Chill out (and move away from ambient)
The rise in demand for minimally processed, ultra-fresh products with all-natural ingredients has meant a boost in sales of chilled soups.
“This has added pressure to the already struggling shelf-stable soup segment, prompting shelf-stable soup manufacturers to step up their innovation game in an attempt to reinvigorate the appeal and performance of this sector."
Over 60% of German soup eaters say they prefer to cook soup from scratch to be able to control the ingredients, which means the promise of freshness and naturalness is the major force behind the growth of the chilled prepared soup segment in Germany.
One of the country's leading canned soup brands, Erasco, recently launched a range of chilled soups (pictured) - "reflecting the mounting need to adapt to a rapidly evolving prepared soup market landscape", said Witham.