Frozen vegetables and fruits keep gaining ground vs their fresh, canned, or cooked counterparts in consumer preferences. End consumers can enjoy their optimum quality, due to the process by which vegetables, both conventional and organic, follow a process that involves picking or harvesting them at the peak of freshness and ripeness and then quickly freezing them.
The extended shelf life, even year-long, is a major advantage, especially since they can be enjoyed regardless of the season, while some fresh vegetables are missing from stores in several months of the year. This ensures the continuity of operations that depend on the inclusion of basic elements in a menu and their long-term budgeting, in a pre-established schedule. It’s not just offerings for retail and foodservice that are more varied than ever; movements such as plant-based also create demand for frozen vegetables, as both types of products are characterized by their perceived benefits. So as consumers move towards meat-free diets, they have to replace it with something else – and right now, that “something” is more likely to comprise vegetables than plant-based products.
Europeans Love Their Veggies
Europe is by far the world’s largest importer of frozen vegetables, accounting for around half of global imports. The Centre for the Promotion of Imports from developing countries (CBI) revealed that European imports of frozen vegetables have increased annually by an average of 3% in volume in the period of 2014-2018. The largest share of imports is intra-European trade, while only 11% of imports come from developing countries. Until 2024, the European market for frozen vegetables is likely to increase with an annual growth rate of 2-4%. The main reason for the expected market growth is the convenience in eating and increasing consumption of ready-to-eat frozen food. Also, consumption of vegetables (including frozen) is increasing due to the popularisation of vegan and vegetarian food across Europe. Regular fluctuations in imports will continue to be influenced by harvested crop volumes and accessory price developments, rather than changes in demand. Globally, in recent years the frozen vegetables market has been witnessing a tremendous rise in its valuation. The increasing preference for frozen vegetables among consumers, especially in Latin and North America, is boosting this market substantially. In the near future, demand is likely to rise in other regions as well. The rise in awareness levels regarding various benefits of frozen vegetables will also support the growth of this market.
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