The ready meal market in France

Ready-to-eat meals are fast-moving consumer products that must only be reheated or prepared as little as possible before eating. They can be found in various forms: canned, vacuum-packed, or frozen. According to the INSEE definition, ready meals are prepared dishes that are ready to eat (prepared, seasoned, or cooked).

These ready-to-eat products are distributed in supermarkets or small local stores and enable employees or families to eat quickly without the hassle of cooking at home.

Today, we are witnessing a diversification of recipes - quantitatively and qualitatively - and of the foods used - meat, vegetables, seafood, fish - to suit new market segments with higher quality requirements, particularly after the scandals that hit the market in 2013 with the horsemeat fraud.

The production chain is also becoming more complex, with distributors starting to manufacture their products and with the emergence of these young ready-made meal companies seeking to challenge the control of a few large corporations.

The global market for ready-made meals is growing, and according to specialists, it will grow by an average of around 5.1% a year between 2022 and 2030.

However, the French market is more mature and less dynamic. Ready-made meals are considered unhealthy by some sections of the population, and the market will have to overcome this view if it is to continue to evolve. However, the market's many innovations are paying off. Most manufacturers offer new vegetarian and gluten-free ranges, and some even invest in biodegradable packaging.

Players in this market include ready-to-eat manufacturers such as Sodebo and Fleury Michon and the supermarkets and hypermarkets where most ready-to-eat products are sold. These include Carrefour and Auchan and smaller outlets such as Franprix and grocery stores. Sometimes, retail chains can also be manufacturers: this is the case with Carrefour, Franprix, and Marks and Spencer. Digital players, such as Weight Watchers, also deliver individual ready-to-eat meals for consumption both at home and away from home.