Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
and 3.9 % respectively, over the same period. It reached respective values of $22,798
million from $11,282 million in 2012. Market volumes increased with a CAGR of
2 % between 2008 and 2012, to reach a total of 7,984.1 million kg in 2012. The
market's volume is expected to rise to 8,697 million kg by the end of 2017, repre-
senting a CAGR of 1.7 % for the 2012-2017 periods (Datamonitor
2013
).
6.2.2
Consumer Acceptability of Ready Meals
Convenience foods are receiving popularity and these are developed by fully or
partially prepared foods, which need less preparation time, no culinary skills or
energy requirement. Convenience is also important as taste and nutrients as well as
price. However, convenience foods are commonly associated with less healthy, and
these may cause, obesity and chronic diseases, such as cardiac, diabetes and cancer
(Jabs and Devine
2006
; Celnik et al.
2012
).
Behavioral and psychosocial models are required, together with physical and
biological measures, to explore why consumers consider 'convenience' so high
(Mahon et al.
2006
). People recognize convenience in acquiring, storage and prepa-
ration of foods and they believe that these products could save time for them (Costa
et al.
2007
). The perceived benefi ts include: reduction of stress for meal preparation
(i.e. relaxed lifestyle), and easy of hosting social events. The perceived time-scarcity
(i.e. convenience) may trade-offs against healthy and taste meals. Lack of skills or
dislike of cooking, cost of preparing time and varied family eating times encourage
for ready-meals. The notion of marketing ready-meals may actually promote the
concept of time-scarcity resonates with the concept of a food-related lifestyle
(Celnik et al.
2012
). A global survey by Nielsen (
2006
) over 22,000 internet users
around the world (41 countries) has confi rmed that the 'convenience' is the main
reason for selecting ready-to-eat meals. With less time on their hands to prepare
meals from scratch, 83 % of the world's consumers are in agreement that ready-to-
eat (RTE) meals come in handy when there is no time to prepare a meal from
scratch (Fig.
6.3
).
Ready meals are facing competitions in the market. Across the globe, 65 % of the
world's Internet users purchase RTE meals either frequently (20 %) or occasionally
(45 %) (Fig.
6.3
). Across Asia, it is a common practice for people to purchase a pre-
prepared meal, in full or part, on their way home from work. This is then reheated
at home and consumed. The trends of the range and availability of RTE will con-
tinue to grow. The RTE sector is the fastest growing categories. In Hong Kong, for
example, in the year 2005 the sales volume of frozen ready meals and frozen dim
sum grew 17 % as compared to the previous year. Similarly in Japan, sales volume
of microwave instant foods grew 7 % in the year 2005 as compared to the previous
year. Figure
6.4
shows the global statistics on the frequency of the purchase of RTE
meals by consumers (Nielsen
2006
).
Few studies have reported on the acceptability of ready meals. Muktawat et al.
(
2013
) reported that the majority of single male and female used different types of
