The international frozen food sector will again meet at Anuga in October. It is estimated that around 500 exhibitors will be presenting a wide spectrum of products and services from the frozen food segment to both the trade and food service sectors.
Joint participation from countries like Egypt, Belgium, China, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal and Spain that will be demonstrating their competence in frozen foods will take place. The range is vast and includes fish, meat, fruit, vegetables, and ready-made meals through to bulk packs. Whereas the trend in the retail sector is towards small packets and ready-made meals, the food service sector is relying on pre-portioned and ready-prepared components.
Frozen food has enormous potential worldwide even though not every region has the same growth opportunities. The US remains the undisputed world champions in the consumption of frozen food with an annual per capita consumption of 52kg. There are also good development opportunities in Eastern Europe and Asia.
Frozen bakery products are showing an upward trend, but rolls, cakes and tarts are still in high demand. The growing demand in the breakfast industry and the trend towards snacking boosts this segment. One of the most popular frozen commodities is still frozen pizza, which recorded a strong growth in the year.
In the food retail trade, a slight growth was recorded for ready-to-serve meals, which primarily derives from partial dishes. The complete meals and stews on the other hand experienced slight losses. The trend is moving away from cooking at home towards solutions that enable a quick, uncomplicated, flexible and healthy diet. The line-up of frozen products is becoming more diversified. Smaller packets are in demand, which is a result of the demographic change towards one and two person households.
