Bord Bia, the Irish Food Board recently conducted research into consumer conceptions of frozen foods.

This Bord Bia presentation highlights the challenges faced by frozen food manufacturers to break down preconceptions about frozen foods. People’s diets are changing and people are buying according to what they perceive to be healthier choices.

Notably the Bord Bia research suggests that for younger people, the frozen aisle is overlooked and is not associated with the healthier choices, despite the bulk of frozen food consumed, a massive 53%, being vegetables. A huge challenge for manufacturers is to help consumers associate the frozen aisle with health. Many frozen foods contain more vitamins than fresh alternatives.

Consumers are also increasingly looking for environmentally friendly options, which frozen food can provide. For many of the younger consumers their diet is associated with lifestyle and environmental concerns are important to them. Notably in this context, emphasising reduced food waste as a core benefit of frozen foods and through the avoidance of single use plastics through packaging choices, food manufacturers could transform the frozen aisle.

See the full presentation here https://www.bordbia.ie/industry/manufacturers/insight/publications/bbreports/RecentMarketingReports/Frozen%20Shopper%20Insight%20Report.pdf