For Immediate Release:

A New Published Report on the Market and Technologies for Retail Prepared Refrigerated Foods Just Released from Food Spectrum, LLC

Martinsville, NJ. Food Spectrum, LLC, announces the publication of Retail Prepared Refrigerated Foods: The Market and Technologies. This comprehensive report, published in association with the Food Policy Institute at Rutgers University, outlines new and emerging trends affecting the market and technologies for value-added, prepared refrigerated foods sold through US supermarket deli, produce and meat departments.

Food Spectrum estimates that supermarket sales of prepared refrigerated foods reached $9.5 billion in 2001, and is anticipated to grow to over $12 billion in 2005. Find out what's hot-and what's not-among prepared refrigerated foods, including:

• Fully-prepared, entrées and dinners,
• Value-added meats and poultry,
• Prepared salads,
• Value-added produce including bagged lettuce and fresh cut fruits and vegetables,
• Prepackaged pizza products,
• Ready-to-eat lunch kit products, and
• Ready-to-cook refrigerated pastas and sauces.

"Much of the growth in this market can be attributed to prepared component products that significantly reduce meal preparation times," according to Casey Roberts, Vice President of Market Research for Food Spectrum and the study's primary author. "For years, retailers and food manufacturers have tried to 'crack the code' in the refrigerated sections by providing fully-prepared, ready-to-heat products. Now, we see more retail products that offer a unique point of difference by offering refrigerated component products that help consumers prepare fresh, home-made meals in a fraction of the time. These trends will directly impact where and how prepared refrigerated foods will be sold in supermarkets."

According to Lou Cooperhouse, President and CEO of Food Spectrum, "The refrigerated sections of the supermarket offer US food marketers abundant opportunities for increased sales of prepared foods. Much has been learned over the past two decades from the experiences and investments made by many companies that have entered, left and reentered this complex category. Advances in process and packaging technologies will help to forge success with new types of chilled foods in the near future."

Retail Prepared Refrigerated Foods: The Market and Technologies provides:

• Supermarket sales trends for each category,
• Sales forecasts through 2005,
• In-depth analysis of the trends and factors affecting each product category,
• Profiles of major competitors,
• An overview of the competitive products merchandised in other supermarket departments,
• A "post mortem" analysis of fully-prepared refrigerated products that were introduced and withdrawn by major national manufacturers over the past 15 years,
• Detailed discussions on over 20 current and emerging processing and packaging technologies used in the manufacture of refrigerated foods, and
• An overview of the benefits of temperature control, food safety principles and HACCP.

Dr. Soji Adelaja, Dean/Director of Research at Cook College and the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station of Rutgers University, and also the Director of its Food Policy Institute explains, "Given the wealth of knowledge and expertise within the Food Spectrum organization and within Rutgers University, we see this as the first in a series of reports that offers manufacturers, marketers and retailers timely and meaningful information to maximize on emerging market opportunities."

This research, conducted by industry professionals, is available in two forms:

• The complete, 268-page report, providing comprehensive information on all product categories and technologies, and
• Category-specific Mini Studies, excerpted from the complete report, that feature targeted, condensed market and technological information on:

1. - Entrees, Dinners, and Value-added Meats and Poultry,
2. - Value-added Produce,
3. - Prepared Salads,
4. - Pizza,
5. - Pasta and Sauces,
6. - Lunch Kits, and
7. - A special study focusing exclusively on the current and emerging process and packaging technologies used in the manufacture of refrigerated foods as well as best practices to enhance product quality, assure product safety, and extend product shelf life.

The complete report, selling for $2,795, as well as the excerpted mini studies, selling for $395 to $595 each, are now available from Food Spectrum.

Complete information is provided on the company's web site at www.foodspectrum.com, or by calling 1-877-FOOD888.

About Food Spectrum

Food Spectrum is a consulting and research organization that provides a broad array of strategic expertise to the prepared food industry. The Company services manufacturers of value-added food products and progressive food retailers in North America and in Europe. Working with the Food Policy Institute at Rutgers University, Food Spectrum is debuting the first in a series of published market reports focusing on prepared food markets in the US.

About the Food Policy Institute

FPI is a unique partnership created to focus on policy issues and challenges facing the food industry and food consumers in the mid-Atlantic region. Based at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, the Institute's mission is to develop timely and relevant research programs that address pressing food policy issues and to engage in outreach and education to industry, consumers, and policy makers. The objective is to maximize the quality of decision-making for industry executives and government regarding food production, distribution and consumption.

Contact: Lou Cooperhouse
Food Spectrum, LLC
Voice: 732-537-1901
Fax: 732-537-1911
lcooperhouse@foodspectrum.com