Pride and signed a merger agreement with
Brazilian meat processor Bertin.
EATING PATTERNS
Consumers eat at home
more, but don't cook
Americans are eating at home more, and
microwave usage has increased but not for
cooking, reports the NPD Group.
The economic downturn can be blamed
for a number of lifestyle changes, but causing
Americans to cook more is not one of them,
according to the Annual Report on Eating
Patterns in America, recently released by
NPD.
Americans are eating at home more,
and have been since the beginning of the
decade, reports this year’s Eating Patterns
in America, but last year they turned to their
microwaves to serve their food up for them.
“Microwaving has been flat for two
decades, but it increased last year as
Americans found a way to eat at home and
not cook,” said Harry Balzer, chief industry
analyst at NPD Group. “We’re using our
microwaves to warm and heat more, but not
prepare more dishes from scratch.”
According to Balzer and NPD’s food
industry market research, Americans used
their microwave ovens more last year and
their stove tops less. Approximately 20% of
all meals prepared in U.S. homes from 1990
to 2007 involved the use of a microwave,
until last year when usage rose 10%. He said
stove tops remain the most popular cooking
appliance but the percentage of main meals
prepared on a stove top dropped from 52%
in 1985 to 33% in 2009.
FOUR NEW VARIETIES
Tyson Foods expands
Any’tizers product line
Move based on American snack habits
Tyson foods has expanded its Any’tizers
product line with four new varieties
featuring sauce and stir sauce packets.
The new
Tyson Any’tizers
varieties include
Sweet & Sour Sauce, Crispy
Breaded Wings with Citrus Fire Sauce
and Crispy Breaded Wings with General
Tso Sauce.
The varieties are made with boneless
chicken chunks and breaded chicken
wings. All can be customized with sauce,
and each features a re-sealable outer bag.
The company points to research that
Americans’ snack habits will continue to
increase during the coming years. ■
