Global Frozen Foods Market: Information by Type (Frozen [Fruits & Vegetables, Meat & Poultry and Seafood], Frozen Processed [Bakery Products, Dairy & Desserts, Meat & Poultry, Seafood, Soups and Others], Distribution Channel (Store-Based [Supermarkets & Hypermarkets, Convenience Stores and Others] and Non-Store-Based) and Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of the World) - Forecast till 2027

Market Overview

The frozen foods market is growing healthily. It is currently experiencing a CAGR of 5.68% until at least 2026. The market valuation is expected to be 253,674.8 million US Dollars by then. Frozen food is made when various foods are preserved by freezing. It is then frozen until it is cooked, either in a microwave, oven or on a stove by the end consumer.

Demand for frozen foods began in America in the 1950s. Americans enjoyed the nightly frozen dinner while watching television. Well, what began as a convenience in the West is rapidly going global thanks to growing wealth in middle classes in developing nations. Convenience combined with the high nutritional value of frozen food and lower cost is the main factor driving the immense growth in the refrigerated and frozen foods market.

COVID-19 Analysis

COVID-19 has put a temporary damper in the frozen foods industry. It is also changing the healthy frozen foods market structure by holding back growth dramatically. What restrained growth in this industry the most was the fact that frozen foods manufacturing companies faced challenges in sourcing the raw materials for their products. G

Government policies prohibiting trade in international foodstuffs - frozen or not - also contributed. However, the overall outlook of the refrigerated and frozen foods market remains bright largely because of rapidly growing demand.

Market Dynamics

Drivers

More and more people live busy lifestyles. They want to eat healthy food but do not always have the time to cook it. These people look to market selection frozen foods to satiate their growing demand. Also, more women are working full-time around the world. They do not have the time to spend hours cooking and prefer to spend a few minutes reheating frozen foods for a quick and healthy meal.

Opportunities

Many frozen food manufacturers are responding by investing heavily in manufacturing and processing equipment. This will help them meet rapidly growing demand which is expected to increase exponentially in the post COVID world. Added to this is the fact that the growing middle classes in developing nations increasingly crave organic frozen foods.

Restraints

The current and new restrictions on the movement of raw materials needed to produce these frozen foods are a current restraint on overall market growth. However, governments will lift these once COVID-19 has been managed.

Challenges

One of the main challenges that frozen food manufacturers face is finding sufficient and reliable distributors. Also, since there are few barriers to entry, many companies are already in the market and more are expected to enter. Finally, frozen foods tend to have a low price point and customer demand is relatively elastic and sensitive to even small increments in price increases.

Cumulative Growth Analysis

The long-term outlook for the refrigerated and frozen foods market is bright. The CAGR is above 5%. What is expected to continue to drive strong growth in the near and far future is the rapidly growing global middle class whose purchasing power and discretionary income are increasing rapidly.

Technology analysis

Frozen foods manufacturers are investing heavily in new technologies that are designed to make frozen foods more nutritious and last longer without the use of any preservatives. One such technology is pouch packaging. This airtight packaging keeps frozen foods fresh for longer by preventing any moisture which would encourage bacteria and mold growth. It has another benefit of retaining more of the minerals and nutrients in frozen foods for longer.

Quick-frozen technology also allows frozen foods to stay frozen for longer and retain more of their nutritional value.

Segment overview

By service

Frozen food manufacturers have done extensive frozen foods market research. They are aware that people are too busy to cook yet want to eat nutritious food that can be heated easily and quickly. They are responding by introducing many innovations in frozen foods. One of these is plant-forward foods. They include meat patties that are made of vegetables. Many customers around the world who are increasingly conscious of their health are demanding these types of innovations.

By technology

The nutritional value of market selections of frozen foods is constantly improving and so is their variety. This is largely driven by new advances in technology. One of these is the use of recyclable boxes and resealable pouches. These have two advantages: they help preserve frozen foods and their nutritional value for longer and they are environmentally friendly.

By type

Frozen foods can be divided into many categories:

• Meat and poultry products


• Frozen dinners and entrees


• Frozen dairy desserts


• Frozen pizza


• Frozen fruits and vegetables


• Various types of frozen potatoes


• Frozen pieces of bread and raw dough

By vertical

Many different establishments sell frozen foods. These include supermarkets, hypermarkets, specialty stores, retail stores, and online stores, among others! 

Regional analysis

Growth in the refrigerated and frozen foods market is strongest in the European Union. The frozen foods market share there was 39.90% in 2019. Many Europeans live busy and hectic lives. This combined with eroding purchasing power and discretionary income has led many to prefer frozen foods. 

People in North America also prefer to eat frozen foods for these reasons. China is also witnessing strong and fast growth in the frozen foods market. The rising middle classes and their greater purchasing power largely drives this. The Asia-Pacific region is seeing the highest growth in the refrigerated and frozen foods market of all regions in the world.

Competitive landscape

Competition in the frozen foods market remains very strict. Some of the reasons why are the relatively low barriers to entry and the lucrativeness of the market. 

One large company in the refrigerated and frozen foods market is General Mills (USA.) It is positioning itself in the frozen foods industry by investing millions in upgrading and implementing new manufacturing and processing technologies for frozen foods.  

Companies, in general, are busy investing in research and development and new production/distribution facilities. This will help them introduce new frozen food products that are more nutritious and will last longer without preservatives. They are also expanding operations by entering new markets. Many companies like Danone are involved in joint ventures and mergers and acquisitions. They want to have an easier time entering new markets. 

Major food manufacturing and processing companies:

• General Mills (USA)


• Tyson Foods Inc (USA)


• Grupo Bimbo (Mexico)


• Conagra Brands Inc (USA)


• Associated British Foods Plc (UK)


• Nestle S.A. (Switzerland)


• Unilever Plc. (UK)


• Ajinomoto Company (Japan)


• Kraft Heinz Company (USA)


• McCain Foods Limited (Canada)

Recent Developments

• US Foods introduces 21 healthy and environmentally frozen food products.


• Unilever recently celebrated its 10th anniversary in the frozen foods industry by reinventing the packaging for its various Magnum ice cream products. It also launched new frozen desserts onto the refrigerated and frozen foods market.


• Bush Refrigerated Vans opens a new production facility in Cincinnati, IL. The intention is to produce more frozen food products that are healthier, more hygienic, and more nutritious.


• MyMochi ice cream gives its brand a new name and makeover. It also introduces new packaging for its dessert products.


• Danone merges with Follow Your Heart to produce a new plant and vegan-based frozen food products. 

Report overview

The frozen foods industry is facing a strong CAGR of more than 5% until at least 2026. The main factors spurring demand are increasingly busy lifestyles. These people want food that is nutritious yet quick and easy to cook/reheat. Frozen foods also have a lower price point. Frozen food manufacturers are responding by investing in new technologies and innovations that will allow them to make frozen foods more nutritious and last longer without the need for preservatives. These manufacturers are also entering into new markets through mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and new product launches.

Report Scope:

Report Attribute/Metric	Details
Market Size	USD 253,674.8 Million (2026)
CAGR	5.68% (2018-2026)
Base Year	2019
Forecast Period	2027
Historical Data	2018
Forecast Units	Value (USD Million)
Report Coverage	Revenue Forecast, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, and Trends
Segments Covered	Type, Frozen Processed, Distribution Channel
Geographies Covered	North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World (RoW)
Key Vendors	General Mills (USA), Tyson Foods Inc (USA), Grupo Bimbo (Mexico), Conagra Brands Inc (USA), Associated British Foods Plc (UK), Nestle S.A. (Switzerland), Unilever Plc. (UK), Ajinomoto Company (Japan), Kraft Heinz Company (USA), McCain Foods Limited (Canada)
Key Market Opportunities	Growing Middle Classes in Developing Nations Increasingly Crave Organic Frozen Foods.
Key Market Drivers	The fact that more people around the world prefer and are willing to pay for food that is nutritious yet easy

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) :

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