Long Shelf-Life Fresh Products – Cost Effectiveness, Health and Wellbeing, Sustainability and Supply Chain Uncertainty

Long Shelf-Life Fresh Products Report Overview

The long-life product market predominantly consists of ambient, shelf-stable goods. However, there is ample opportunity for brands to elongate the shelf life of fresh produce to entice consumers, reduce food waste, and improve the economy. The fresh food market is forecast to grow rapidly in terms of both value and volume, which indicates the level of opportunity in this market to innovate and improve the life span of these goods.

Fresh food market volume took a dip post-pandemic due to supply-chain disruptions and geopolitical uncertainty; however, the subsequent growth indicates a positive outlook. Regionally, Asia accounts for the largest fresh food market value share due to its diverse climate, export opportunities, government agricultural initiatives, and supply-chain infrastructure, which helps to maintain freshness. Brands in the fresh food market need to capitalize on these growth opportunities by extending the shelf life of products.

The long shelf-life fresh products report covers cost effectiveness, convenient flexibility, sustainable choices, health and wellbeing, and supply chain uncertainty.

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Long Shelf-life Fresh Products – Cost-Effectiveness

The idea of fresh fruit and vegetables not lasting long enough is problematic for consumers who are on tighter budgets. This is because purchasing these products might seem wasteful and not the most cost-effective option. The cost-of-living crisis has urged almost a third of consumers to stop purchasing certain products altogether, which could include fresh categories.

When comparing the product options across categories, consumers can usually choose between fresh options and canned options. Each format has its relative benefits; however, consumers often gravitate towards canned goods due to longer shelf lives. Longer shelf-life products also can have larger pack sizes, as the product has a lower waste risk. Many global consumers associate value for money with large product sizes, which could encourage consumers to opt for longer shelf-life goods over fresh.

Global: “How Important is ‘Convenient’ When Making a Purchase?”, 2023

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Long Shelf-life Fresh Products – Sustainable Choices

Preservatives to improve shelf life are often bad for the environment. Brands and manufacturers are conflicted between trying to improve the shelf life of all products, including fresh goods while limiting the environmental impact. The use of preservatives to elongate shelf life is common; however, it has negative eco and health impacts, which can deter consumers.

Consumers are sometimes reluctant to make more sustainable choices when purchasing food products due to them typically having a higher price point, but it is also common for consumers to be unable to find any sustainable products. This indicates that the market is limited to food products with lower eco-impacts, which is likely to be especially relevant for long-shelf-life products.

Global: “In the Food Category, What Reasons Might Stop You from Making More Sustainable Choices?”, 2023

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Long Shelf-life Fresh Products – Health and Wellbeing

Improving the shelf life of fresh goods can attract health-conscious consumers. Natural ingredient solutions that can elongate a product’s life cycle are preferred by consumers. It is evident on social media that conversations around food safety, GMOs, and additives under the #shelflife hashtag are popular. This indicates that this is an issue for manufacturers to acknowledge to attract health-conscious consumers. Improving the shelf life of fresh goods while reducing the use of chemicals is important; over a third of global consumers pay a very high level of attention to the ingredients used in food and drinks products, with over half of consumers who are extremely concerned about their health paying a very high level of attention.

Global: “How Important is a Product Being Good for Your Physical Health When Making a Purchase?”, 2023

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Long Shelf-life Fresh Products – Supply-Chain Uncertainty

In recent times of geopolitical uncertainty, there has been global turmoil in the food supply chain. Geopolitical tensions or conflicts can disrupt international trade relationships and supply chains. When countries impose trade restrictions, tariffs, or embargoes on food imports or exports, it can lead to shortages or surpluses in certain regions, affecting global food availability.

Geopolitical events can influence market sentiment and speculation in commodity markets, with uncertainty leading to price volatility, which can impact food affordability and availability, particularly for low-income consumers. Due to this, consumers are gravitating towards food products that are shelf stable as an act of reassurance.

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Scope

• The short shelf life of fresh goods is a concern for budget-conscious consumers, as it may lead to waste and less cost-effective choices.
• The fresh produce market is at risk of consumers avoiding and moderating consumption. Consumers value longer shelf life in products because it offers flexibility in consumption.
• Convenience is essential to many consumers, and while canned goods fulfill this demand, there’s an opportunity for longer-lasting fresh products. Using additives and preservatives is seen as environmentally harmful because they can contaminate natural resources and disrupt the food chain, making it crucial for brands to find sustainable methods of preserving products.
• Longer shelf life for food products benefits consumers by promoting better meal planning and encourages less impulse consumption. However, long-lasting goods need to avoid unhealthy preservatives.
• Consumers are increasingly drawn to shelf-stable food products for reassurance in times of economic crisis and supply-chain uncertainty, but this preference limits the appeal of fresh products, which have shorter shelf lives.

Reasons to Buy

• Understand the growing market for fresh products that have longer shelf lives to appeal to budget and sustainability-conscious
• Understand what manufacturers are currently doing in terms of innovation and how consumers are responding.