Convenience food rises in Irish diet

The current revolution in convenience, in the form of rocketing ready-to-eat meal consumption, is set to continue, according to the food research agency Teagasc. Its latest research suggests "microwaveability" is the single biggest factor affecting consumers' decisions to purchase such products.

While consumers viewed these meals as expensive, the majority of the participants in a Teagasc survey purchased them on a weekly basis. Chilled products were seen to be of better quality, but frozen products were purchased in greater quantities due to their prolonged shelf life, Dr Maeve Henchion of the Teagasc National Food Centre told a conference last week on ready meals - as they are known in the food business.

The UK market for ready meals is worth £1.5 billion a year, split half and half between frozen and chilled products; and represents an obviously big opportunity for Irish food companies. While per capita consumption of ready meals in Ireland is only about one-third that of the UK, the market is growing rapidly, especially for chilled products.

"Expansion in the number of women working, loss of cooking skills, reduced household size and increased disposable income are certain to lead to an expansion in the market for ready meals," she said.

Meanwhile, enhanced awareness of health and diet, a growing number of vegetarians as well as increased interest in ethnic and international foods would further drive demand.

The survey showed that women working in the home regard ready meals as snack foods - a meal for one, for lunch or late in the evening. But for those working outside the home ready meals were more inclined to regard them as a main meal.

The largest Irish manufacturer of frozen ready meals was Heinz, with an almost 30 per cent share of the market. The Heinz `Weight Watchers' range of low calorie, single portion recipe meals are the single biggest sellers.

Teagasc is now developing a "food lifestyles model", aimed at developing a better understanding of consumer behaviour and attitudes to food purchase and consumption.