‘I Just Need the Comfort’: Processed Foods Make a Pandemic Comeback

Others say the quarantine food shopping provides an opportunity for food companies to convert first-time shoppers into longtime buyers with packaged, refrigerated or frozen foods that they say are healthier and tastier than they were a few years ago.

“We’re seeing frozen dinners and entrees that are on trend with simple ingredients and global cuisines,” said David Portalatin, the national analyst for food and beverage consumption at the NPD Group, a research firm. “The food companies have responded to the contemporary food values over the last few years.”

Executives at General Mills said they had worked diligently to improve the nutrition level and taste of many products. “Right now, we have people trying the products they haven’t had for a while, and we hope they’re surprised and find that they’re delicious and that we have them come back,” said Jon Nudi, who leads the company’s North American retail operations.

General Mills has seen across-the-board increases in its various product lines in the last four weeks, from Yoplait yogurt to Cheerios cereal to Progresso Soup and even baking products like Gold Medal flour and Bisquick as consumers confined to their homes fill the endless hours by trying new recipes or even baking bread.

“We’ve seen all of our categories go up, including dry packaged dinner mixes like Hamburger Helper,” Mr. Nudi said. “There were a lot of people who thought its best days were way behind it. But, mixed with hamburger or tuna, it’s a simple and delicious meal.”

For many people, some of the strict rules they had around food before the quarantines are now being eased.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/07/business/coronavirus-processed-foods.html