Another banner year for German frozen food industry, says dti.

German sales of frozen food present a happy contrast to the generally unimpressive state of affairs in the country's retail sector. The year 2007 was expected, like many years before it, to have set new records.

The Cologne-based Deutsches Tiefkuhlinstitut (dti) used the occasion of the Anuga food fair to predict a 1.8% increase in sales, to 3.1 million tons. That's up nearly 55,500 tons, and means a 700-gram increase, to 38.4 kilograms, in per capita consumption. Turnover in 2007 was anticipated to have a total value of 10.41 million euros, up 3.6% from 2006.

Private households were expected to account for 54% of the sales, a 1% increase. Demand was strong for pizza, baked goods and meat and fish ready meals. The consumer also has an ever greater choice of products, thanks to such recent innovations as organic and vegetarian foods, halal foods, and exotic recipes from India and elsewhere. This increase in demand for premium products means that the total value of sales likely climbed more rapidly than the total volume.

Sales to catering establishments were expected to show above average increases in 2007. The dti predicts they will be up 2.7%, which means that 38,000 more tons will go to restaurants, company canteens, schools, hospitals and the like.

A competition sponsored by the German Agricultural Association underscores the quality of frozen food. Fully 94% of the frozen entries were awarded medals, half of them gold. Professor Dr. Jorg Oehlen schlager, scientific director of the competition, said: "Quick frozen products have steadily improved in quality over the past 20 years, and today have reached a largely faultless quality standard ... After they are prepared, many dishes from the freezer case are indistinguishable from freshly made dishes."