Hardly time to eat ready-to-eat products

Hardly time to eat - Ready to eat products are full of trend

07/10/2013

A tour of the world's largest food fair „Anguga“ shows how it is ordered to the eating habits of most people. More and more Germans eat on the way and usually in a hurry. Due to loud appointments and projects, there is no time to prepare food in everyday working life. For the food industry, a reason to come onto the market with ever newer and ready-to-eat products. There's the pizza on the stick, which just needs to be packed into the toaster and ready to eat after a few minutes. Or egg and meat salad, which is produced in the form of a slice, suitable for bread and practically without a knife. If that is not enough, you can enjoy the apple strudel from the cup for dessert.

The so-called convenience products - meaning products in which the manufacturer has already taken over certain processing and processing stages in advance - are not new, but they are coming in ever newer versions on the market. Conscious researcher Robert Kecskes of GfK has long been aware that "people do not eat less, but they feed differently than they used to," he explains before the official opening of "Anuga"..

Many families hardly ever have lunch together
In many households, especially the common lunch no longer takes place. More and more mothers go to work and the children are housed in full-time care. As a result, more is eaten outside the home. Finished products are among the growth drivers.

Industry sees growing quality awareness
According to a representative study by GfK on behalf of the food industry, more customers have increased quality standards. For a quarter more and more ethical criteria such as sustainability, fair trade or animal welfare play a decisive role in the purchase. Environmentally friendly, sustainable production and short transport routes are also crucial for the purchase. "People do not go that cheap anymore," says Kecskes. Although rising poverty is driving the hype for the cheapest product. Just under 12 percent of their disposable income is spent on food for Germans. Comparing this value with other countries, it is rather to classify as low. A total of 6,777 suppliers from 98 countries offer their products at the biennial "Anuga" this time. Above all, organic and regional offers, fair trade goods and innovations in the field of special nutrition, such as lactose- or sugar-free products, are strongly represented.

Politics shows little interest
Reports of food scandals, such as rotten meat, dioxin eggs, horsemeat in ready-made lasagna or bacteria pies, has made many consumers rethink. The fact that more and more scandals are being exposed has also to do with the increased quality demands of critical consumers, believes Christoph Minhoff, Managing Director of the food industry association BVE. "Confidence in food has been strong for years." The fair also serves the food industry to promote technical know-how, production methods and concepts for the future. Actually an ideal place for politics to discuss food quality and tomorrow's supply. But she does not look. The politics around the internationally important platform "Anuga" a bow, criticizes Stephan Becker sunshine, managing director of the food industry. (Fr)

Image: Thommy Weiss