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Almost half of consumers started buying more frozen foods during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new report from The Freedonia Group. Seven in 10 are focused on maintaining a stockpile of food at home.
During the pandemic, 39% of consumers sought out single-serving or individually wrapped products, which use larger amounts of packaging materials. Prepackaged foods, including frozen varieties, also saw higher sales than fresh produce stored in loose boxes because of health concerns.
The increase in frozen food purchases has added momentum to consumers’ demand for more sustainable packaging materials. Many manufacturers and retailers have made recent efforts to swap out older packaging for recyclable, reusable and compostable options.