Cooking Ingredients and Meals

The cooking ingredients and meals industry saw the rapid growth of online sales during the pandemic turn to a slower pace as consumers returned to brick-and-mortar stores for in-person interactions and the possibility to save. Inflationary pressures…

Cooking ingredients and meals has experienced turbulent times, with inflationary pressures and changing working environments in the post-pandemic world causing both channel and category shifts. Consumers are changing their cooking and eating habits,…

The value of the cooking ingredients and meals industry neared USD500 billion in 2023, with Kraft Heinz, Unilever and Nestlé continuing their lead. This report dives into their key strategies within the industry. It also explores how the wider…

HelloFresh is present in developed countries, where the level of urbanisation is high, leading people with busy lifestyles to seek quicker and more convenient eating occasions at home. This report delves into HelloFresh’s financial results and…

Lingering inflationary pressures continued in sweet spreads in Austria in 2023, resulting in stronger value growth supported by high prices, while volume sales just about managed to remain positive. Indeed, as sweet spreads are perceived as less…

Sales in sauces, dips and condiments maintained demand in Austria in 2023, resulting in positive value growth underlined by still-high prices, alongside smaller volume growth due to the baseline demand. These factors are being driven by…

Meals and soups saw strong value growth in Austria in 2023, driven by inflationary pressures leading to high unit prices, while volume sales are also bouncing back into stronger positive growth. That said, challenges remain, as while inflationary…

Sales in edible oils continued to stabilise in 2023 in Austria, following the era of price hikes and supply disruptions. That said, the return to foodservice does somewhat place downwards pressure on potential sales, when compared to the era of home…

Sales in cooking ingredients and meals continued to stabilise in Austria in 2023. This is thanks to inflation starting to slow down, thus resulting in more stable food prices. For example, we can note this in edible oils, which was a category…

Global packaged food sales are set to exceed USD3 trillion in 2024, with volumes growing over the forecast period. Even with inflationary pressures moderating, each grocery category (staple foods, dairy products and alternatives, snacks, and cooking…

Between 2018 and 2023, Asian countries saw polarised rates of growth in packaged food sales. For 2023-2028, however, this range is set to narrow as markets stabilise. Companies are focusing on expansion, innovation and building value. Within these…

Health concerns are exerting a significant influence on demand for sweet spreads in Germany as consumers increasingly seek options that align with their wellbeing goals. This shift is characterised by demand for healthier ingredients, reduced sugar…

Unilever, the leading player in sauces, dips and condiments in Germany for years, remained at the top for 2023. Its extensive assortment, including the popular Knorr brand of sauces, makes it a permanent presence in different outlets and various…

Demand for frozen ready meals in Germany continued to grow in 2023, as consumers increasingly searched for convenient meal solutions that catered for busy lifestyles. As German consumers juggled work, family and social commitments, there was a…

In 2023, inflation still had a notable impact on edible oils in Germany, leading to elevated prices and changes in consumer behaviour. Factors such as rising labour costs, fuel prices and agricultural inputs contributed to higher production expenses…

While 2023 might have appeared to be a stable year for cooking ingredients and meals in Germany after the pandemic years and rise of inflation, the industry experienced an interesting evolution. Shaped by a variety of factors that reflected both…

This report examines inflation levels and drivers globally and in key countries in 2024. Global inflation is moderating, although divergence among the key economies remains. Supply chain and commodities markets disruptions remain the key risks for…

The growth of convenient Western breakfasts such as bread, buns, and breakfast cereals in India has emerged as a pivotal driver for the rising popularity of sweet spreads, including chocolate spreads, jams, and nut and seed based spreads. The…

In line with increasing at-home entertainment options, the frequency of snacking and consuming small meals has increased, thereby benefiting sauces, dips and condiments in India. According to Euromonitor International’s Voice of the Consumer:…

The per capita consumption of ready meals in India in 2023 remained fairly low compared to the average in Asia Pacific. This modest figure can be attributed to limited market penetration and association of limited consumption occasions. Ready meals…

Retail volume sales of edible oils in India suffered in 2021 and the first half of 2022 due to disrupted global supply chains and high global inflation. Since India imports more than 50% of its edible oil requirements, there were spikes in retail…

In 2023, retail value sales of cooking ingredients and meals in India displayed high growth following the stabilisation of edible oils, the high value growth of ready meals, and a stable performance by mature categories such as sauce, dips and…

Kraft Heinz is the global leader in cooking ingredients and meals. Its growth has been driven by more consumers cooking at home since the pandemic. North America is the main region for Kraft Heinz, with its key brands having a well-established…

The revenge travel trend has continued in 2023, due to the broader reopening of Hong Kong after the pandemic, which has allowed consumers to travel abroad, with Japan emerging as a key destination. This has resulted in a significant reduction in the…

Since late 2022, the broader reopening of Hong Kong has unleashed a desire to travel amongst Hong Kong consumers. The revenge travel trend, which began in 2022, has continued to shape consumer behaviour in 2023. As a result, due to the resumption of…

Since late 2022, the desire to travel has been seen amongst consumers in Hong Kong, due to the broader reopening of the country, with Japan emerging as a key destination. The revenge travel observed in 2023 has led to a significant reduction in the…

The broader reopening of Hong Kong since late 2022 unleashed a wave of enthusiasm for travel amongst consumers in Hong Kong, with Japan emerging as a key destination. Revenge travel has continued into 2023, resulting in a significant reduction in the…

The broader reopening of Hong Kong since late 2022 has unleashed a wave of travel enthusiasm amongst consumers in Hong Kong, with Japan emerging as a key destination. The revenge travel trend has continued into 2023, resulting in a significant…

Technological advances in 2024 will continue to reshape consumer behaviour. This annual report explores the top five digital shopper trends that will redefine commerce the most in the year ahead. Some of the trends included in this report’s edition…

The rise in global food insecurity will be a defining challenge for the food and beverage industry in the coming decades. Once-reliable supply chains are under threat from climate change and geopolitical shifts, which means the future will be one of…

The demand for sweet sauces has reverted to normal consumption patterns following the pandemic, driven further by consumers actively seeking lower sugar options. The overall market is now in a state of supply and demand equilibrium. The trend of…

The 2023 trend of revenge travel and increased dining out after the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a decline in the demand for meals and soups in off-trade channels, as Taiwanese consumers prefer to spend more time travelling and dining out. With less…

The resurgence of travel and dining out in 2023, following the post-COVID-19 era, has redirected consumption from off-trade to on-trade channels in Taiwan. With increased time spent on travel and dining at restaurants, there has been a noticeable…

In 2023, the sales volume of edible oils experienced a decline, partially offset by the return to normal routines and a growing demand in the foodservice channel. The normalisation of dining in and travel activities during 2023 boosted demand from…

The post-pandemic era in 2023 has ushered in changes in consumption and dining habits, marked by a greater emphasis on the quality and unique presentation of dishes when dining out. The trend of ordering delivery has continued to gain traction.…

After the pandemic resulted in a spike in demand for retail sales of cooking ingredients and meals in Western Europe in 2020, the volume performance was hit by high inflation in 2022 and 2023. This has been favouring growing shares for discounters…

After China scrapped its zero-COVID policy at the end of 2022, retail sales declined in this country in both volume and real value terms in 2023. As consumers’ lives returned to normal, this resulted in a shift from cooking at home to eating out at…

Following the major spike in demand seen in 2020, when the COVID-19 restrictions meant more cooking and eating at home, sales in real value terms have continued to increase, albeit at a slower rate. This is in spite of the inflationary environment…

Preparing and eating more meals at home meant that cooking ingredients and meals saw a spike in demand when the pandemic hit Middle East and Africa in 2020. However, in recent years, including 2023, volume sales have been struggling in the face of…

In a time of uncertainty, brands must ensure that the value proposition provided by their loyalty schemes is firmly aligned with customer needs, priorities and expectations, continuously refined and adapted to withstand disruption and changing market…

In 2023, the sweet spreads category experienced another year of positive growth, both in volume and value terms. Jam and preserves and especially nut and seed based spreads put in strong performances during the year. One of the main factors behind…

Sauces, dips and condiments saw another year of growth in both retail volume and retail value terms in 2023. Sauces remains the biggest contributor to the category’s development, specifically soy sauce products. The foodservice channel experienced…

The meals and soup category experienced another year of positive growth in 2023, both in total volume and value terms. Ready meals was a key contributor to the category’s development during the year, specifically frozen ready meals. The growing urban…

The edible oils category experienced another year of decline in 2023, both in volume and value terms, following contraction in the previous year. The fact that the CPO (crude palm oil) price had not yet fallen was a key reason for this performance.…

Discounting activities, consumers’ busier lifestyles and demand for more convenient, practical cooking solutions, especially amongst middle to upper income consumers, spurred growth in cooking ingredients and meals in Indonesia in 2023. Considerable…

The consumption of sweet spreads in Singapore is largely limited to breakfast occasions, and typically applied to toast. Hence, it is challenging for the category to achieve greater penetration in the local market or record stronger growth. In…

Convenience continues to be the key driver for sauces, dips and condiments as local consumers are looking for ways to save time on the preparation of meals due to increasingly hectic lifestyles. Notably, complex dishes that require a wide array of…

Retail demand for ready meals has improved in 2023 following several years of decline in Singapore, as local consumers are attempting to adjust to spending increasing time outside of the home. Therefore, demand is being driven by convenience factors.…

Edible oils in Singapore continues to face significant disruptions in 2023, caused by climate change and geopolitical risks. While there has been an improvement in demand compared to 2022, the higher average unit price of edible oils continues to…

Cooking ingredients and meals continues to offer marginally higher average unit prices from the lingering effect of the inflationary wave in 2022, as climate change and geopolitical risks further impact global food production and supply chains,…