A meal solution approach is not a new development. It reflects many years of effort and commitment by the industry to making consumers' lives easier when preparing food at home.
This approach has manifested itself in the continuous development of convenience foods. In fact, since processing began, manufacturers have adopted a meal solutions approach, endeavouring to make life simpler for consumers by taking processing out of the home and onto the factory production line.
The movement towards greater convenience is shown in the diagram below.
The Evolution of Convenience : From Basic Provision to Meal Solutions
Source: IGD
Up to five years ago any thinking on meal solutions focused on single products and was embodied by the rise of the ready meal. More recently, the food industry has begun to bring separate products together to create true meal solutions. This can be seen in retailers' chilled food aisles, where starters, accompaniments and main dishes are located together to provide a complete meal for any given cuisine.
The meal solutions concept is now being broadened further. The embryonic meal solution philosophy is taking root in other areas of the store, such as the ambient grocery aisles, with different ingredients and products merchandised together to form specific meal solutions.
Clearly, a meal solution philosophy could be applied almost everywhere within a food store. This can make it a difficult concept to grasp, and therefore to remove some of the confusion it is useful to distinguish between different types of meal solutions. For easier interpretation, and thus implementation, IGD segments meal solutions by the level of consumer participation required. Four distinct segments emerge:
- Ready-to-Make Meal Solutions
- Ready-to-Prepare Meal Solutions
- Ready-to-Heat Meal Solutions
- Ready-to-Eat Meal Solutions
Each requires a different level of consumer input to the cooking process. Typically, although not always, as the level of consumer input reduces, the price rises. The diagram below illustrates the breadth of the meal solutions concept and the inclusive nature of the philosophy. It also highlights the major characteristics of each segment:
| MEAL SOLUTION SEGMENT |
Type of Products |
Consumer Processes |
Process Examples |
Total Cooking Time |
% time Consumer Actively Involved* |
| READY TO MAKE |
Associated Ingredients
The grouping of raw ingredients that are then combined and prepared into meals by the consumer in the home. These products could include meat, fish, vegetables, etc. |
Prepare all ingredients Cook
Assemble
Serve
Eat
|
Wash & chop vegetables Make sauce
Follow recipe |
60 mins |
100% |
| READY TO PREPARE
|
Meal Components
The cooking and assembling of different meal elements to create a comprehensive meal. Individual elements may be raw or pre-cooked, with some cooking time required, but most of the preparation is undertaken by the manufacturer. Examples include fish fingers, sausages, beef burgers, chops, pasta, and pasta sauces etc. |
Cook Meal Components
Prepare & cook other ingredients
Assemble
Serve
Eat |
Cook beefburger
Cook oven chips
Prepare bun
Slice gerkin
|
20 mins
|
60% |
| Ambient Light Meals
A meal that can be prepared quickly, often positioned as a light meal. Ideal for eating alone or in a hurry, and sometimes portrayed as a value product. Examples include dried pasta meals, pot meals, baked beans and spaghetti in tomato sauce. |
Cook Meal
Prepare other ingredient
Assemble
Serve
Eat |
Heat baked beans & make toast
Grate cheese |
10 mins |
60% |
| READY TO HEAT |
Ambient, Meals (Frozen or Chilled)
A meal prepared to a recipe by the manufacturer, at least part cooked. Typically frozen or chilled, although similar ambient ready meals also exist. They can often represent a meal even when eaten on their own. Examples include beef lasagne, spinach and ricotta pancakes, and Quorn Tikka Masala. |
Cook
Prepare other ingredient
Assemble
Serve
Eat |
Heat ready meal
Boil vegetables
Cook oven chips |
20 mins |
20% |
| HMR
Meals or meal components, 'freshly' prepared away from the home for same day consumption at home. The 'supermarket's answer to the takeaway', offering consumers the indulgence of a takeaway, the reassurance of the retailer's quality, and added flexibility and convenience. |
Heat
Serve
Eat |
|
5 mins |
20% |
| READY TO EAT |
Immediates/Hand Snacks
Hot or cold products ready for immediate consumption, and suitable for eating on the move. Examples include sandwiches, chicken nuggets, hot dogs, potato wedges, pasties and wraps. |
Eat |
|
0 mins |
0% |
* IGD estimates
Source: IGD
