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America’s interest in eating well — both nutritionally and gastronomically — has never been higher. In other words, if the world is neatly divided between those who eat to live and those who live to eat, the latter is steadily outdistancing the former. In fact, according to The U.S. Market for Gourmet Foods and Beverages*, a new published report from market research publisher Packaged Facts, nearly one-fifth of American adults consider themselves "gourmet consumers," and they are fueling a $41.2-billion industry. Packaged Facts projects that the market for gourmet foods will top $62 billion by 2009. Therefore, it is paradoxical that everyone seems to have less and less time or inclination to cook, or at least cook from scratch. Naturally, this means that more and more people are turning to prepared foods at their favorite store or deli to put meals on the table, either fully prepared dishes or prepared ingredients they can use to quickly put a meal together at home. It seems that in prepared foods sections, the choices have gotten better, the cuisine is more sophisticated, and the profits have never been higher.

Ala Carte and To Go
Today, more parameters must be considered when a prepared foods menu is being planned than ever before. Dietary concerns prevail as much as gourmet concerns in the 21st-century deli. Food allergies, vegetarianism, and countless studies that show one food to be more important than another in the prevention of diseases have deli managers acting like dieticians as consumers seek out super foods they want in their diets. Old concerns about fat, sugar, and cholesterol still plague the modern shopper as well and the smart prepared foods counter has something for them, too. Besides health issues, American consumers possess an ever-expanding knowledge of ethnic foods and flavors and expect to see them in their favorite prepared foods cases. While there have been some ghastly results from the fusing of cultural flavor profiles, some inspired new dishes continue to evolve out of the multi-culti exchange. In that sense, there are no rules, or rather, the rules are being rewritten all the time with varied results. In other words, consumers are seeking flavorful, healthful, at times exotic foods — and they want them to go.

In another published report from Packaged Facts, On-the-Go Eating: Consumer Mindsets, Menu Trends, and Product/Packaging Innovations*, it seems that U.S. consumers are clamoring for foods, especially healthier ones that require little or no preparation, and that they can take with them to fit their busy lifestyles. The report also points out the increasingly blurred line between snacks and meals, with many people opting to eat smaller portions throughout the day rather than sitting down to full meals.

"Americans now spend more than 100 hours a year commuting to work, and these statistics represent growth potential for convenient food products tailored for eating on the go," said Don Montuori, acquisitions editor at Packaged Facts. "In particular, car-friendly food packaging designed to be hand held, spill free, and cup-holder compatible is in heavy demand."

Although we don’t necessarily condone using the automobile — especially while driving one — as a replacement for the dining room, modern life is such that many people do want portability in their food, particularly at lunchtime. In that regard, wraps of all types and other eat-with-one-hand kind of foods are very popular. Both soups and salads remain heavy contenders in prepared food sections in cities across the country, however, as consumers look to satisfy both their palates and their waistlines.

Karen Fernau reported in The Arizona Republic that according to the Refrigerated Foods Association, "sales of store-made salads grew 56 percent nationally over the past five years, and total nearly $400 million annually." Salads in themselves can vary from simple mixed greens to what amounts to full meals, consisting of grains, vegetables, meat, and seafood.

Science in the Kitchen
Despite the demand for nutrition and convenience, many consumers still expect to find restaurant-quality gourmet food at their favorite prepared foods counter. But just what are the professional restaurant chefs cooking in their kitchens? These days, technology is flexing its muscles in quite unexpected ways even in the finest establishments. Stories abound of chefs applying techniques that heretofore would have only been found in research laboratories. Yahoo! News told of Chef Pino Maffeo of Boston’s Restaurant L who uses liquid nitrogen to create what he calls "one-bite wonders," including his signature dish, seared foie gras with a 24-carat golden egg. The "egg" is actually airy meringue that is dredged in lightly whipped cream, dunked in the liquid nitrogen, and injected with a mango sauce "yolk" and coated with gold leaf. Another report on PRWeb Newswire tells of a new technique called Lintonizing, a process that changes the cellular plant structure within a vegetable. Described in the report as "an all-natural and preservative-free method, it is aimed at providing higher-quality vegetable and potato products for the food industry, including foodservice, food processing, and retail markets."

Neither of these technological marvels is likely to be found at a supermarket near you anytime soon, but another one may very well be on its way. If The New York Times Magazine (August 14, 2005) is right, and they often are, a process known as sous vide is all the rage among many of the country’s finest and most well-respected chefs, and it seems to me a perfect fit for retail food service. Sous vide is French for "under vacuum," and is an apt description. It is rather too complicated to tell the whole story here, but the gist of it is that food is sealed in cryovac and then slow cooked in water baths at relatively low temperatures. Not only can it result in perfectly cooked foods, but it also allows for the food to be partially cooked and stored for longer time periods and then be reheated in the same type of water bath. Since the food is put under pressure, the process can also change or enhance the texture of raw foods. Chefs like Thomas Keller, Daniel Boulud, and Fabio Trabocchi (Ritz-Carlton in Washington, D.C.) are already using the technique to great results, but more importantly perhaps, foodservice operations like Chipotle and American Airlines are using it, too. The implications for a retail foodservice operation with a central commissary kitchen are enormous — it could even allow for the central kitchen to be many states away from the stores where the food would ultimately be served.

It’s clearly time to rethink the Prepared Foods Department. The reality of modern life — busy schedules and scant time for cooking from scratch, or at all, makes good-quality, nutritionally balanced, ready-to-eat foods a necessity for most urban dwellers. It’s important to know that many of the fast-food chains are ramping up their offerings, adding salads and other gourmet dishes, and like McDonald’s, collecting upscale eateries for their portfolios. In other words, they are poised to take away your business unless you think fast and give your customers the food they want. Cook up something special in your prepared foods section to ensure a healthy bottom line and many satisfied customers.

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Both The U.S. Market for Gourmet Foods and Beverages and On-the-Go Eating: Consumer Mindsets, Menu Trends, and Product/Packaging Innovations can be purchased from Packaged Facts by visiting www.packagedfacts.com/pub/1087756.html, or by going to www.MarketResearch.com.