opinions on the future of ready meals using this report's analysis of our global consumer survey, providing exclusive insight into consumer behavior, key drivers of the ready meals market and future trends.

Your questions answered...

How should ready meals manufacturers position their products to reflect the changing demands of consumers?
What should ready meals new product development strategies focus on?
Which ready meals categories and count ries will grow fastest to 2010?
Who are the companies who lead NPD in ready meals?
What are the key trends in ready meals NPD?

Some key findings from this report...

Of all ready meals products launched between 2004 and 2007, 2% were innovative. Of those innovative ready meal products, 71% were innovative in terms of formu lation and 13% were innovative in terms of pac kaging benefit. Innovation in formulation consists of using unusual combinations of flavors and ingredients and also use of ingredients with health benefits.
The ready meals market across Europe and the US has grown steadily in recent years. In 2006, the combined European and US market was worth $36.4bn. However, by 2010 it is expected to grow to the value of $41.7bn.
39.1% of industry executives think that healthy, 'better-for-you' variants will be the most important feature for the success of a ready meal product over the next 5 years. 28.3% think that greater convenience in ready meals will provide the biggest growth for manufacturers.
Frozen ready meals take the largest share of the ready meals market, accounting for about 50% of ready meals sales in both Europe and the US in 2006.

Content

Executive Summary
- Market drivers
- Growth opportunities in ready meals
- Innovation and NPD in ready meals
- Key trends in the ready meals market
- Conclusions
Chapter 1 Introduction
- The ready meals market defined
- Scope of the report
- Report structure
Chapter 2 Market drivers
- Summary
- Introduction
- Demographic trends
- Number and size of households
- The ageing population
- Lifestyle trends
- Family meal return, "home made" feeling back
- Eating out
- Regulatory pressures
- Obesity and the reduction of salt and fat content
- Elimination of trans fats
- Nutritional labeling
- Clean labeling trend
- Health claims
- Conclusion
Chapter 3 Growth opportunities in ready
- meals
- Summary
- Introduction
- Ready meals market value
- Ready meal market value by sub-category
- Frozen ready meals
- Chilled ready meals
- Canned ready meals
- Dried ready meals
- Ready meal market volume
- Ready meals market volume by sub-category
- Frozen ready meals
- Chilled ready meals
- Canned ready meals
- Dried ready meals
- Sales growth potential of ready meals categories
- Company shares
- Europe
- North America
- Asia-Pacific
- Latin America
- Middle East & Africa
- Conclusion
Chapter 4 Innovation and NPD in ready
- meals
- Summary
- Introduction
- Growth of ready meals NPD
- Category analysis
- Bread products
- Entre mixes
- Main meals
- Meat, fish and poultry dishes
- Pasta and rice dishes
- Salads and salad kits
- Soup
- Vegetables and vegetable side dishes
- Packaging and shelving analysis
- Regional analysis
- Innovative ready meals
- Innovation in formulation
- Combination of unusual ingredients or flavors
- New functional meals targeting personalized nutrition
- Innovation in packaging
- Microwaveable steamer tray
- Aluminum cooking tray
- Microwaveable paper tray
- Fiber paper pulp tray
- Self-heater pouch
- Carton pack
- Environmentally friendly packaging
- Edible packaging
- Innovation in positioning
- Healthy lunch box
- Meal kits
- Innovation by category
- Snacks
- Main meals
- Innovative manufacturers
- Key players
- Leading tags on ready meals
Chapter 5 Key trends in the ready meal
- market
- Summary
- Introduction
- Convenience
- Fresh convenience
- Personalized convenience
- Kid's convenience
- Parental concerns for health
- Lunch box
- Health
- Weight control
- Low / light trend
- Satiety trend
- Natural and fresh
- Wellbeing
- Functional ready meals
- Indulgence
- Homemade
- Tradition
- Gourmet/luxury
- Regionalization in ethnic dishes
- Malaysian and Singaporean
- Mediterranean
- Ethical
- Sustainable packaging
- Provenance / traceability trend
Chapter 6 Conclusions
- Summary
- Introduction
- Key features for success
- The key opportunities in the ready meals market
- Convenience
- Health
- Indulgence
- Ethical
- Target consumer groups
- Index
List of Figures
- Figure 2.1: Number of households in Europe, 1996-2008
- Figure 2.2: Number of households in the US, 1996-2008
- Figure 2.3: Adult individual pizza by Northern Foods in the UK
- Figure 2.4: Population aged 65 and over, US, m, 2000-2050
- Figure 2.5: Ambient ready meal for elderly people by QP Corp. in Japan
- Figure 2.6: The importance of drivers of the ready meals market
- Figure 2.7: Time spent on preparing food by person aged 20 to 74, Europe
- Figure 2.8: Waitrose "As Good As Going Out" ready meal range
- Figure 2.9: Threats to the future of ready meals NPD
- Figure 2.10: An example of new Unilever Pot Noodle, UK
- Figure 2.11: ConAgra Healthy choice range
- Figure 2.12: Trans fat labeling in the US
- Figure 2.13: Trans-fat free ready meals from Nestl and McCain, USA
- Figure 2.14: An example of Nestl Guideline Daily Amount (GDA) label
- Figure 2.15: Traffic light labeling in the UK (Budgens, Asda and Sainsbury)
- Figure 2.16: Keyhole product by Swedish retail ICA
- Figure 2.17: Birds Eye ready meal without artificial colors, flavors and preservatives, 2006, UK
- Figure 3.18: Marie Les Gratins adores
- Figure 3.19: Linda McCartney frozen healthy pizza
- Figure 3.20: Sainsbury's Super Naturals range
- Figure 3.21: Paul & Louise healthy canned ready meal
- Figure 3.22: Unilever "Pot Noodle" ready meals
- Figure 3.23: Nestl Maggi and Simply Asia
- Figure 3.24: Sales growth potential of the ready meal categories over the next 5 years
- Figure 3.25: Healthy Choice by ConAgra and Lean Cuisine by Nestl
- Figure 3.26: Lunch boxed meal launched by Nichirei
- Figure 3.27: Kid's meal by Sadia
- Figure 4.28: Percentage growth in ready meals launched, by category, 2004-2007
- Figure 4.29: Percentage share of ready meals launched, by category, 2004 and 2007
- Figure 4.30: Japanese bread product launched by First Baking
- Figure 4.31: Stuffed Dutch wholemeal bread product
- Figure 4.32: Pizza kit launched by ConAgra Foods
- Figure 4.33: Wholesome meal launched under the Linda McCartney brand
- Figure 4.34: Blue Horizon Organic dish by Aptos
- Figure 4.35: Healthy Risotto dish by Frosta AG
- Figure 4.36: New salad Pierre Martinet
- Figure 4.37: Chilled soup launched by Pitango Innovative
- Figure 4.38: Gourmet vegetable dishes by Apio
- Figure 4.39: Percentage share of ready meals launched, by shelving type, 2004-2007
- Figure 4.40: The leading regions in ready meals NPD over the next 5 years
- Figure 4.41: Percentage share of ready meals launched, by region, 2004-2007
- Figure 4.42: Japan Tobacco and Katokichi
- Figure 4.43: Innovative functional ready meal by Nissin Foods
- Figure 4.44: Jutro Konservenfabrik, Freshdirect and Healthy Choice
- Figure 4.45: Aluminum cooking tray by Nippon Meat Packers
- Figure 4.46: Microwaveable paper
- Figure 4.47: Fiber pulp packaged ready meal by Gunnar Dafgard
- Figure 4.48: Self-heater tray from La Briute
- Figure 4.49: Hormel carton pack ready meal
- Figure 4.50: Recyclable packaging by Nisshin Foods
- Figure 4.51: Innovative edible packaging by Nisshin Foods
- Figure 4.52: Healthy innovative lunch pack for children
- Figure 4.53: Banquet from ConAgra
- Figure 4.54: Level of innovation in products launched, by category, 2004-2007
- Figure 4.55: Innovative snack by Audrey Rochester Inc
- Figure 4.56: Innovative meal by Fairfield Farm Kitchens
- Figure 4.57: The most influential companies in innovation in ready meals today and over the next five years
- Figure 5.58: The importance of key trends in terms of NPD in ready meals over the next 5 years
- Figure 5.59: Steam fresh packaging
- Figure 5.60: Ready meal kit by Union City
- Figure 5.61: Ready meals for children from Annabel Karmel
- Figure 5.62: Lunch boxed ready meal for children by Nippon Meat Packers
- Figure 5.63: The importance of key health trends in ready meals NPD over the next 5 years
- Figure 5.64: WeightWatchers ready meals
- Figure 5.65: Low GI ready meal by Larkin Street Foods
- Figure 5.66: Weight management ready meal by Kagome
- Figure 5.67: Own label natural chilled ready meals
- Figure 5.68: Innovative ready meals with wellbeing benefits by Stillwell and Marudai Food
- Figure 5.69: Innovative heart health ready meals by Kashi and Command Nutrimax Corp
- Figure 5.70: Innovative functional pizza by AC LaRocco Pizza Co
- Figure 5.71: The importance of key indulgent trends in ready meals NPD over the next 5 years
- Figure 5.72: Sainsbury's "Inspire to cook" range
- Figure 5.73: Traditional ready meal by Pepperidge Farm
- Figure 5.74: Gourmet ready meals by Home Bistro
- Figure 5.75: Regional Asian ready meals by Wing Yip and Bighams
- Figure 5.76: Mediterranean ready meal by Unilever
- Figure 5.77: The importance of key ethical trends in ready meals NPD over the next 5 years
- Figure 5.78: Innovative "ethical" product by Eat local
- Figure 6.79: Features important to the success of a ready meal product
- Figure 6.80: Consumers groups that will provide sales growth potential for ready meals manufacturers over the next 5 years
List of Tables
- Table 2.1: Percentage share of the population aged 65 and over, Europe, 1995-2050
- Table 3.2: Ready meals market value, $m, Europe and the US, 2006-2010
- Table 3.3: Ready meals market value by type, $m, Europe and the US, 2006-2010
- Table 3.4: Ready meals market volume, kg m, Europe and the US, 2006-2010
- Table 3.5: Ready meals market volume by type, kg m, Europe and the US, 2006-2010
- Table 3.6: Top 5 ready meals companies in each region, market share, %, 2005
- Table 4.7: Percentage share of package types used for ready meals launched, 2004-2007
- Table 4.8: Percentage of types of innovation within innovative ready meals, 2004-2007
- Table 4.9: Top 10 innovative ready meal manufacturers
- Table 4.10: Top 20 product tags on new product packaging, % of all ready meal launched, 2005-
- 2007