New Survey Finds 74 Percent of Americans Won’t Sacrifice Quality for Price When It Comes to Food
May 14 2009 - 8:00AM
Business Wire
Responding to consumer demand for high-quality, contemporary
meals at an affordable price, Marie Callender�s has introduced a
new line of authentic Italian frozen entrees called Pasta al Dente.
Many Americans have cut back on their food spending over the past
year, but not at the cost of sacrificing fresh, high-quality meals
for their families. In fact, a new survey commissioned by ConAgra
Foods and released today found that the majority of Americans � 86
percent1 � say value is a top concern when shopping for food. But
no matter the cost, three in four (74 percent) say they expect
fresh ingredients and well-made food regardless of the price
tag.
According to NPD Group data, over the past four years there has
been a steady increase in the number of Americans eating meals at
home.2 This helps explain why sales of frozen foods were expected
to increase by 4.5 percent in 2008 and are expected to remain
strong throughout the recession.3 Three out of four (74 percent)
Americans agree that steaming food can help enhance the flavor and
texture of frozen foods. The new Pasta al Dente line appeases
consumers� taste buds by incorporating a patented packaging
technology that steams the ingredients and pasta separately from
the sauce so the vegetables are vibrant and crisp and the pasta is
cooked perfectly � al dente, or �to the tooth.�
�The introduction of the Marie Callender�s Pasta al Dente line
is a welcome addition for consumers,� said Rob McCutcheon, vice
president and general manager, Marie Callender�s. �People are
amazed when they taste the new Pasta al Dente line because it
shatters their expectations of frozen meals by delivering an
authentic Italian dining experience with fresh-tasting, vegetables,
meats, Italian herbs and pasta, steamed to perfection, at a great
value.�
Real Ingredients, Real Flavor; Steamed to Perfection
The survey also found that the No.1 element Americans want when
it comes to frozen and prepared meals is quality ingredients,
followed by authentic-tasting food. Marie Callender�s new Pasta al
Dente line utilizes a patented SteamCooker� technology which
separates the ingredients from the sauce with a two-tray,
steam-cooking system. The innovative technology used to prepare
Pasta al Dente entr�es is the same method used in Healthy Choice�
Caf� SteamersTM, recently recognized as the best-selling new food
product in 2008, by Information Resources, Inc. (IRI).
Marie Callender�s stands for great-tasting, quality meals, and
the new line of Pasta al Dente meals provides consumers with a
truly authentic Italian meal they can enjoy in the luxury of their
own homes. The meals were developed from classic Italian recipes
and traditions that use fresh Italian herbs and spices and come in
six new varieties:
- Rigatoni Marinara
Classico with meatballs and Italian sausage
- Tortellini Romano with
fresh basil and real Parmesan cheese
- Penne Chicken Modesto
with chunks of artichoke hearts and Roma tomatoes
- Cavatappi Genovese with
Chicken with crushed pesto and fresh zucchini
- Fettuccini Chicken
Balsamico with crimini mushrooms, balsamic vinegar from Modena,
Italy
- Rigatoni con Pesce with
Shrimp in lobster cream sauce
Four new flavors will be available mid-2009 including Penne
Chicken Piccata, Cavatalli Chicken Carbonara, Orecchiette Chicken
Pesto and Old World Rigatoni Bolognese.
These Pasta al Dente meals are available now at grocery stores
nationwide with a suggested retail price of $3.49 for a 10- to
11-ounce meal.
ABOUT CONAGRA FOODS
Marie Callender�s� is a brand of ConAgra Foods, Inc., (NYSE:
CAG). ConAgra Foods is one of North America�s leading food
companies, with brands in 97 percent of America�s households.
Consumers find Banquet, Chef Boyardee, Egg Beaters, Healthy Choice,
Hebrew National, Hunt�s, Marie Callender�s, Orville Redenbacher�s,
PAM, Peter Pan, Reddi-wip and many other ConAgra Foods brands in
grocery, convenience, mass merchandise and club stores. ConAgra
Foods also has a strong business-to-business presence, supplying
potato, other vegetable, spice and grain products to a variety of
well-known restaurants, foodservice operators and commercial
customers. For more information, please visit us at
www.conagrafoods.com.
1 These findings are based on a survey conducted by the Opinion
Research Corporation among a sample of 1,000 U.S. adults 18 years
of age and older. The Caravan Omnibus study is conducted twice a
week among a demographically representative sample of U.S. adults.
Interviewing for this survey was completed April 17-20, 2009.
SOURCE ConAgra Foods, Inc.
2 The NPD Group�s National Eating Trends� Service; year ending
Feb
3 Mintel Oxygen Report; April, 2009
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