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Convenience meets nutrition: How frozen foods are redefining urban India’s plate
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Tuesday, 04 February, 2025, 16 : 00 PM [IST]
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Saurabh Saxena
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Frozen foods have rapidly transformed from a niche product to a mainstream choice in urban Indian households, and for good reason. With time-crunched urban consumers, there’s an increasing demand for quick, nutritious, and affordable meal solutions, and frozen foods are aptly catering to that need. Mind you, there’s variety on the platter as well.
Time-Starved Consumers are on the rise: Indian cities are bustling and Urban India is getting busier. People are working long hours, commuting times are awfully increasing, and on top of that family responsibilities are a given. Amidst this, finding the time to cook is increasingly decreasing. Frozen Food is a natural fit for this lifestyle. It can be prepared in minutes, cutting down on cooking time while offering convenience for busy professionals, students and young families.
Growing Trend of Healthier Frozen Options: With the growing focus on health and wellness, there’s a surge in demand for frozen food that’s not just convenient but also nutritious. Many frozen food brands are now offering products without preservatives or artificial additives, along with organic options.
Many brands now offer frozen foods that are:
• Free from preservatives: Using natural freezing methods to preserve taste and nutrition without artificial additives.
• Rich in nutrients: Frozen vegetables often retain more of their vitamins and minerals. This is because their fresh counterparts can lose nutrients during transportation, light exposure and prolonged storage.
• Gluten-free, organic, or vegan: Dietary preferences have also evolved. Many manufacturers are focused on different types of frozen foods that meet specific requirements, from plant -based foods to organic frozen production.
Improved Accessibility to Nutritious Ingredients: The lack of time and access to fresh ingredients is one of the main obstacles to eating healthily in urban India. Frozen Food fills this void. Many city dwellers are using frozen fruits and vegetables, since they can be kept for a long time without going bad. This eliminates the need for fresh ingredients, making it simpler to enjoy wholesome meals like smoothies, curries, and stir-fries.
Nutrient Retention and Freshness: Individual Quick Freezing (IQF) or more commonly referred to as Flash Freezing techniques guarantees that the produce is frozen at its peak ripeness, locking in both flavour and nutritional value. Therefore, frozen foods such as peas, corn, berries, etc are higher in nutrients when compared to fresh.
Affordable Nutrition: It is difficult for people to find the right balance between cost, nutrition, and convenience. It is not uncommon for frozen meals to be cheaper than fresh meals especially for certain specialty dishes or out of season vegetables. Most importantly, people and families moving away from dormitory-style living have easy access to frozen meals, snacks, and supplies which cost less than takeaway and restaurant meals.
Reducing Food Waste and Focusing on Sustainability: Reduced waste is another advantage of frozen foods that is often overlooked. Compared to fresh products, frozen goods contribute less to food spoilage because of their longer shelf life. This is of great importance in the modern urban setting where food wastage is becoming a greater challenge. People can purchase larger quantities and store them in the freezer to use progressively, therefore, reducing waste.
Impact on Local Cuisines: Frozen foods have also made it easier for people to enjoy local Indian delicacies. Dishes like frozen samosas, parathas, and even traditional sweets like gulab jamun are becoming staples in the freezer section. These frozen products also make it easier for busy urban residents to continue enjoying their regional favourites.
Evolving Retail Landscape: The growth of supermarkets, Q-commerce, and specialised retail outlets dealing in frozen foods has changed the retail landscape. Frozen food brands are on an expansion drive, while consumers have become accustomed to buying frozen food from Q-com platforms.
Culinary Innovation and Premium Products: In urban cities, there’s a growing market for premium frozen food products. Consumers are willing to spend a little more for gourmet frozen meals or high-quality ingredients, like artisanal frozen pizzas, gourmet cold cuts or organic frozen berries. This trend also includes innovative plant-based frozen foods, like meatless nuggets or vegan ice creams, allowing individuals to make better dietary choices without compromising on taste.
In short, frozen foods are no longer just a quick fix for busy nights; they’ve evolved into a full-fledged solution for people who want both nutrition and convenience without compromising on flavour. Frozen foods are expected to significantly change the way urban Indians think about eating as the category grows and diversifies, providing a convenient method to eat healthily while juggling the demands of contemporary living.
(The author is president and executive director at Sumeru)
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