The ready to eat meals market - Italy (2025)

1.2 A growing global market

In ****, the global ready-to-eat meals market reached a value of $*** billion. Between **** and ****, a compound annual growth rate (***) of * percent is expected, thanks to which the market could touch a total value of nearly $*** billion.

Global ready-to-eat meals market estimate World, ****-****, in billions of euros Source: Grand view research The North American market is less developed than the European market, with the total value standing at $**.** billion in ****. However, between **** and ****, the compound annual growth rate (***) projected is higher than that of Europe, *.** percent. By ****, it is thus projected that the North American ready-to-eat meals market could reach a value of $**.* billion. Ready-to-eat meals market North America, ****-****, in billions of dollars Mordorintelligence

1.3 The European market

The European market represents one of the world's most important segments of the ready-to-eat meals market. In ****, the market value on this continent reached $**.** billion and is expected to reach $***.* billion by **** thanks to a compound annual growth rate (***) of *.**%.

Ready-to-eat meals market Europe, ****-****, in billions of dollars Mordorintelligence

1.4 The Italian Market

The ready-to-eat meals market in Italy has experienced steady growth in recent years, driven by changes in consumption patterns and the increasingly hectic lifestyles of consumers. The demand for practical, quick and quality food solutions has fostered the expansion of the sector, with a wide range of products from meat and fish dishes to vegetarian and vegan ones. The spread of the large-scale retail trade (***) and the increased supply of innovative and healthy products have further contributed to the development of the market. The second graph was prepared using Prodcom data for the following codes, which together make up the total for each year as of ****: [***] Meals prepared with meat, offal or blood [***] Meals prepared from fish, crustaceans and molluscs [***] Prepared meals made from vegetables and legumes (***) [***] Other prepared meals (***)

The turnover of meal and prepared meal enterprises in Italy recorded an overall growth of **.* percent between **** and ****, from *.** billion to *.** billion euros. After a decline in **** and ****, the recovery has been steady, with a significant acceleration from **** onward.

Turnover of meal production and prepared meals enterprises Italy, ****-****, in billion euros Istat Sold production of prepared meals followed a similar trend, with an increase of **.* percent between **** and ****. After a ...

2.1 Demand in Italy

The **** figure shown in all graphs was estimated on the basis of the industrial production index. This method of estimation provides a reliable projection of industry trends, using the changes recorded in production activity as a reference. The average monthly household expenditure on ready meals increased significantly between **** and ****, from €*.* to €**.**, an increase of ****%. After years of moderate growth, **** marks a surge that continues into ****, signaling a change in consumption habits. Annual household spending on ready meals Italy, ****-****, in euros Istat

Delving into the demand for frozen ready meals, the only one for which updated data are available, the first course segment dominates Italians' spending with **.* percent of the total. This is followed by frozen main courses at **.*% and side dishes at **.*%. Finally, vegetable protein substitutes account for just *.*% of total sales.

Frozen ready meals consumption by product segment Italy, ****, % Institutosurgelati Sold production of meals made with meat, offal or blood grew by **.* percent between **** and ****, reaching ***.** million. The peak in ****, at ***.** million, is followed by a stabilization at lower but still higher levels than the pre-pandemic period. Production sold of Meals prepared with meat, offal or blood [***] Italy,****-****,Million Prepared meals based on fish, shellfish, and molluscs show ...

2.2 Profile of Italian Consumers

the consumption of ready-made meals in Europe is widespread, with **% of the population consuming them occasionally and **% frequently, while only **% say they avoid them completely. The main motivation behind this choice is lack of time (***). Most Europeans consume ready-to-eat meals Europe,****,Percentage roamler The consumption of ready-to-eat meals in Europe is primarily driven by lack of time (***). Reasons such as not knowing how to cook or dietary needs, on the other hand, are marginal. Top motivations for consuming ready-to-eat meals Italy,****,percent roamler Among the most popular cuisines in ready meals, Italian cuisine dominates with ** percent, followed by Asian (***), while the other types garner lower percentages. The most popular types of cuisine among ready-to-eat meals consumers Europe,****,Percentage roamler

in Italy, the consumption of frozen foods is mainly motivated by their convenience (***).

We consume frozen foods because. Italy,****,Percentage iias

In Italy, seafood (***), confirming that frozen food consumption is driven mainly by basic ingredients rather than completely ready-made solutions. Which frozen foods do we consume most often? Italy,****,Percentage iias the main time of consumption is lunch or dinner with the family (***). The key element, therefore, remains convenience, both in preparation and storage, prompting consumers to choose quick solutions without sacrificing ...

2.3 Geographic distribution of average household expenditure

The average household expenditure on ready-to-eat and other convenience foods in Italy in **** shows a clear geographical difference. The Northeast (***), showing a lower use of convenience foods than the rest of the country.

2.4 Online interest in "Meals Ready"

online interest in "ready meals" in Italy between **** and **** shows a cyclical pattern, with recurring peaks in the early months of the year and noticeable declines in the summer months. The highest value is recorded in February **** with an index of **, while other significant peaks are observed in April **** (***). In the middle months of the year, interest tends to decline, suggesting a seasonality in the search for these products, probably related to factors such as the return from vacation or the increased use of quick solutions during the busiest periods.

Online interest in "Ready meals" Italy,****-****,Google trend index Google Trends

Online interest in "ready meals" in Italy in ****-**** shows a marked regional difference. Veneto records the highest value (***) record the lowest values, as do other southern regions not shown in the table.

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3.1 Market structure

To analyze the structure of the Italian market for ready meals, companies under Ateco Code **.** "Production of meals and prepared dishes" are considered. In particular, the number of enterprises active in the sector, the number of employees and the legal form of enterprises will be highlighted. In addition, a brief analysis on the characteristics of the production of prepared meals will be provided.

The number of enterprises active in the production of meals and ready meals in Italy increased by **.* percent between **** and ****, from **** to ****. After a slight decline in ****, the sector experienced strong growth in ****, followed by a stabilization phase between **** and ****, with a positive trend again in the forecast for ****.

Enterprises active in the production of meals and prepared meals sector Italy, ****-****, in number Istat

At the same time, the number of employees also grew by **.* percent over the same period, from **** to *****. After a contraction in ****, the sector began to expand again, with a steady increase from **** onward. The increase in employment confirms the robustness of the industry, in line with the growth in the number of enterprises.

Employment of enterprises producing meals and prepared meals Italy, ****-****, in numbers Istat

Regarding the legal form of enterprises, ...

3.2 Value chain

An overview of the convenience food value chain is summarized below.

galileo Center

3.3 The main manufacturers

Some of the leading meal and ready meal producers in Italy are listed below:

Italpizza s.p.a: founded in ****, has established itself as a leading co-producer for major international retailers, positioning itself as a benchmark in the premium frozen pizza segment. With more than *,*** employees, Italpizza has an impressive production capacity of *** million pizzas per year and exports about ** percent of its products to ** countries, recording a continuous increase in revenues. A distinctive aspect of the company is the quality of its pizzas, guaranteed by an artisanal process that includes leavening the dough for more than ** hours, manually extending and filling the product, and baking in a wood-fired oven. This approach guarantees a product that truly reflects the authentic Italian pizza experience.

Piatti Freschi Italia s.p.a: was founded in **** by two successful family businesses, the French Fleury Michon and the Italian excellence Fratelli Beretta. In **** Piatti Freschi Italia acquired SGI- Sapori e Gusto Italiani srl, a producer of high quality gastronomic specialties in the ranges: seafood, vegetables, reconstituted olives, and plain and filled Fresca pasta. today it is the leading company in Italy in the production of fresh ready meals and snacks; it offers a wide range of ...

3.4 The distribution

The following is a list of the main players active in the large-scale retail sector:

Conad: founded in **** as a consortium of consumer cooperatives, with the aim of offering its members high quality products at competitive prices. Over the years, Conad has continued to expand, opening new stores throughout Italy and collaborating with other food and non-food companies to offer its customers a wide range of products and services.

Coop:founded in Milan in ****, is a system of Italian cooperatives that operates a network of supermarkets, superstores and hypermarkets. In ****, the branded product revolution is unveiled, five thousand new products on the shelves in five years, an experiment never tried in the entire European retail sector.

Carrefour: present in Italy since ****, the company is a franchise leader in the large-scale retail sector, driven by a full customer focus and a constant propensity for innovation. It operates in the large-scale retail sector in Italy with a multi-format network of about *,*** stores in ** regions, of which more than *,*** are franchised, as well as with online shopping services and an omnichannel approach in continuous development.

Lidl: present in Italy since ****, the company is now one of the leaders in the large-scale retail sector. In ...

4.1 Structure of the offer

Ready meals are pre-cooked or pre-cooked food preparations that require little or no additional culinary intervention before consumption. They provide a quick and practical solution for those who do not have the time or ability to prepare meals from scratch. Prepared meals can be categorized by method of preservation, by type of cooking, and by type of consumer's diet.

Preservation: Fresh: Fresh ready meals are refrigerated and tend to have a shorter shelf life than other options. They are often perceived as fresher and of better quality than frozen or room temperature ready meals. Frozen: frozen ready meals are stored in the freezer and tend to have a longer shelf life. This storage method offers the possibility and convenience of storing food for longer periods of time than fresh products. Ambient: room-temperature ready meals are stored in airtight packages that allow a long shelf life without refrigeration. Examples may include canned soups, canned meals, or dehydrated ready meals. Type of cuisine: Ethnic: Ethnic ready meals offer a variety of culinary options from different cultures and regions of the world. Examples include Asian foods such as sushi, Mediterranean foods such as hummus, or Mexican foods such as tacos and guacamole. Traditional: Traditional ...

4.2 The prices

The following is a list of some dishes and ready meals available in the Italian market:

4.3 The price trend

monthly trends in the consumer price index for ready meals in **** show fluctuations with a peak in August (***), suggesting seasonality in cost changes.

Consumer price index for the whole community - monthly data from Ready Dishes Italia,****-****,(***) Istat

On an annual level, between **** and ****, the price index increased by ** percent, from ***.* to ***.*. After years of stability, growth became more pronounced from ****, with a surge to ***.* in **** and slight further growth in ****. Consumer price index for the whole community - annual averages for Ready meals Italia,****-****,(***) Istat

5.1 The legislation

he market for ready meals, as with many other food products, is regulated by various laws and regulations at both the national and European levels. These laws are concerned with ensuring the quality, food safety and origin of the product. Some of the main laws and regulations for the ready meals market in Italy are

- Regulation ***/**** EC: enshrines the principles and requirements of food law and traceability. - Regulation ***/**** EC: establishes the rules for food hygiene. - Regulation ***/**** EC: sancises the specific hygiene rules for products of animal origin. - Regulation ****/**** EC: establishes microbiological criteria for food products.

These rules express the general characters that the operator must meet in order not to incur penalties, both administrative and criminal.

Legislation regarding the chemical aspect of products includes:

Regulation ****/**** EC: this is related to the **-year authorization of the additive "Monteban" in animal feed, belonging to the group of coccidiostats and other medicinal substances Regulation ****/**** EC: sets maximum levels of certain contaminants in foodstuffs Regulation ***/**** EC: establishes maximum levels of pesticide residues in or on food and feed of plant and animal origin Legislative Decree ***/****: establishes a ban on the use of certain substances having a hormonal or thyrostatic action and ...

5.2 Conclusion

The global market for ready-to-eat meals is booming, with projected growth of * percent annually between **** and ****, driven by demand for quick and convenient food solutions. Europe represents a key market, with a value of $**.** billion in ****, set to exceed $*** billion in ****.

Italy, while experiencing an increase in demand, shows a contradiction: while sales in the large-scale retail trade (***), a sign of growing competition with multinationals such as Knorr, Frosta and Bonduelle. The consumption of ready-to-eat meals in Italy is driven by lack of time and the search for healthy products, with significant growth for organic, low-fat and palm oil-free options.

Average household spending on these products increased ****% from **** to ****, with a clear preference for frozen entrees (***).

However, the presence of a few large players such as Italpizza, Orogel and Dimmidisì suggests a gradual process of consolidation. Prices increased by ** percent between **** and ****, affected by inflation and raw material costs, with seasonal spikes in the summer months.

European regulations impose stringent standards on hygiene, traceability and additives, affecting production and labeling strategies. Against this backdrop, Italian companies must compete with international giants by focusing on innovation, quality and distribution to maintain market share and cope with increasing competitive pressure.

The Analyst's ...

6.1 Segmentation

Manufacturers

Distributors

• Italpizza
• Dimmidisi (La Linea Verde Società Agricola s.p.a)
• Società Italiana Alimenti s.p.a
• Paren s.r.l
• Conad
• Carrefour Italia
• Lidl