A World of Good

Frozen meals span cuisine and packaging formats to deliver international tastes to busy, value-conscious Americans.

It’s not such a small world, after all. Case in point: the continued border expansion when it comes to shoppers’ taste for ethnic foods. Today’s consumers not only know how to pronounce such items as “naan,” “pad siew” and “harissa,” but are also seeking out such ingredients in a wide variety of products, including frozen meals and snacks.

Burt Flickinger, managing director of New York-based Strategic Resource Group, says that frozen ethnic meals bridge the gap between the away-from-home meals consumers crave and the affordability that they need. “Frozen foods are going through a new renaissance this decade,” he points out. “Fewer people in the 15-to-29 demographic, for example, know how to cook and have a lower level of disposable income. They’re looking for ways to save, but are still interested in trying new foods, so frozen foods is a good way to do that. We’re seeing a move away from traditional frozen entrées to popular ethnic foods that these consumers have gotten used to at places like Chipotle or P.F. Chang’s.”

Katie Strohbeck, assortment manager at KeHE Distributors, in Romeoville, Ill., agrees that the frozen meal format delivers the flavor, value and convenience that many of today’s shoppers are looking for. “Many of the newer items, like frozen pot stickers and wontons, fit well into the demand for global cuisines made easy,” she observes, citing products from brands like Annie Chun’s and Saffron Road.

Frozen food sales can experience short-term upticks, too, according to Flickinger. He cites buying trends that emerged during this year’s rough winter across much of the country. “Major winter storms affected up to 65 percent of the U.S. population,” notes Flickinger. “When it’s that kind of weather, people aren’t going to the shopping malls, so apparel sales are down, and they’re not going out to eat, so restaurant sales decline. Grocery sales, on the other hand, are up, and during these storms, people are looking more at frozen foods, including frozen ethnic foods.”

Beyond seasonal trends — including, on the opposite side of winter, when people opt for microwaveable meals during heat waves instead of turning on the oven or standing over a hot grill — the overall growing interest in different cuisines has propelled the development of a wider array of ethnic frozen meals. “You’re seeing more frozen ethnic meals from national players like ConAgra and Pinnacle Foods’ Birds Eye, as well as private label brands like those developed by Kroger and Topco, and meals from smaller companies,” Flickinger remarks.

Pizza and More

As more manufacturers offer frozen ethnic entrées, types of meals are also broadening beyond common ethnic fare like Italian and Mexican to include other cuisines from virtually all continents. Whereas pizza might have fallen under the ethnic umbrella in the era of TV dinners, a supermarket freezer today may well carry a frozen entrée with Malaysian or Vietnamese flavors. Even within pizza, toppings have gone more global, like California Pizza Kitchen’s new Greek pizza, made with ingredients such as tzatziki sauce, Kalamata olives, spinach, oregano and a blend of cheeses. As confirmation of this trend, a 2013 report on frozen meals by Chicago-based research firm Mintel found that four in 10 respondents agreed that there should be a wider selection of frozen ethnic meals, including Korean or Greek offerings.

Many frozen food companies have been working to deliver on such interest in a wider selection of frozen ethnic foods. Amy’s Kitchen, Inc., based in Petaluma, Calif., is one example. In addition to its more conventional ethnic frozen products like bean-and-cheese burritos and macaroni and cheese, Amy’s recently introduced items that reflect the move toward regional and authentic ethnic flavors, including Asian-inspired dishes like Thai Red Curry, Pad Thai, and Light & Lean Mattar Paneer, the last made with an “authentically spiced sauce” and basmati rice, lentils and beans.

Saffron Road Foods is another example. Part of American Halal Co., the Stamford, Conn.-based brand spans more than a dozen World Cuisine entrées, including newer items like an Indian-inspired Chana Saag with Cumin Rice, the first Non-GMO Verified frozen entrée, and other unique selections such as Lamb Vindaloo, Thai Basil Chili Tofu and Chicken Biryani.

True to its name the Ethnic Gourmet line from The Hain Celestial Group in Lake Success N.Y., has also broadened its horizons when it comes to worldly fare, now offering frozen specialty dishes from Korea, Cuba and Vietnam. The Ethnic Gourmet portfolio already includes foods from Malaysia, India and Thailand.

Meanwhile, frozen food industry stalwarts that built their business on staples like mac and cheese, spaghetti, and Salisbury steak are going more global. Battle Creek, Mich.-based Kellogg Co., for example, last year added frozen Kashi Moroccan Minestrone Soup and Kashi 7 Whole Grain Orzo Pasta, while the Stouffers line, from Solon, Ohio-based Nestlé Prepared Foods, now includes, alongside perennial favorites like creamy chipped beef and chicken pot pie, more exotic fare such as Sautés for Two Ginger Soy Shrimp.

Packs and Snacks

The advent of different packaging formats has also lent itself to the development of new ethnic frozen foods. P.F. Chang’s, for instance, sells its restaurant-style meal line, from Omaha, Neb.-based ConAgra Foods, in microwaveable standup pouches, while Hain Celestial’s Rosetto line of pasta now includes a “Steam ‘n Eat” bag. Bowls are another packaging format that can work in the frozen sector, and as Baby Boomers continue to age, single-serve packaging, like single-serve frozen pasta dishes from Bertolli, will continue to emerge. “Packaging changes have revolutionized frozen food at retail, including both regular and ethnic meals,” observes Flickinger.

Another consumer behavior to watch in the frozen ethnic meal segment is flourishing interest in frozen snacks. Dennis Tischler, owner of Tischler Finer Foods, a single-store operator in Brookfield, Ill., says that busy family lifestyles have propelled greater interest in, and sales of, frozen snacks, including ethnic-inspired snacks like pizza bites and taquitos. “It’s going more to snack meals, getting away from the preparing of whole meals all of the time,” he notes.

Mintel’s research bears that out. In its 2013 survey on frozen snacks, the market research firm found that frozen snacks are purchased by 82 percent of households, with potential for further growth in products like “ethnic-inspired” items.

“We’re seeing a move away from traditional frozen entrées to popular ethnic foods that consumers have gotten used to at places like Chipotle or P.F. Chang’s.”
—Burt Flickinger, Strategic Resource Group

“Many of the newer items, like frozen pot stickers and wontons, fit well into the demand for global cuisines made easy.”
—Katie Strohbeck, KeHE Distributors