Frozen vegetarian/vegan ready-meals
Employing advanced preservation techniques, frozen vegetarian/vegan ready-meals undergo meticulous processing to maintain quality. After preparation, they're swiftly frozen below -18°C, halting microbial growth and preserving texture. Vacuum sealing prevents moisture loss and freezer burn, ensuring product integrity. Advanced freezing techniques minimize ice crystal formation, preserving meal texture.
Frozen vegetarian/vegan ready-meals are pre-packaged meals prepared without any meat, poultry, fish or animal products. They are designed to be convenient, giving consumers who follow a vegetarian or vegan diet a quick and easy meal option that can be held frozen until needed.
The formulations are built from a variety of ingredients such as grains, legumes, vegetables, tofu, and plant-based protein sources like soy, pea protein or seitan. That ingredient mix defines much of the processing requirement for a plant: handling and preparation of grains and legumes, vegetable lines, and dedicated handling for plant protein sources, all feeding into assembly, freezing and packaging.
Demand comes from health-conscious consumers who want to reduce their intake of animal products, and from those who have food allergies or intolerances. The global market for vegetarian/vegan food products was valued at $12.2 billion in 2019 and is projected to reach $24.3 billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 9.6% from 2020 to 2027.
Major players in the market include Amy's Kitchen, Dr. Praeger's, The Vegetarian Butcher, Linda McCartney Foods, Quorn, Tesco, Sainsbury's, Whole Foods Market, Tofurky and Beyond Meat — a mix of specialist brands and retailers, which shapes how a new entrant positions capacity and product range.