The convenience of a warm meal anywhere
Self-heating Food is an easy and convenient food to eat anywhere anytime. It is most popular among military personnel, field engineers, and mountaineer because it can be easily cooked and convenient to eat.
The first self-heating can was invented in 1897 by Russian engineer Yevgeny Fedorov. Self-heating food packaging is convenient for people who need to heat food on to go or in situations where there is no access to a heat source. This type of food can be a little more expensive than traditional packaging and the heating process can also generate waste that needs to be displayed properly.
How heating process takes place in self-heating food?
The technology behind self-heating food has been around for several decades, but it has only recently gained popularity in the global market. Self-heating food is often used for convenience in situations where traditional heating methods are not available, such as during outdoor activities or in emergency situations.
As the name suggests, self-heating food does not require any external heat for food processing. The heat is generated by an exothermic that takes place between the powdered minerals such as iron, salt, and magnesium.
This type of packaging uses a chemical reaction to generate heat. The packaging contains two compartments, one with water and the other with a reactant. When the two compartments are mixed, a chemical reaction occurs, which generates heat that is transferred to the food.
The packaging of self-heating food is designed in a way in which hot water sits below the tray of food and steams it. As the salt disassociates, heat is either released in an exothermic reaction or absorbed in an endothermic reaction.
The advantages of self-heating food are it is convenient and instant to use, energy and time-efficient, and packaged at an adequate temperature which aids in easy cooking.
How has COVID-19 surged self-heating food sales?
COVID-19 helped in surging the sales of self-heating food a because of the government regulations of maintaining social distancing to prevent the spread of Coronavirus. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the success of self-heating hotpots is mostly because it enables a typical dish that can only be served in a restaurant to enter in-home or even on-the-go occasions.
How is self-heating food booming the “Single Economy” in China?
The so-called “Single Economy” is rapidly booming in China as the large unmarried population has pushed the sales of the self-heating hot pot as it is very convenient to cook and eat. Self-heating pot restaurants came up with the mini-meal that comes full of meat and vegetables and only needs some water poured in to get themselves boiling.
The idea of eating up, anytime and anywhere has caught up in recent years across the globe, especially in countries like China, Japan, and South Korea. Famous restaurants in China are focusing on making self-heating food cheaper as this type of food is gaining popularity among the young generation.
The rise of self-heating food is really catering to the growing needs of Gen-Z (Generation Z) consumers because those consumers want to enjoy their lives without going to a restaurant with a large group of people but consume these products anytime anywhere.
The young generation is attracted to ready-to-eat food and one of the fastest-growing fast food is instant noodles and soups as these products are easy to cook and convenient to eat. As per Statista, revenue in the Ready-to-Eat Meals segment amounts to US$0.55tn in 2023 and the market is expected to grow annually by 6.20%. Most of the revenue is generated in China (US$133.90bn in 2023). This ongoing rapid growth can boost the sales of self-heating food products in the coming years.
Market Insight
The global self-heating food packaging market size was USD 64.5 Bn in 2022 and is likely to reach USD 93.1 Bn by 2031, expanding at a CAGR of 5.2% during 2023–2031. The market growth is attributed to the increasing demand for ready-to-eat food & beverages and the rising demand for a packaging solution that offers instant hot or warm foods.
The high demand for self-heating food is Influenced by changing lifestyles, increasing preferences, and disposable income for long travel among consumers. The ready-to-eat food segment is trending across the globe with easy-to-eat products such as tea, soups, and noodles which helps in driving the self-heating food market in the coming years.
Global players in fresh food packaging are introducing new packaging styles to make it more convenient for consumers to carry and eat and this can create new opportunities for players competing in the global markets.
Global players present in the self-heating food market are Tempra Technology; HeatGen, LLC.; The 42 Degrees Company, SL.; Heat Food and Drink Ltd.; Luxfer Magtech.; LMK Thermosafe; Kemira; Com-Pac International; and Scaldopack.
