The future of convenience: ready meals in the fast lane

What is convenience?

There is no single, standard definition of the term ‘convenience’. So-called chilled food, ready-made products and ready meals all fall under the ‘convenience’ category. These may be dishes – such as tinned ravioli or stews – that simply need to be reheated. Frozen or chilled goods that are subsequently refined also fall into this category. Whilst ‘chilled food’ refers to chilled, pre-processed foodstuffs for end consumers, we use the term ‘convenience food’ exclusively for foodstuffs that are refined and sold by the catering industry.

‘Convenience’ therefore refers to ‘convenient food’, as it no longer requires a great deal of effort to prepare.

What are some examples of convenience products?

Convenience food is divided into a total of five categories: unprocessed foods, which are not themselves considered convenience foods; ready-to-cook, ready-to-cook-and-serve, ready-to-mix or ready-to-prepare, and ready-to-eat foods.

These include:

• Animal halves

• Raw vegetables & ready-made salads

• Pre-cut meat (chicken breast only)

• Peeled vegetables

• Frozen fish fillets

• Potatoes in a jar

• Scrambled eggs from a Tetra Pak

• Fresh fish and meat fillets

• Rice & Pasta

• Frozen meals and microwave meals

• Ready-to-bake rolls

• Mashed potato powder

• Pouch soups & instant noodle meals

• Cold sauces

• Yoghurt

How are convenience foods produced?

The production of convenience food begins as soon as the ingredients arrive at the production facility. Everything is thoroughly put through its paces: What is the temperature? What is the colour of the product? What is the size of the goods, and how much pressure is there to deliver them? Foodstuffs must pass these and many other rigorous TestsEN in order to become convenience products.

Once the inspection is complete, all goods are labelled with an internal ticket, which enables every subsequent stage of production to be tracked. This ensures the highest possible level of transparency and impeccable hygiene.

The product then moves on to a repackaging station, where the transport packaging is removed. It is particularly important at this stage, but also at all other production stations, that the highest hygiene standards are observed and ensured.

The produce is stored in our own crates, which are lined with cling film. Speaking of ‘crates’: did you know that the red meat crate, which is also used in many other food-processing businesses and is highly valued everywhere, celebrated its 30th anniversary committed?

The food is then further processed or finished in the kitchen. This allows the chefs to concentrate fully on adding their own personal touch to the dish. Unpacking, finishing – et voilà! In the convenience sector, ‘mise en place’ – that is, preparing the workspace – is largely unnecessary. In a kitchen, this involves laying out additional ingredients and spices, as well as kitchen utensils, in a layout that is optimal for the chef.

What other advantages and disadvantages are there in favour of or against convenience?

The benefits of convenience

• A high level of freshness and variety

• Maximising the retention of vitamins and nutrients

• Space- and cost-saving compared to a fully fitted kitchen on site

• Saves time and reduces energy costs

• Very good flavour

• Attractive appearance

• Easy preparation/finishing

• Consistency and reliability in cost estimation thanks to new technological possibilities

• Less work and preparation time

• Less food waste caused by throwing food away unnecessarily

• Simpler stock management

• Consistent flavour of the dishes

The downsides of convenience

• Usually only small quantities can be produced, as no additives or preservatives are added

• Usually more expensive than home-cooked meals

• Meat dishes usually take longer to prepare than other ready meals

You may well have been taken aback by the point about saving space and cutting costs compared to a fully equipped kitchen. After all, how does that add up – high-quality ready meals that haven’t been prepared in a professional kitchen? The answer is simple: ghost kitchens or cloud kitchens.

But what exactly are ghost kitchens?

The term ‘ghost kitchens’ or ‘cloud kitchens’ refers to cooking facilities in restaurants or takeaways that do not have a separate dining area. In these ‘ghost kitchens’, food is prepared and delivered directly for consumption or final preparation at home. This concept proved particularly successful during the period when restaurants were not allowed to welcome guests due to the coronavirus lockdown. However, just as with the production of high-quality convenience foods, ghost kitchens must also maintain high standards of hygiene. Chef Oliver Scheiblauer, who founded the meat producer Aumaerk in 2014 together with Alexander Eichinger and Harald Neumaerker, says: “It all starts with hygiene, and it all ends with hygiene.”

This must not only apply to the foodstuffs to be processed, but must apply to the same extent, at the very least, to the production and processing facilities.

How are convenience foods preserved?

Before convenience products reach catering establishments – as well as hospitals, clinics and care homes – for final preparation or finishing, they usually have to travel a long way from the production line to the consumer’s plate. They must therefore be preserved. This is achieved using various methods. For example, many healthcare facilities use the so-called ‘cook-and-chill’ system: ready meals are frozen immediately to preserve them.

Otherwise, producing tasty ready meals requires a gentle processing method that does not destroy vitamins, trace elements and the like. If ready meals or semi-ready meals are frozen, they must reach a temperature of at least -18 °C. This is particularly important for products in the fish and seafood sector – so maintaining the cold chain is crucial.

What can the catering industry learn from convenience food companies?

Restaurants, takeaways, tapas bars and all-you-can-eat buffets: they all had to shut their doors during the coronavirus lockdown. Ghost kitchens and companies in the convenience food sector have cleverly found a way out of the crisis caused by the coronavirus worldwide. Even if (top) restaurateurs and (Michelin-starred) chefs often don’t want to admit it, convenience food is the solution here.

A major advantage: when cleverly designed and produced, convenience food still allows the chef to add the finishing touches to a dish with a personal touch. “There is no ‘i’ in ‘team’ – particularly in these times, the catering industry and convenience food companies must work with each other, not against each other. Not in isolation, but together. Only then will they achieve their long-term goal: satisfied consumers and rising turnover. When it comes to the production of convenience foods, restaurateurs can still give free rein to their creativity.

What do these production conditions mean for the future of the culinary profession?

In the long term, it will be inevitable that, as technology advances, more fully automated processes will find their way into businesses. And yet there is always a hint of ‘romanticism of convenience’ in the air. In other words: even outside the kitchens of Michelin-starred restaurants, a flesh-and-blood chef will not be replaced by machines and can still enhance broccoli with a few almonds and a little butter.

Conclusion: Convenience food is better than its reputation – when everyone works together

From hospitals to supermarkets, schools, petrol stations and railway stations, right through to top-class restaurants: every sector can benefit from convenience. To achieve this, however, people and machines must work together – in equal measure. Ultimately, people are needed to operate machines or carry out the finer details of product preparation. On the other hand, it is frying lines, meat dicers and many other machines that drive the production of ‘convenience food’. They produce quantities that would be unthinkable if left to human hands alone.

Convenience food companies will position themselves and their product ranges much more precisely. It follows, therefore, that the more specific the convenience food offering is, the more likely it is that production will be carried out using fully automated processes.

And just how sustainable is convenience? Ultimately, that depends on the Packaging . Many products are now sold in reusable jars, bowls and moulds. Reusable packaging is the method of choice here, and by 2023 at the latest, when the new Reusable Packaging Act Once it comes into force, convenience foods and ready meals will be able to shake off the bad reputation that has clung to them once and for all.

Do you have any questions, suggestions, comments or requests? We’re always happy to help – whether via social media and YouTube, the traditional way via our newsletter, or in person over the phone or by email. The experienced team at Ehlert GmbH und Co. KG is on hand to offer you advice, practical support and in-depth expertise. Stay up to date with the latest developments in the food industry! We look forward to hearing from you.