Instant Food Market Overview, 2028

The expansion of the instant food industry can be attributed to a number of factors, including increased disposable income, changing lifestyles, and rising demand for convenience foods. Consumers' greater health consciousness is fueling a rising desire for healthier quick lunch options. Due to this trend, manufacturers have created products with natural components, decreased sodium levels, and improved nutritional profiles. Additionally, due to increased urbanisation and shifting lifestyles, both people and families have busy schedules. The demand for quick food items has increased as a result of time constraints and the search for quick meal options. Students, working people, and city dwellers typically eat quick meals since they are practical and easy to prepare. Instant food options provide a quick and hassle-free solution for busy people who might not have the time or skills to prepare a meal from scratch. The potential to have a meal prepared in a matter of minutes appeals to those looking for convenience. People's need for instant food products that provide quick access to these diverse tastes has grown as they are exposed to more international cuisines and flavours. For instance, because of their ease and ability to adapt various flavour profiles, instant noodles are growing in popularity all over the world. Consumer choices in the instant food business have been impacted by rising environmental awareness. Customers are searching for environmentally friendly packaging solutions, such as recyclable or biodegradable materials, and they prefer firms that show a commitment to sustainability throughout their supply chains. In response, producers are developing sustainable sourcing and production methods as well as eco-friendly packaging alternatives.

According to the research report, Global Instant Food Market Overview, 2023-2028 the market is expected to reach market size of USD 233.82 Billion by 2028 with a significant CAGR of 6.91% from USD 157.36 Billion in 2022. Lyophilization, another name for freeze-drying, is a frequently used process in the creation of quick food. It includes freezing the food item and then vaporising away the water to create a light, rehydratable product. While increasing the food's shelf life, freeze-drying aids in maintaining the food's flavour, texture, and nutritional value. Retort processing, a technique for heat sterilisation that includes sealing food in airtight containers and exposing them to high pressure and temperature, is also becoming increasingly popular. Without requiring refrigeration, this method helps to increase the shelf life of instant food products. Food safety and preservation are guaranteed through retort processing, which also preserves the food's flavour and quality. A vast variety of product options are available on the global market for instant meals to satisfy various consumer tastes and nutritional needs. Numerous categories of instant food products are included, such as ready-to-eat meals, soups, noodles, beverages, snacks, and desserts.
Customers have a wide range of options thanks to the variety of flavours, ingredient combinations, and nutritional profiles available in these goods. Products for making instant food are widely available and have a significant global presence. Both developed and developing economies have seen an increase in their appeal as they meet the demands of time-constrained people, students, office workers, travellers, and those looking for quick lunch options. This worldwide market presence demonstrates how instant meal products are welcomed and in high demand among numerous cultures and geographical areas.

Based on Product type, the market is segmented into breakfast cereal, instant noodles &, pasta, snacks, instant ready meal, desserts and others. Among them the market is dominated by instant noodles & pasta. Pasta and instant noodles provide unparalleled convenience and lightning-fast preparation. They are designed to be cooked and ready to eat in just a few minutes, making them the perfect alternative for customers looking for a quick and simple meal option. Busy people with little time for meal preparation are drawn to the ease of cooking, which often involves boiling water or microwaving. Numerous retail locations, including supermarkets, convenience stores, and internet marketplaces, carry instant noodles and pasta. They are frequently offered at reasonable prices, making them available to a wide range of customers from various socioeconomic situations. Their broad appeal and market supremacy have been aided by their affordability. The packaging type of the market includes Normal and Frozen. Consumers benefit from the convenience and portability of standard packaging. Sachets, cups, or packages are convenient for storage and transportation due to their small size. These single-serve container options enable consumers to enjoy the quick meal product while on the go, at work, or travelling. The requirement for quick and simple meal options is in line with the mobility and convenience of typical packaging. Numerous instant food formats, such as powdered soups, sauces, seasoning blends, instant noodles, and instant beverages, can be packaged using standard methods. Sachets, cups, or packets make it simple to package various product formulations, giving businesses the freedom to give consumers a variety of choices. This adaptability helps explain why conventional packaging rules the global market for instant foods.

The distribution channel of the market of supermarket/hypermarket, departmental/convenience store, online store, others (specialty stores). The primary source of distribution for instant food is the supermarket or hypermarket, which dominates the global instant food market. A broad variety of instant meal products from different brands and manufacturers are available in supermarkets and hypermarkets. These sizable retail stores have the area and ability to have a wide variety of instant food products on hand, such as ready-to-eat meals, noodles, snacks, beverages, and more. Customers may examine various possibilities and make decisions based on their preferences and dietary requirements thanks to the wide range of products available. Urban, suburban, and even rural locations all have a significant presence of supermarkets and hypermarkets. A wide consumer base can access and find instant meal products because of their huge shop network. Consumers can easily locate these retail establishments within their vicinity, making it convenient for regular grocery shopping, including the purchase of instant food items. Furthermore, during the forecast period online channel is expected to register highest CAGR of the market.

Asia-Pacific is leading the market of instant food market globally. The Asia-Pacific region is home to a significant portion of the world's population, including densely populated countries such as China and India. The large consumer base in these countries creates a substantial demand for convenient and ready-to-eat food options, including instant food products. Rapid urbanization, busy lifestyles, and a growing middle class in the Asia-Pacific region have led to increased demand for quick and convenient meal solutions. As more people enter the workforce and face time constraints, the need for instant food products that offer convenience and ease of preparation has risen significantly. Instant food products, such as instant noodles and ready-to-eat meals, align well with the cultural preferences and eating habits in many Asian countries. Asian cuisine has always relied on noodles, and the invention of instant noodles gave consumers a quick and inexpensive option. The Asia-Pacific region currently dominates the global market for instant food, in part because of the popularity of instant noodles in nations like China, Japan, South Korea, and Indonesia.

Based on breakfast cereal product type, market is divided into cold cereals and hot cereals. Cold cereal is leading the market with significant market share. Cold cereals don't need much preparation and are ready to consume. They make an easy and quick breakfast alternative by only requiring the addition of milk or yoghurt. People who are busy, value convenience, and are looking for a hassle-free meal solution are drawn to the simplicity of consuming. Additionally, there are many possibilities and room for customization with cold cereals. To fit their preferences, consumers can pick from a wide variety of cereal flavours, textures, and add-ins. additionally, they have control over the dish size and may choose how much milk or toppings they want. Cold cereals are appealing to a wide range of consumers due to their adaptability and personalization choices. Based on instant snacks market is segmented into potato products, popcorn, Cheese snacks, sandwich, rice cakes and others. Snacks made of potatoes are popular everywhere and are dominating the market. The snacking business now considers potato chips to be standard fare due to their enormous popularity. They are a very popular snack option because they are frequently consumed and cherished by people of all ages. Their dominance on the market has been fueled by the high consumer demand for snacks made from potatoes. Snacks made with potato products are pre-packaged, ready to eat, and require no cooking or preparation. They provide immediate satisfaction, making them a practical snack choice for consumption while on the go, at social gatherings, or during leisure activities. The simplicity of consumption fits with consumers' hectic lifestyles, who seek out convenient and hassle-free snack options.

Based on the instant ready meal type, the market is bifurcated into Pizza, Burritos, Curry/Rice, Stier fry meals, sushi, Couscous, Quinoa Meals, Chicken, Meat & sea food and others. Among the Pizza is most commonly consumed as instant ready meals and is leading the market globally as well. Instant pizza frequently appeals to younger populations, such as college students, young professionals, and people looking for quick and inexpensive dinner options. Instant pizza is a popular option for people with busy schedules or limited cooking skills due to its rapid preparation time and low cost. Instant pizza is convenient because it can be swiftly made and eaten in a matter of minutes. The pre-packaged pizza crust, sauce, and toppings make assembly simple and cut down on the time and work involved in making traditional pizza. Customers seeking a quick and hassle-free dining alternative would appreciate this convenience. To accommodate varied tastes and preferences, instant pizza comes in a wide range of flavours and topping combinations. Numerous variations, including time-tested combos like cheese or pepperoni, as well as unique and gourmet flavors. This variety allows consumers to choose their preferred flavor profile, making instant pizza appealing to a diverse consumer base.

Companies mentioned in the report:

The Kellogg Company, Nestlé S.A., General Mills, Inc., The Kraft Heinz Company, McCain Foods Limited, Hormel Foods Corporation, Calbee, Inc, Conagra Brands, Inc, Nomad Foods Limited, Himalya International Ltd.

Considered in this report

• Geography: Global
• Historic year: 2017
• Base year: 2022
• Estimated year: 2023
• Forecast year: 2028

Aspects covered in this report

• Global Instant Food market with its value and forecast along with its segments
• Region-wise Instant Food market analysis
• Various drivers and challenges
• On-going trends and developments
• Top profiled companies
• Strategic recommendation

Regions & Countries covered in the report:

• North America
• Europe
• Asia-Pacific
• South America
• Middle East & Africa

By Products:

• Breakfast Cereal
• Instant Noodles & pasta
• Snacks
• Instant ready Meal
• Desserts
• Others

By Packaging:

• Normal
• Frozen

By Distribution Channel:

• Supermarket/Hypermarket
• Departmental/Convenience Store
• Online Store
• Others (Specialty Stores)

By Instant Breakfast Cereal:

• Cold Cereals
• Hot Cereals

By Instant Snacks:

• Potato products
• Pop corn
• Cheese snacks
• Sandwich
• Rice Cakes
• Others

By Instant Ready Meals:

• Pizza
• Burritos
• Curry/Rice
• Stier fry meals
• Sushi
• Couscous
• Quinoa Meals
• Chicken
• Meat & sea food
• Others

By Instant Dessert:

• Waffles
• Pan Cake
• Cheese cake
• Others (Instant Sweets Mix)

The approach of the report:

This report consists of a combined approach of primary as well as secondary research. Initially, secondary research was used to get an understanding of the market and listing out the companies that are present in the market. The secondary research consists of third party sources such as press releases, annual report of companies, analysing the government generated reports and databases. After gathering the data from secondary sources primary research was conducted by making telephonic interviews with the leading players about how the market is functioning and then conducted trade calls with dealers and distributors of the market. Post this we have started doing primary calls to consumers by equally segmenting consumers in regional aspects, tier aspects, age group, and gender. Once we have primary data with us we have started verifying the details obtained from secondary sources.

Intended audience

This report can be useful to industry consultants, manufacturers, suppliers, associations & organizations related to Instant Food industry, government bodies and other stakeholders to align their market-centric strategies. In addition to marketing & presentations, it will also increase competitive knowledge about the industry.