The ready meal market - Portugal

1.1 Definition and scope of study

Ready-made meals are dishes that require a very short preparation or even the simple use of the microwave before consumption. They are available in different formats: canned, vacuum-packed or frozen. These ready-to-eat products are distributed in food stores or small local shops and allow you to eat very quickly, avoiding the worries associated with homemade food.

Today we are witnessing quantitative and qualitative diversification of revenues - and the ingredients used - in order to satisfy new market segments focused on quality requirements. The production chain also tends to be more complex, with distributors starting to manufacture their own products and with the emergence of start-ups who produce ready meals and try to shake up the market.

In Portugal, the market experienced 21% growth over the last two years and, in 2019, the Portuguese spent over 196 million euros in ready-made meals in super and hypermarkets . A clear driving force behind this growth is the search for rapid consumption, which stimulates also online application and home delivery which already represents 26% of sales . However, despite the growth of this sector, there is still a great deal of mistrust regarding the quality of these products and their nutritional values. It should be essential to overcome these consumer uncertainties in order to gain market share. [ Dinheiro Vivo ]