Spending on canned food up £2.4bn
Sales of canned food grew faster than any other form of packaging according to new figures.
Research released last night (15 April) reveal sales of canned food, in the UK, grew by 4.6% with consumers spending £2.4 billion on canned goods £104.3m more than in 2011.
In fact the figures released to mark the start of Canned Food Week (15 to 21 April) show the can market outperformed the overall grocery market, which grew by 3.6%, by 1%.
Sue Shaw, spokeswoman for the not-for-profit organisation Canned Food UK who commissioned the research, said, “Annual figures for the grocery market show the canned food market is ever-growing and at a faster rate than food in alternative packaging methods.
“The industry is now very adept, with on-going developments in technology. Moreover, the continual introduction of new and innovative products provides consumers with excellent value and a wide variety of choice.
“Twenty years ago, the main canned foods bought were sweet corn, tuna and tomatoes. Now, suppliers make an impact with high-value products that have not always been available, from coconut milk, stir-fry vegetables and pulses, through to limited edition flavours of store-cupboard favourites.”
Shaw went on to explain the industry has shifted consumers’ perceptions of canned food promoting the “scientific efficacy” of the canning process and its “resulting benefits” for nutrition and the natural preservation of food.
A store-cupboard staple, 99.2% of the UK population, about 26.2 million households, buy into the canned goods market which is higher than the number of households that buy into the total frozen market, cheese, alcohol and fresh meat categories combined, according to the research which used figures from consumer research business Kantar Worldpanel.
A celebration of all things canned, Canned Food UK, which is made up of leading can and product manufacturers, is launching the first ever Canned Food Week, taking place.
Canned Food Week is a showcase of potential the benefits of canned food, showing consumers it is a healthy, time-effective and cost-effective way to cook.
The week, running Monday to Sunday, takes consumers through a series of recipes designed to make cooking simple and accessible to all, recipes are available on the Canned Food website.
