Ready-to-eat (RTE) foods or synonymously known as ready meals, packed foods or instant ready meals are foods that require little or no preparation1. They include ready-to-eat rice or noodles, cooked meats and poultry, cold vegetable dishes with dressings and sauces which are very popular as they are intended for direct consumption8.
Rapid urbanization, lack of cooking time and changes in consumers’ lifestyles are the factors that fuel the RTE food market growth. Changes in consumers’ perceptions and buying values have influenced consumer behaviour related to dietary life, such as food selection and consumption4. Individuals’ food choices are based on their life experiences that influence their food selection decision such as the desire for healthy foods4. Studies have also shown that consumers are concerned about food safety due to the growing awareness of the relationship between diet and health3. Quality of food and taste sensation also become essential factors for consumers before making any purchasing decisions5.
According to a consumer survey, 52% of people consume RTE food two to four times a week1. The frequency of consuming RTE food has been rising with the relative importance of its convenience and time-saving factors6. Younger generations are the most convenience-driven and prefer food that is easy to buy, preserve, prepare and cook6. Therefore, as a reaction to such demand, the food industry has expanded its ready meal options to a variety of flavours, textures and appearances1,7.
Nowadays, innovations in product offerings of ready-to-eat foods are available in frozen form. Thus, it will make the durability and availability of RTE products last longer5. Advancement in areas of packaging technology and attractive packaging design are also the most notable factors contributing to a positive buying experience of ready-to-eat foods5.
Conclusion,
In conclusion, changes in lifestyles as well as increasing demand for convenience and healthy food are the two major driving factors for the ready-to-eat food sector to have significant growth in many years ahead.
References
1Basurra, R.S., Tunung, R., Kavita, C., Ribka, A., Chandrika, M. and Ubong, A. (2021). Consumption practices and perception of ready-to-eat food among university students and employees in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Food Research, 5(1), 246-251. https://doi.org/10.26656/fr.2017.5(1).357
2Benedict, M.M. (2019). Combined factors driving growth of ready-to-eat food product market. FNB News.
3Bolek, S. (2020). Consumer knowledge, attitudes, and judgements about food safety: A consumer analysis. Trends in Food Science and Technology, 102, 242- 248. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tifs.2020.03.009
4Choi, S.; Lee, T.J.; Hong, W. Home Meal Replacement (Convenience Food) Consumption Behavior of Single-Member Households in Vietnam by Food Consumption Value. Sustainability 2022, 14, 1031.
5Liew, J. Y., Mat Zain, N. S., Hashim, D. S., Abu Bakar, T. H. S. T., Mahshar, M., & Rosli, F. (2021). An exploration of the key factors affecting consumer buying behaviour of instant food products: A case study of Kota Bharu. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 756(1), 012014. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/756/1/012014
6Priyadarshini, V. (2015). Purchasing practice of the consumers towards ready to eat food products. Asian Journal of Home Science, 10(2), 290-295. https://doi.org/10.15740/HAS/AJHS/10.2/290-295
7Siekierski, P., Ponchio, M.C. and Strehlau, V.I. (2013). Influence of lifestyles related to eating habits in ready meal consumption: a comparative study between Sao Paulo and Rome. Review of Business Management, 15(48), 325-342. https://doi.org/10.7819/rbgn.v15i48.1223
8Yu, S., Yu, P., Wang, J., Li, C., Guo, H., Liu, C., Kong, L., Yu, L., Wu, S., Lei, T., Chen, M., Zeng, H., Pang, R., Zhang, Y., Wei, X., Zhang, J., Wu, Q. and Ding, Y. (2020). A study on prevalence and characterization of Bacillus cereus in ready-to-eat foods in China. Frontiers in Microbiology, 10, 3043. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2019.03043
