- Introduction to the Prefabricated Food Industry
Japan, with a mature market consuming millions of tonnes annually and a per capita consumption of 23.2 kg in 2022, contrasts with China (9.1 kg), the U.S. (16.1 kg), and the UK (16.8 kg), where growth is accelerating. China’s market, regulated by a March 22, 2024, notice from six ministries, is highly competitive due to low entry barriers, though high raw material costs pose challenges.
Market Size and Growth Forecast
The global prefabricated food market is projected to reach USD 550 billion to USD 600 billion by 2025, with an estimated CAGR of 6% to 8% through 2030, reflecting robust demand across business and consumer segments.Regional Analysis
Asia Pacific expects a growth rate of 7% to 9%, with China and Japan leading. China’s rapid development attracts diverse players, while Japan’s mature market focuses on quality and innovation.North America anticipates a growth rate of 5% to 7%, with the U.S. driven by convenience and busy lifestyles, emphasizing ready-to-eat products.
- Europe projects a growth rate of 5% to 6.5%, with the UK and Germany favoring ready-to-heat options in urban areas.
Middle East and Africa anticipate a growth rate of 4% to 5.5%, with growth in consumer convenience in cities like the UAE.
Application Analysis
- Business: Projected at 6.5% to 8.5%, serves restaurants and catering, with central kitchens driving scale.
- Consumer: Expected at 5.5% to 7.5%, meets household needs, with trends toward convenience and variety.
Type Analysis
- Ready to Cook: Projected at 7% to 9%, requires preparation, popular in Asia for fresh meals.
- Ready to Heat: Expected at 6% to 8%, offers quick solutions, growing in Europe and North America.
- Ready to Eat: Anticipated at 5.5% to 7.5%, dominates convenience, with strong U.S. demand.
- Ready to Use: Projected at 5% to 7%, includes ingredients, expanding in B2B.
Key Market Players
- Sysco: A U.S. giant, Sysco supplies prefabricated food to foodservice.
- Nestle: A Swiss multinational, Nestle offers consumer-ready products.
- Conagra Brands: A U.S. firm, Conagra focuses on frozen and ready meals.
- Nichirei Foods: A Japanese company, Nichirei excels in frozen prefabricated food.
- Kobebussan: A Japanese player, Kobebussan serves restaurant chains.
- Ajinomoto: A Japanese firm, Ajinomoto targets consumer convenience.
- Nissui: A Japanese company, Nissui focuses on seafood-based products.
- Maruha Nichiro: A Japanese player, Maruha Nichiro offers diverse options.
- TableMark: A Japanese firm, TableMark serves both B2B and B2C.
- Plenus: A Japanese company, Plenus supports restaurant prefabrication.
- Fujian Sunner Development: A Chinese firm, Sunner focuses on poultry products.
- Zhanjiang Guolian: A Chinese player, Guolian targets seafood prefabrication.
- Suzhou Weizhixiang: A Chinese company, Weizhixiang serves regional markets.
- Fujian Anjoy Foods: A Chinese firm, Anjoy offers frozen convenience foods.
- Synear Food: A Chinese player, Synear specializes in dumplings.
- Zhengzhou Sanquan: A Chinese company, Sanquan focuses on frozen meals.
- Zhengzhou Qianweiyangchu: A Chinese firm, Qianweiyangchu serves catering.
- Haidilao: A Chinese player, Haidilao integrates prefabricated food in dining.
- Guangzhou Restaurant Group: A Chinese company, it supports restaurant chains.
- Hema Xiansheng: A Chinese retailer, Hema offers fresh prefabricated options.
- SRAS: A Chinese firm, SRAS targets e-commerce channels.
- Meicai: A Chinese player, Meicai supplies B2B foodservice.
- Joyvio: A Chinese company, Joyvio focuses on premium prefabricated food.
- Panda Selected: A Chinese firm, Panda offers curated consumer products.
- Dingdong Maicai: A Chinese player, Dingdong emphasizes fresh delivery.
Porter’s Five Forces Analysis
- Threat of New Entrants: High. Low barriers attract numerous players, especially in China.
- Threat of Substitutes: Moderate. Fresh meals compete, but convenience sustains demand.
- Bargaining Power of Buyers: High. Consumers and businesses have many options.
- Bargaining Power of Suppliers: Moderate to High. High raw material costs give suppliers leverage.
- Competitive Rivalry: High. Fragmented market drives intense competition.
Market Opportunities and Challenges
Opportunities
- Urban Lifestyle Shift: Rising urbanization and fast-paced lives, especially in Asia Pacific, fuel demand for convenient, ready-to-eat and ready-to-heat options.
- Cold Chain Growth: Expanding logistics, particularly in China and North America, supports ready-to-cook and ready-to-use segments, enhancing market reach.
- Restaurant Chain Expansion: Central kitchen adoption by brands like Haidilao boosts B2B volumes, streamlining supply chains and improving consistency.
- E-commerce Boom: Platforms like Dingdong Maicai and Hema Xiansheng leverage online sales, tapping into tech-savvy consumers and broadening distribution.
- Health Trends: Innovations in low-calorie, high-nutrient prefabricated foods cater to health-conscious consumers, especially in Europe and the U.S.
- Globalization: Export potential from mature markets like Japan to emerging ones like Latin America offers cross-border growth opportunities.
- Regulatory Support: China’s 2024 safety notice promotes industry standards, fostering consumer trust and market stability.
Challenges
- Raw Material Costs: High dependency on volatile food prices squeezes margins, particularly in price-sensitive markets like MEA.
- Market Saturation: Japan’s mature market faces slowing growth, pressuring innovation and differentiation to maintain share.
- Food Safety Concerns: Regulatory scrutiny, as in China’s 2024 notice, demands costly compliance, challenging smaller players.
- Consumer Preferences: Shifts toward fresh or homemade meals in some regions threaten prefabricated food adoption, requiring robust marketing.
- Supply Chain Risks: Cold chain disruptions, especially in emerging markets, hinder product quality and availability, impacting trust.
- Intense Competition: Low entry barriers in China lead to overcrowding, diluting brand strength and profitability for many firms.
- Sustainability Pressure: Environmental concerns over packaging waste push producers toward costly eco-friendly solutions, affecting cost structures.
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Table of Contents
Chapter 1 Executive SummaryChapter 2 Abbreviation and Acronyms
Chapter 3 Preface
Chapter 4 Market Landscape
Chapter 5 Market Trend Analysis
Chapter 6 Industry Chain Analysis
Chapter 7 Latest Market Dynamics
Chapter 8 Historical and Forecast Prefabricated Food Market in North America (2020-2030)
Chapter 9 Historical and Forecast Prefabricated Food Market in South America (2020-2030)
Chapter 10 Historical and Forecast Prefabricated Food Market in Asia & Pacific (2020-2030)
Chapter 11 Historical and Forecast Prefabricated Food Market in Europe (2020-2030)
Chapter 12 Historical and Forecast Prefabricated Food Market in MEA (2020-2030)
Chapter 13 Summary For Global Prefabricated Food Market (2020-2025)
Chapter 14 Global Prefabricated Food Market Forecast (2025-2030)
Chapter 15 Analysis of Global Key Vendors
List of Tables and Figures
Companies Mentioned
- Sysco
- Nestle
- Conagra Brands
- Nichirei Foods
- Kobebussan
- Ajinomoto
- Nissu
- Maruha Nichiro
- TableMark
- Plenus
- Fujian Sunner Development
- Zhanjiang Guolian
- Suzhou Weizhixiang
- Fujian Anjoy Foods
- Synear Food
- Zhengzhou Sanquan
- Zhengzhou Qianweiyangchu
- Haidilao
- Guangzhou Restaurant Group
- Hema Xiansheng
- SRAS
- Meicai
- Joyvio
- Panda Selected
- Dingdong Maicai