Frozen meat-based ready-meals

Frozen meat-based ready-meals are pre-prepared meals that are frozen and can be heated and eaten at home. Meat is the main ingredient — typically beef, chicken, pork or fish — and the category is well-liked by customers because it offers a varied menu and is easy to prepare. For a processor, the appeal is a product that carries a long shelf life without preservative-led reformulation, provided the cook, freeze and cold-chain steps are held to specification.

The process line runs in four stages. First, the meat and other required raw ingredients are prepared and cooked to above 70°C according to the recipe; ingredients may be pre-cooked or partially cooked before they are frozen. Second, the prepared ingredients are placed in trays or containers and frozen at very low temperatures, typically around -40°C within 90 minutes for rapid freezing. This freezing step preserves the quality and freshness of the ingredients and extends the shelf life of the final product. Chest freezers, upright freezers, blast freezers and tunnel freezers are all commonly used.

Third, the frozen meals are packaged to prevent freezer burn and keep the food fresh for longer periods. Packaging materials used across the category include shrink film, wax coated cardboard, glass, aluminium, flexible bags, lidding films, high barrier thermoforming film, IQF polyethylene and skin film. Fourth, the finished meals are held in a freezer at -18°C (-0.4°F) or lower until they are shipped to retailers or directly to consumers.

One rule governs the whole chain downstream of the freezer: once a frozen meal has been thawed, it should not be refrozen. Thawing changes the texture and quality of the food, and refreezing degrades quality and safety further. Storage discipline at -18°C or lower is therefore as much a part of the product specification as the cook step itself.