May/June 2021 - 6

TRENDS
FROZEN PRODUCE
Frozen
category sees
huge growth
EXPERT SAYS AT LEAST PORTION OF
PANDEMIC-FUELED GAINS LIKELY PERMANENT
By Melanie Epp
Contributing Writer
SINCE COVID-19 FIRST reared its
ugly head, it has shaken up all food
categories, including the frozen
category, which has seen tremendous
growth.
While many shoppers have and will
continue to return to their traditional
buying habits as life returns to normal,
experts believe some of that growth
is permanent. Adrienne Seiling,
Senior Vice President of Strategic
Communications at the American
Frozen Food Institute (AFFI) shared
the results of their research in a
recent interview.
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted
the essential role frozen foods play
in the supply chain. Sales increased
6 MAY/JUNE 2 0 21
by double-digits last year, up 21% in
dollars and 13.3% in units, said Seiling.
AFFI estimates nearly 90% of meals
were being prepared at home at the
height of the pandemic.
" The entire food supply chain rose to
the challenge to feed Americans while
protecting its essential workforce, "
said Seiling.
Compared to pre-pandemic levels
in 2019, frozen food retail sales still
remain highly elevated at plus-21.1%.
Looking specifically at frozen fruits
and vegetables, dollar sales are up 26%
compared to 2019 pre-pandemic levels.
Unit sales are up 18.5% and volume
sales are up 20%.
There are several factors driving
growth. According to AFFI's Power of
Frozen Research, the greater number
of at-home dinners is driving 82% of
consumers to purchase more frozen
food items. Some 55% of sales are for
lunch items, 43% for snacks and 42%
for breakfast.
Seven in 10 shoppers are interested
in meal entrees with more fruits and
vegetables. Fifty-eight percent are
interested in vegetable-based carb/
starch alternatives, and blended meat/
vegetable items (52%) have higher and
greater cross-population interest than
plant-based meat alternatives (43%),
said Seiling.
There's more good news for the
frozen category, as much of this growth
is expected to remain. According
to AFFI's April 2020 report, while
some shoppers returned to normal
shopping patterns, 57% still purchase
more frozen foods, and 58% purchase
different kinds of frozen foods than

May/June 2021

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