Table of Contents
Innovation and NPD in Ready Meals
Executive Summary 10
Market drivers 10
Growth opportunities in ready meals 11
Innovation and NPD in ready meals 12
Key trends in the ready meals market 13
Conclusions 14
Chapter 1 Introduction 16
The ready meals market defined 16
Scope of the report 16
Report structure 17
Chapter 2 Market drivers 20
Summary 20
Introduction 21
Demographic trends 21
Number and size of households 21
The ageing population 24
Lifestyle trends 28
Family meal return, “home made” feeling back 28
Eating out 31
Regulatory pressures 32
Obesity and the reduction of salt and fat content 32
Elimination of trans fats 36
Nutritional labeling 39
Clean labeling trend 42
Health claims 45
Conclusion 47
Chapter 3 Growth opportunities in ready
meals 50
Summary 50
Introduction 51
Ready meals market value 51
Ready meal market value by sub-category 52
Frozen ready meals 52
Chilled ready meals 54
Canned ready meals 55
Dried ready meals 57
Ready meal market volume 58
Ready meals market volume by sub-category 59
Frozen ready meals 60
Chilled ready meals 60
Canned ready meals 61
Dried ready meals 61
Sales growth potential of ready meals categories 62
Company shares 63
Europe 64
North America 64
Asia-Pacific 65
Latin America 66
Middle East & Africa 67
Conclusion 67
Chapter 4 Innovation and NPD in ready
meals 70
Summary 70
Introduction 71
Growth of ready meals NPD 71
Category analysis 73
Bread products 74
Entrée mixes 75
Main meals 76
Meat, fish and poultry dishes 77
Pasta and rice dishes 78
Salads and salad kits 79
Soup 80
Vegetables and vegetable side dishes 81
Packaging and shelving analysis 82
Regional analysis 85
Innovative ready meals 86
Innovation in formulation 87
Combination of unusual ingredients or flavors 87
New functional meals targeting personalized nutrition 88
Innovation in packaging 89
Microwaveable steamer tray 90
Aluminum cooking tray 91
Microwaveable paper tray 91
Fiber paper pulp tray 92
Self-heater pouch 93
Carton pack 94
Environmentally friendly packaging 94
Edible packaging 95
Innovation in positioning 96
Healthy lunch box 96
Meal kits 97
Innovation by category 98
Snacks 98
Main meals 99
Innovative manufacturers 100
Key players 101
Leading tags on ready meals 103
Chapter 5 Key trends in the ready meal
market 106
Summary 106
Introduction 106
Convenience 107
Fresh convenience 108
Personalized convenience 108
Kid’s convenience 109
Parental concerns for health 109
Lunch box 110
Health 111
Weight control 112
Low / light trend 112
Satiety trend 113
Natural and fresh 115
Wellbeing 117
Functional ready meals 118
Indulgence 121
Homemade 122
Tradition 124
Gourmet/luxury 125
Regionalization in ethnic dishes 127
Malaysian and Singaporean 127
Mediterranean 128
Ethical 129
Sustainable packaging 130
Provenance / traceability trend 131
Chapter 6 Conclusions 134
Summary 134
Introduction 134
Key features for success 135
The key opportunities in the ready meals market 136
Convenience 136
Health 136
Indulgence 137
Ethical 137
Target consumer groups 138
Index 140
List of Figures
Figure 2.1: Number of households in Europe, 1996-2008 22
Figure 2.2: Number of households in the US, 1996-2008 23
Figure 2.3: Adult individual pizza by Northern Foods in the UK 24
Figure 2.4: Population aged 65 and over, US, m, 2000-2050 26
Figure 2.5: Ambient ready meal for elderly people by QP Corp. in Japan 27
Figure 2.6: The importance of drivers of the ready meals market 28
Figure 2.7: Time spent on preparing food by person aged 20 to 74, Europe 29
Figure 2.8: Waitrose “As Good As Going Out” ready meal range 31
Figure 2.9: Threats to the future of ready meals NPD 32
Figure 2.10: An example of new Unilever Pot Noodle, UK 34
Figure 2.11: ConAgra Healthy choice range 35
Figure 2.12: Trans fat labeling in the US 37
Figure 2.13: Trans-fat free ready meals from Nestlé and McCain, USA 38
Figure 2.14: An example of Nestlé Guideline Daily Amount (GDA) label 39
Figure 2.15: Traffic light labeling in the UK (Budgens, Asda and Sainsbury) 40
Figure 2.16: Keyhole product by Swedish retail ICA 41
Figure 2.17: Birds Eye ready meal without artificial colors, flavors and preservatives, 2006, UK 43
Figure 3.18: Marie Les Gratins adores 53
Figure 3.19: Linda McCartney frozen healthy pizza 54
Figure 3.20: Sainsbury’s Super Naturals range 55
Figure 3.21: Paul & Louise healthy canned ready meal 56
Figure 3.22: Unilever “Pot Noodle” ready meals 57
Figure 3.23: Nestlé Maggi and Simply Asia 58
Figure 3.24: Sales growth potential of the ready meal categories over the next 5 years 62
Figure 3.25: Healthy Choice by ConAgra and Lean Cuisine by Nestlé 65
Figure 3.26: Lunch boxed meal launched by Nichirei 66
Figure 3.27: Kid’s meal by Sadia 67
Figure 4.28: Percentage growth in ready meals launched, by category, 2004-2007 72
Figure 4.29: Percentage share of ready meals launched, by category, 2004 and 2007 73
Figure 4.30: Japanese bread product launched by First Baking 74
Figure 4.31: Stuffed Dutch wholemeal bread product 75
Figure 4.32: Pizza kit launched by ConAgra Foods 76
Figure 4.33: Wholesome meal launched under the Linda McCartney brand 77
Figure 4.34: Blue Horizon Organic dish by Aptos 78
Figure 4.35: Healthy Risotto dish by Frosta AG 79
Figure 4.36: New salad Pierre Martinet 80
Figure 4.37: Chilled soup launched by Pitango Innovative 81
Figure 4.38: Gourmet vegetable dishes by Apio 82
Figure 4.39: Percentage share of ready meals launched, by shelving type, 2004-2007 83
Figure 4.40: The leading regions in ready meals NPD over the next 5 years 85
Figure 4.41: Percentage share of ready meals launched, by region, 2004-2007 86
Figure 4.42: Japan Tobacco and Katokichi 88
Figure 4.43: Innovative functional ready meal by Nissin Foods 89
Figure 4.44: Jutro Konservenfabrik, Freshdirect and Healthy Choice 90
Figure 4.45: Aluminum cooking tray by Nippon Meat Packers 91
Figure 4.46: Microwaveable paper 92
Figure 4.47: Fiber pulp packaged ready meal by Gunnar Dafgard 93
Figure 4.48: Self-heater tray from La Briute 93
Figure 4.49: Hormel carton pack ready meal 94
Figure 4.50: Recyclable packaging by Nisshin Foods 95
Figure 4.51: Innovative edible packaging by Nisshin Foods 95
Figure 4.52: Healthy innovative lunch pack for children 96
Figure 4.53: Banquet from ConAgra 97
Figure 4.54: Level of innovation in products launched, by category, 2004-2007 98
Figure 4.55: Innovative snack by Audrey Rochester Inc. 99
Figure 4.56: Innovative meal by Fairfield Farm Kitchens 100
Figure 4.57: The most influential companies in innovation in ready meals today and over the next five years 101
Figure 5.58: The importance of key trends in terms of NPD in ready meals over the next 5 years 107
Figure 5.59: Steam fresh packaging 108
Figure 5.60: Ready meal kit by Union City 109
Figure 5.61: Ready meals for children from Annabel Karmel 110
Figure 5.62: Lunch boxed ready meal for children by Nippon Meat Packers 110
Figure 5.63: The importance of key health trends in ready meals NPD over the next 5 years 112
Figure 5.64: WeightWatchers ready meals 113
Figure 5.65: Low GI ready meal by Larkin Street Foods 114
Figure 5.66: Weight management ready meal by Kagome 114
Figure 5.67: Own label natural chilled ready meals 116
Figure 5.68: Innovative ready meals with wellbeing benefits by Stillwell and Marudai Food 118
Figure 5.69: Innovative heart health ready meals by Kashi and Command Nutrimax Corp. 119
Figure 5.70: Innovative functional pizza by AC LaRocco Pizza Co 121
Figure 5.71: The importance of key indulgent trends in ready meals NPD over the next 5 years 122
Figure 5.72: Sainsbury’s “Inspire to cook” range 123
Figure 5.73: Traditional ready meal by Pepperidge Farm 125
Figure 5.74: Gourmet ready meals by Home Bistro 126
Figure 5.75: Regional Asian ready meals by Wing Yip and Bighams 128
Figure 5.76: Mediterranean ready meal by Unilever 128
Figure 5.77: The importance of key ethical trends in ready meals NPD over the next 5 years 129
Figure 5.78: Innovative “ethical” product by Eat local 132
Figure 6.79: Features important to the success of a ready meal product 135
Figure 6.80: Consumers groups that will provide sales growth potential for ready meals manufacturers over the next 5 years 139

List of Tables
Table 2.1: Percentage share of the population aged 65 and over, Europe, 1995-2050 25
Table 3.2: Ready meals market value, $m, Europe and the US, 2006-2010 51
Table 3.3: Ready meals market value by type, $m, Europe and the US, 2006-2010 52
Table 3.4: Ready meals market volume, kg m, Europe and the US, 2006-2010 59
Table 3.5: Ready meals market volume by type, kg m, Europe and the US, 2006-2010 59
Table 3.6: Top 5 ready meals companies in each region, market share, %, 2005 63
Table 4.7: Percentage share of package types used for ready meals launched, 2004-2007 84
Table 4.8: Percentage of types of innovation within innovative ready meals, 2004-2007 87
Table 4.9: Top 10 innovative ready meal manufacturers 102
Table 4.10: Top 20 product tags on new product packaging, % of all ready meal launched, 2005-
2007 103