Frozen Food Market By Product Type (Ready Meals, Fruits and Vegetables, Meat and Poultry, Seafood, Dairy Products, Bakery Products), By Freezing Technology (Individual Quick Freezing, Blast Freezing, Belt Freezing), By Distribution Channel (Online, Offline {Supermarkets, Health Stores, Convenience Stores, Others}), and By End-user (Residential, Commercial {Hotels, Restaurants, Catering Services, Others}, Others), Global Market Size, Segmental analysis, Regional Overview, Company share analysis, Leading Company Profiles And Market Forecast, 2025 – 2035

Industry Outlook

The Frozen Food market accounted for USD 298.6 Billion in 2024 and is expected to reach USD 521.5 Billion by 2035, growing at a CAGR of around 5.2% between 2025 and 2035. The frozen food market is developing as a result of consumers' increasing need for convenient goods with easy preparation and measured shelf life. As a business that sells a wide variety of food items, including frozen dinners, fruits, vegetables, and snacks, it caters to customers who have hectic schedules and lack the time to cook meals.

They have benefited from better flavors, fresher package designs, and the creation of wholesome goods like gluten-free and organic meals, which have all contributed to their expansion. The market is oversaturated, and several companies are always trying to raise their caliber and launch new products. The trend of grocery shopping online has sped up the sales process. It is anticipated that the global frozen food market will continue to grow rapidly due to urbanization and other factors.

Report Scope:

Market Dynamics

Convenience of Quick, Easy Meal Solutions for Busy Consumers

People's hectic schedules today lead them to seek meals that can be made quickly and with little preparation time. Frozen meals then enter the market to suit this need, with goods that are either processed for immediate cooking or prepared for consumption. Frozen meals require no further cooking or heating, making them ideal for those who do not enjoy or have time to cook from scratch. Most frozen meals on the market can be prepared in a single meal batch, making them ideal for portioned dishes and helping to reduce food waste. Such convenience is ideal for people with hectic work schedules, parents who must prepare meals for their children, or anyone looking for a quick meal fix. With people rushing to balance work, family, and overall health, Callon sees the need for quick frozen foods.

The contrasts in frozen meals, such as ethnic meals or comfort dinners, allowed consumers to readily explore various tastes without spending too much time in front of a stove. Microwave and oven-ready items improve the time factor by allowing you to cook simple, tasty, and healthy meals quickly. Furthermore, advancements in freezing technology result in higher-quality frozen meals in terms of taste and nutritional value, giving time-conscious consumers more reason to adopt this delivery mode.

Long Shelf Life Reduces Food Waste and Increases Storage

The Frozen food market is expanding due the its long shelf life. Cold slows down the ripening process of food and other perishable products, making them tasty, tender, and nutrient-rich, helping consumers to use them for several weeks or even a month in a row. This helps to significantly reduce food waste, which is a major issue in most households and enterprises. The convenience it provides, particularly for people who wish to go grocery shopping and have their food in the freezer, is the strength of frozen meals.

Families, individuals who live alone, or persons from areas where it is impossible to get fresh produce virtually every day would greatly benefit from frozen food's lengthy storage life. Furthermore, the capacity to retain more volume is essential for portion control and meal planning for necessities and budgets, making it suitable for both ordinary inhabitants and food service establishments. Because of the convenience of long-term storage, frozen foods also go well with seasonal produce and allow the consumer to enjoy all the fruits and vegetables even in the off-season.

High Energy Consumption for Freezing and Maintaining Products

The primary obstacle facing the frozen food market is the significant energy required for product preservation and freezing. Food freezing, particularly industrial freezing, is expensive since it requires a lot of electricity to freeze food. From processing to delivery, the meals must remain frozen, which requires a steady energy source for processing, storage, refrigerators, and transportation.

Being environmentally unsustainable owing to carbon emissions associated with the energy necessary for freezing and refrigeration has a direct influence on manufacturing and retail pricing because refrigerators take more energy to operate. These energy demands will rise even further as an increasing number of people consume frozen meals to meet their dietary needs, potentially leading to high costs for both consumers and businesses.

Excessive energy consumption and the usage of refrigerant in freezing systems have hampered the industries' adoption of green practices and efficient energy use. It demonstrates that, despite advances in refrigeration technology, the market continues to grapple with the high cost and environmental impact of operating frozen food storage.

Rising Demand for Healthier, Plant-Based, and Organic Frozen Options

The frozen foods market has expanded significantly as a result of consumers' growing knowledge of and emphasis on their health. Consumers are desperately looking for low-calorie, healthy, plant-based alternatives to well-known and popular frozen foods that are perceived to be dangerous. Customers' desire for cleaner, vegetarian, vegan cuisine and more natural, additive-free, and nutrient-dense products is driving this change. Food producers are making changes to their product offerings, including more frozen organic vegetable and plant-based meat alternatives, gluten-free meals, and snacks.

The availability of frozen food also mixes with health-conscious tendencies, allowing consumers to maintain their lifestyles with minimal time commitment. Moreover, a growing number of consumers are searching for items that adhere to sustainability criteria, such as employing sustainable produce ingredients in food packaging, as a result of growing concerns about food sustainability. The aforementioned trend presents the frozen food business with an excellent opportunity to adapt and appeal to the expanding consumer base that is aware of the advantages of eating a healthy diet.

Expansion in Emerging Markets with Growing Urban Consumer Bases

The frozen food market's new prospects are also linked to developing markets in Africa, Latin America, and the Asia-Pacific area. Because of this, frozen dinners are becoming more popular as the rate of urbanization rises and people in these places adopt modern, dynamic lifestyles that are defined by convenience. This results in a growth in middle-class earners, more disposable cash, and a shift in eating patterns away from fresh produce and toward frozen goods. Many clients in these places now have easy access to frozen meals because of the rise of modern retail facilities such as supermarkets, convenience stores, and online grocery stores.

The ability of frozen food producers to meet consumer demand for a particular food type, such as ready-to-eat meals and frozen fruits and vegetables, increases with the depth of these markets. The market will also benefit from local imitations of frozen foods and the convenience of international brands. The frozen food sector in developing nations has enormous potential due to global trends including urbanization and customer preferences.

Industry Experts Opinion

“Urbanization and shifting lifestyles have led to an increased emphasis on convenience and nutrition among consumers, particularly the younger demographic and working individuals. This shift has created a burgeoning market for frozen foods, which offer both convenience and nutritional benefits, aligning with the evolving dietary habits of urban consumers.”

• Haresh Karamchandani, MD & Group CEO, HyFun Foods.

Segment Analysis

Based on product type, the frozen foods market is classified into Ready Meals, Fruits and Vegetables, Meat and Poultry, Seafood, Dairy Products, and Bakery Products. Ready Meals is the largest and most important segment in the frozen foods market, and it has profited the most from the market's general growth rate. This segment has grown significantly due to the following important factors: increased customer desire for convenience, quick food options, and a fast-paced lifestyle.

Convenience meals are available in a variety of formats, including single-serving quantities, family-sized portions, and a variety of tastes to satisfy everyone's preference for different foods. This can be attributed to higher food quality, flavor, vitamin content, and packaging advancements that promote convenience and shelf life. This trend is much more visible in industrialized countries, which can be attributed to consumers' busy lifestyles.

Based on freezing technology, the frozen foods market is classified into individual quick freezing (IQF), blast freezing, and belt freezing. Individual rapid freezing (IQF) is widely acknowledged as the most often utilized technique in the frozen food market. This approach involves freezing meals in tiny amounts to preserve the product's structure, sensory qualities, and nutritional makeup.

IQF is therefore more valuable in frozen fruits and vegetables, frozen seafood items, and processed ready-to-eat meals because of the ease of portioning, less freezer burn, and longer shelf life linked with this technology. The increased demand for high-quality, convenient frozen foods has put a strain on the use of IQF as a market driver.

Regional Analysis

The North American frozen food market is leading because of increased customer interest in food solutions and a developed network of stores. The USA accounts for the largest share of the market because of its population, this population’s increased tempo of life, and their shift to frozen, easy-to-prepare meals.

The availability of leading frozen food brands and sustained product development also contribute to the region’s dominance, further propelling the market. They were established by Pender, with the increase in health-conscious eating and the advancement of online grocery store buying increasing the region’s substantial proportion.

The Asia-Pacific frozen food market is the fastest-growing. This is associated with the growth of the urban population, increasing per capita income, and shifts in people's consumption habits. Many people in China, India, and Japan live modern lifestyles and embrace Western eating patterns. Therefore, they consume more frozen food products.

The expansion of the number of stores and the availability of frozen food products all contribute to increased growth in these regions. Consumption of frozen meals and snacks is expected to rise in the coming years as cities become more urbanized and metropolitan markets expand.

Competitive Landscape

Nestlé SA, Conagra Brands, Inc., General Mills, Inc., Tyson Foods, Inc., McCain Foods Limited, Kraft Heinz Company, and Unilever PLC are among the major companies in the frozen food industry. Such companies are always adapting to this new market need for convenience, increased sustainability, and healthier food choices. Nestle's attempt to offer plant-based frozen foods, McCain's foray into emerging markets, and Tyson's move to automate manufacturing lines are just a few of the advancements.

Kraft Heinz has recently expanded its frozen food product line to include snacks and dinners, while Unilever has committed to increasing its purchase of environmentally friendly frozen food ingredients. People's changing health choices, as well as the environmental impact of product sustainability, have prompted these companies to use cleaner labels and more sustainable practices.

Frozen Food Market, Company Shares Analysis, 2024

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Recent Developments:

• In May 2024, Nestlé announced the launch of its new frozen food brand, Vital Pursuit, set to debut in fall 2024. The brand was developed in response to the growing popularity of GLP-1 drugs, used for weight loss and diabetes management.
• In March 2024, BigBasket partnered with celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor to introduce a new frozen food brand called Precia. The brand offers a variety of convenient, high-quality frozen vegetables, snacks, and sweets
• In July 2023, Conagra Brands, Inc. unveiled over 50 new items across its frozen, supermarket, and snacking divisions. Conagra's frozen meal portfolio offered a wide range of flavors and price points across its brands and entrees.

Report Coverage:

By Product Type

• Ready Meals
• Fruits and Vegetables
• Meat and Poultry
• Seafood
• Dairy Products
• Bakery Products

By Freezing Technology

• Individual Quick Freezing
• Blast Freezing
• Belt Freezing

By Distribution Channel

• Online
• Offline
  • Supermarkets
  • Health Stores
  • Convenience Stores
  • Others

By End-user

• Residential
• Commercial
  • Hotels
  • Restaurants
  • Catering Services
  • Others
• Others

By Region

North America

• U.S.
• Canada

Europe

• U.K.
• France
• Germany
• Italy
• Spain
• Rest of Europe

Asia Pacific

• China
• Japan
• India
• Australia
• South Korea
• Singapore
• Rest of Asia Pacific

Latin America

• Brazil
• Argentina
• Mexico
• Rest of Latin America

Middle East & Africa

• GCC Countries
• South Africa
• Rest of Middle East & Africa

List of Companies:

• Nestlé S.A.
• Conagra Brands, Inc.
• General Mills, Inc.
• Tyson Foods, Inc.
• McCain Foods Limited
• Kraft Heinz Company
• Unilever PLC
• Nomad Foods Limited
• Green Giant
• Rich Products Corporation
• Foster Farms
• Schwan's Company
• Cargill, Incorporated
• Cerebos Food Corporation
• Hormel Foods Corporation
• The Iceland Group
• Premier Foods PLC