Pre-packaged fresh produce

IN BRIEF How and why they are appreciated: packaging high in service content for delicatessen and fresh produce.  
Plinio Iascone

The fresh portioned, pre-weighed and priced products such as meat, cheese and cold cut meats are now commonplace for modern distribution.
In recent years we have seen new launches, designed to satisfy new consumer needs and habits. For example, all family members now eat the midday meal away from home, with the consequent increase in purchases at bars, pizzerias, fast food outlets, canteens, where prepared foods top the bill. People living singly are also on the increase the time available for the evening meal has been reduced.
The national food industry has moved to satisfy these needs by marketing products with a high service content. This has led to the progressive development of two families of ready-to-use products:
- fresh ready meals presented on the cold shelves of modern distribution. (fresh delicatessen products);
- fresh-cut convenience produce.
 
Fresh ready meals (fresh delicatessen products). Displayed on the cold shelves of distribution, these products can also be included in the category of "set weight" products and show progressive growth; it is estimated that the current growth trends lies at around 10% annually in terms of volumes. A recent evaluation of this market stated it reached about 24,000 t in 2011, accounting for 460 million euros in value.
In this field we find fresh prepared soups, meals, snacks, burgers and even meat and fish, fresh, cleaned with added flavouring ready to be cooked. But we can also include almost ready food (pizza bases, fresh sauces and cake bases).
As well as being due to their quality, their success comes from packaging with a high service content. All categories of ready meals in the chilled food area include a plastic tray or bowl and a plastic film or top as a closure.
The packaging used for the same must guarantee an adequate shelf life and a barrier to external agents.
In many cases the pack has been designed for heating/cooking in a microwave oven.

Fresh-cut convenience produce. The fresh cut and lightly processed range of convenience food were created and developed in a short time and were immediately popular with consumers.
The Italian fresh-cut produce sector involves about 500 farming businesses and about 120 production companies involved in processing and packaging.

A strength of this sector, according to ISMEA, is the strong vertical integration between the agricultural and industrial phase, which allows a fair distribution of value along the production chain with positive economic returns. Currently, the market of fresh cut and lightly processed convenience produce mainly (95%) consist of prepared vegetables, fruit making up the remaining 5%. In 2010 the Italian global market reached 800 million euros, an increase of 6% over the previous year, while, in quantitative terms, it has reached about 735,000 tons, 50% of which in northern Italy. The 2011 should have marked a further 7% increase in quantity and 10% in value. Over the past ten years purchases have increased 380%, with further growth prospects. These convenience foods are distributed primarily through retail chains, whose share is estimated at about 90%. The packaging used is bioriented PP bags, PS or PET trays. Only in 3-4% of cases is polylaminate converter packaging used, this being when shelf life requires a few days on the cold shelf. 
                                     
Plinio Iascone
Istituto Italiano Imballaggio