A Shift Towards Frozen Foods in 2023
Freezing food to keep it fresh was a revolutionary idea that changed how we ran our households. Since the 1950s, everyday people have enjoyed the convenience of heating and eating a ready-made meal in less time than it takes to write a grocery list. However, frozen foods slowly gained a bad rap, and soon people turned back to fresh produce.
However, recent global events, such as the pandemic, supply chain crisis, and rising inflation, have helped frozen foods make a comeback.
Why People Are Buying More Frozen Food
Rising inflation is driving the cost of living up worldwide, and US food and beverage prices have increased by 19.8% since the start of 20201. Although inflation affects all food categories, a recent American Frozen Food Institute study found that 79% of consumers believe frozen foods are a cost-effective option.
Frozen meals tend to be less wasteful, giving shoppers more value for money with stretched budgets. It has a much longer shelf life than fresh food, reducing the chance of spoilage during home storage. It’s also easy to portion, so people can cook what they need without leftovers that often go to waste.
Additionally, frozen foods are more convenient and well-suited to busy lifestyles without the high price of eating at restaurants for every meal.
Is Frozen Food More Sustainable?
While many people believe eating fresh produce is more sustainable, that is not always the case. Europe’s largest frozen food company, Nomad Foods, recently conducted a life cycle assessment2 on 22 of its frozen products. They found that 81% of the foods caused less or equal carbon emissions to non-frozen alternatives from the same brand.
Unlike fresh food supply chains, the frozen food industry causes less food waste overall. While it does take energy to keep food frozen, the United Nations agrees that most carbon emissions come from farming and land use, not refrigeration or transport3.
A New Approach to Frozen Food
When frozen food first launched, it prioritized convenience over nutrition, with dishes like TV dinners and microwave meals dominating the market. Today, frozen food has taken on a new meaning. Many health-conscious consumers prefer minimally-processed foods without added sugars or synthetic additives, so the frozen food sector had to adapt.
Plant-based foods that contain organic ingredients, whole frozen fruits and vegetables, sugar-free frozen desserts, and mood-boosting convenience foods are all joining the frozen food aisle in 2023.
Studies show that healthy frozen foods often contain more nutrients than fresh produce. According to the British Frozen Food Association, fresh spinach loses up to 75% of its vitamin C content just two days after picking. Freezing that spinach reduces the nutrient loss to only 20%.
Flavoring Frozen Foods
Freezing food keeps it fresh without harsh preservatives. However, it can affect the flavor. Some frozen foods taste less flavorful than their fresh alternatives because the water molecules in the food turn to ice, which breaks down its texture and taste. Adding natural flavorings to a frozen food formulation can make it look, smell, and taste fresher and more fragrant after thawing.
Advanced Biotech’s range of premium organic, EU-natural certified, and 100% plant-based flavorings are the perfect way to add flavor back to frozen food without affecting its clean label status.
Make Frozen More Flavorful With Advanced Biotech
Our range of natural flavorings and aromatics is perfect for frozen food applications. We only supply high-quality products that can withstand freezing temperatures, delivering delicious taste and aroma to your frozen products. Please contact us for more information.
1 https://affi.org/frozen-is-the-answer-in-2022/
2 https://www.foodingredientsfirst.com/news/nomad-foods-calls-on-regulators-to-strengthen-carbon-impact-product-assessments.html
3 https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/science/climate-issues/food