Changing eating patterns are driving demand for frozen appetisers and snacks, writes Jonathan Thomas.
One of the most fundamental challenges facing European food manufacturers over the last few decades has been the major shift in eating patterns which continues to take place.
As is the case in other parts of the developed world such as the US, Europeans now consume their daily food intake in a variety of different ways. These range from the traditional three meals per day structure to eating five or six smaller meals (which offers advantages such as lower calorific intake and improved portion control) and intermittent grazing, which is characterised by a lack of structure and formality.
Additionally, many consumers are also intermittently fasting for weight management purposes, which also affects how their mealtimes are structured. These shifts in eating patterns continue to present opportunities for suppliers of frozen snacks, appetisers and other finger foods throughout much of Europe.
As the market has developed, it has broadened to encompass a variety of different foods – these include hot-eating snack foods (e.g. pies, pastries, pizzas and coated foods), as well as potato-based products (e.g. wedges) and various meal accompaniments traditionally associated with ethnic cuisines. However, the European market remains modest in size compared with its US equivalent, the world’s largest by some margin.
The immediate prospects for the European market appear promising, for a variety of reasons. Firstly, the economic situation remains volatile throughout much of the region, due to political instability in many parts of the world and the likely effect on global trade. This means consumer spending is projected to stay subdued for the future, with people more inclined to entertain and socialise within the home, rather than eating out.
Another factor expected to drive further expansion is the continued growth of the market for in-home entertainment. In many European and North American markets, more consumers have been turning to the likes of video streaming services, as well as Netflix and Amazon Prime, for the purpose of watching films, drama series, etc.
Growth within this sector is projected to continue as technology undergoes further improvement – for example, artificial intelligence (AI) is now being applied to enhance video quality. This is expected to create new occasions when consumers will demand appetisers, snacks and other types of convenience foods for eating within the home.
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