Health, convenience, ethnic dishes and tradition ingredients for success: frozen ready meals advance again, after hitting doldrums in 2003. Sales approach three billion euros in Germany, according to Food for Thought. Pasta and American cuisine popular.

Convenience, wellness, ethnicity and, interestingly, a return to traditional German dishes are the main trends these days in the German market for ready meals and menu components.

After what Rheine-headquartered apetito (Fax: [phone]) Sales Manager Martin Thorner called the "thirsty" year of 2003, sales of ready meals, according to the Deutsches Tiefkuhlinstitut (dti), were up a hefty five percent in 2004.

Noodle dishes are hugely popular, not surprisingly because they reflect three of the four mentioned trends. They're convenient, healthy and, usually, ethnic.

They're convenient because of fast preparation times--usually just a few minutes of zapping in the microwave oven--and because they often come with a disposable bowl that saves on dish washing. They fit in with the wellness trend because ingredients generally contain little or no meat. Though they're not always ethnic (there are German noodles too), they do lean to spaghetti, tortellini, ravioli, lasagne and other dishes with a distinctly Italian accent. And, just for good measure, there are Asian noodle dishes as well.

The noodle movement is presently most notable in the catering sector. Dr. Oetker Food Service of Ettlingen, the retail product specialist's catering subsidiary (Fax: [phone]), has its La Pastica range, including Lasagne Bolognese and Mediterrane (with vegetables).

Though pasta dishes are found less often at retail, the trend there is upward, too. M + P Tiefkuhlkost of Leopoldsohe (Fax: [phone]) has a range called Prima Pasta. Its new Penne Spinaci features penne noodles, spinach and a gorgonzola sauce. Other products in the line include Spaghetti Bolognese, Penne Napoli and Fusilli Funghi.

Similarly, Knorr, the Langnese subsidiary, is offering Tortellini Spinach-Mushroom with a fine cream sauce.

Pasta dishes also fit in with a "trend within the ethnic trend," as fusion cooking has become chic. An example is the new Tex-Mex Lasagne from Tulip Food Service of Kiel (Fax: [phone]).

Another "ethnic" food, as far as the Germans are concerned, is the ever more popular American cuisine! Iceline GmbH of Aachen (Fax: [phone]) has several products to offer in this line, including an American Breakfast with scrambled eggs, potatoes, bacon and onions. It also offers FixePfanne Kentucky (turkey with honey and garlic flavor) and Fix Pfanne Texas (hot and spicy hamburger).

What with the growing importance of the pasta dishes, and the gigantic success of pizza, people in the business are beginning to ask whether "ethnic" is the appropriate word for Italian foods. "International" might be better.

No matter what is decided on that score, Asian dishes should remain ethnic for some time to come. And apetito has one that fits in with the noodle trend. Its Shanghai Pfanne features flat noodles along with diced chicken and Chinese vegetables in a sweet-sour sauce.

Nor are noodles strangers to those traditional Genuan dishes. M + P Tiefkuhlkost has a Makkaroni Auflauf ("anflauf" meaning more or less "casserole"). Traditional German dishes such as Auflauf are making a comeback largely because of the convenience trend. Just a few minutes in the microwave oven or cooking pan and a meal that is well liked, but which homemakers once had to spend all afternoon preparing, is on the table.

The contribution to this "retro trend" from apetito is its "Mutters Kuche" (Mother's Cooking) range, which includes such favorites as goulash, sauerbraten and Kasseler cured pork chops. Thorner, who is the company board member responsible for sales and marketing, said that "Mutters Kuche" was one of two important ranges introduced in 2004. The other was Auflauf.

The Schlemmerpfanne range from apetito is also popular because of the convenience factor. Thorner reported that the latest entry in it, turkey strips in yogurt sauce with colorful vegetables and tomato-potato balls, is the "hit of the year."

The wellness trend has meant reduced fat, smaller portions and more fruits and vegetables in ready meals. Meat is less important, and, as Thorner reported, "the side dishes are moving to the center of the plate."

And the back side of the package is of increasing importance, he added. People are more interested in the ingredients, the nutritional and health aspects and the recipes.

The Reinheitsgebot (Purity Ordinance) of FRoSTA (Fax: [phone]) is symbolic of the wellness trend. Under it the Bremerhaven-headquartered frozen food manufacturer shuns chemical additives and artificial ingredients.

And ethnic foods are classic examples of healthy eating. Asian cuisine leans to vegetables, exotic spices like ginger, and only a taste of chicken or other meat. FRoSTA's Hahnchen Curry is a winner here. It mixes chicken and rice with vegetables and curry

Two of the big trends are reflected in apetito's latest "Top Ten" report of what goes over best in the workers' canteens served by its catering operations. Heading the list once again this year is Curry Sausage with french fries. Other German classics on it are: Beef Roulade with a mixture of apples and red cabbage; Nurnberg Roast Sausage with mashed potatoes; Pork Schnitzel with mushrooms and roast potatoes; and Rauberpfanne, a spiced pan dish featuring pork, mushrooms and noodles.

Other "Top 10" fare, Spaghetti Bolognese and Indonesian Bami Goreng, further noted the ethnic trend.

Frigemo Frozen Pasta Production Moves to Hilcona Plant Next Year

Hilcona AG of Schaan, Liechtenstein, intends to strengthen its position in the frozen food market by integrating the pasta production of Switzerland's Frigemo AG into its facilities. The move, scheduled for completion by April of 2006, will not change Frigemo's pasta assortment, and the brand name will continue.

Frigemo is among Switzerland's leading producers of frozen and fresh convenience products, is number one in the Swiss frozen potato product market, and a licensee of McCain. Hilcona (Hilti Convenience Nahrungsmittel), last year generated group turnover of 307 million Swiss francs. Fourteen percent of the revenues was earned from the sales of frozen convenience products.

RELATED ARTICLE: 2004 was a good year for frozen food consumption in Germany.

German consumption of frozen foods climbed another 2.6% in 2004, reaching 36.6 kilograms per capita.

The Deutsches Tiefkuhlinstitut (dti) in Cologne reports total consumption of frozen foods (excluding ice cream) was 3.2 million tons during the year. Sales volume was 9.48 million euros, a rise of 2.3% over 2003.

The per capita figure represents an increase of 24.8 kilograms during the past 30 years. Demand was especially strong for frozen fish and baked goods, and the consumption of pizza continued to increase unabated. It was up 7.4%. See complete analysis on pages 87, 88, 89 and 90 of this issue's Global Frozen Foods Almanac.

Sales at retail (including home delivery services and retail discounters) amounted to 1.61 million tons, up 3.5% and accounting for 53.2% of the total. The catering sector bought 1.41 million tons of frozen foods, for an increase of 6.1%. Fish and snack items were especially popular with professional cooks, generating respective increases of 10.1% and 8.4%.

RELATED ARTICLE: Maple Leaf & McCain roll American meals.

Daughters of two international companies headquartered in Canada have combined their strengths in targeting the growing German market for prepared frozen foods.

Hamburg-based Maple Leaf Rassan GmbH (Fax: [phone]), a specialist in convenience foods, and Eschborn-headquartered McCain GmbH (Fax: [phone]), the value-added potato and snack food producer, are out with four ready meals under the Menu North American banner.

All feature typical fare from across the Atlantic, a style of food that is very much in vogue in Germany. Maple Leaf's Minced Pork Steak on a roll, Barbecue Drum sticks and Honey Flavor Chicken Wings are each combined with McCain french fries, while Barbecue Chicken Wings come with western wedges.

Maple Leaf Rassau, a subsidiary of Toronto-based Maple Leaf Foods, Inc., has the same target group as McCain, based in Florenceville, New Brunswick. And both companies want to maximize their presence in the growing ready meal segment.

The two ingredients of each ready meal are distributed in transparent, separate packs. The products, ranging from 425 to 450 grams, are suggested for retail at 2.49 to 2.99 euros.

TED SHOEMAKER

QFFI Correspondent