Frozen bakery products are long-lasting food products with a frozen shelf life of 6 to 18 months, by stopping the movement of the water in the product and turning the water into ice crystals, thus preventing the microbiological deterioration of the food. It is the most practical and efficient form of production, consumption and storage that reaches the final consumption area without any physical deformation as long as the cold chain network,  from production to warehousing and then from transportation to storage conditions, is not broken.

With the growth of the urban population, the increase in the role of women in business life, and the acceleration and change of lifestyles, many companies have turned to the field of frozen bakery products, whose growth potential is increasing day by day. Considering the developing out-of-home consumption, storage and transportation conditions, frozen products, which offer the opportunity to be consumed fresher as long as the cold chain is not broken, are becoming more and more popular with consumers every day.

Frozen bakery products, which have developed in parallel with technological progress in the bakery sector, enable businesses and consumers to be offered easy-to-prepare and delicious products. Frozen bakery products, which reduce transportation costs and help storage & labor savings especially for businesses, provide great convenience with their short defrosting and cooking time. Many boutique businesses and hotels are now able to prepare delicious products in a short time, without wasting staff, space and time, thanks to frozen bakery products.

According to data from ResearchAndMarkets, the overall frozen bakery products market is predicted to reach $22.3 billion in 2021. Again, according to the same data, the frozen bakery products industry is expected to reach $29.5 billion by 2026 with an increase of 5.8% compound annual growth rate (CAGR). In the research of ResearchAndMarkets; bread, pizza, cakes and pastries were covered as the frozen bakery products market.

Frozen bakery products are increasingly becoming an integral part of daily diets all over the world, especially in European countries. The busy lifestyle of the consumers has contributed to the growth of the bread making industry to produce new products that can meet the demand from the consumers. The increase in the consumption of frozen bakery products in emerging markets such as Asia Pacific and Latin America has also led to a rise in the sales of frozen bakery products. The demand for frozen bakery products in developing regions is driven by the increase in disposable income.

The increase in consumers’ preference for ready-made food products encourages the demand for frozen bakery products as they require less time and effort. The processed food market is driven by an increase in the need for convenience due to busy customer lifestyles. This has led to an increase in the demand for frozen bakery products. The high growth rate of frozen foods industry due to the fast-growing urban households in developing countries is expected to drive the demand for frozen bakery products. The rise in per capita income and the increase in the trend of snacking between meals are the main factors stimulating the demand for frozen bakery products. The development of retail channels in the form of supermarkets, hypermarkets, convenience stores and specialty stores has encouraged the growth of the market. Because frozen bakery products do not require baking from scratch, less labor is needed. For this reason, various bakers now prefer keeping frozen baked and semi-baked goods in their in-store bakeries.

Consumer preference for freshly baked goods remains high due to the assumption that frozen food products lack nutrition. One of the biggest perceptions that significantly restricts market growth is hearsay that nutritional values deteriorate during the refrigeration process. Consumers having this perception believe that food products that wait for a year or more before being consumed cannot be nutritious. The inability to maintain a constant temperature for frozen bakery products due to insufficient cold chains in underdeveloped countries is one of the factors feeding this perception.

Frozen bakery products are gaining increasing popularity due to their easy preparation, time and cost efficiency. Demand for frozen bakery products is expected to remain high due to increased awareness and consumers’ busier schedules. The increasing busy lifestyle of consumers in developed regions is a major factor in encouraging the purchase of hassle-free and ready-to-bake frozen bakery products.

By consumption form, the ready-to-bake segment is projected to have the largest market share between 2021 and 2026. This is because pre-baked frozen baked goods take less time during the baking process. The ready-to-bake consumption form offers the opportunity to make fresh bakery products.

Given the large-scale urbanization and the growing need for affordable food products in the megacities of China and India, the Asia Pacific is expected to be the fastest growing market due to its strong growth potential. The growth of the region along with the industry and the developments in the food processing industry as well as the cold chain networks will create new growth opportunities in the frozen bakery products market.

Short defrosting and cooking time, less labor cost and obtaining standard products provide great advantages for businesses. Today, many chain stores offer their customers hot products similar to those produced in a neighborhood bakery, without the hassle of stocking up on raw materials. This not only solves the problem of returned products, which is among the biggest complaints of the bakery industry, and prevents waste and loss of income, but also allows businesses to have hot products all the time.

The healthiest way to store bakery products for a long time is deep freezing. Freezing is the most natural form of preservation. The best freezing technology for sustainable quality in the production of frozen bakery products is IQF (Individual Quick Frozen) technology. The deep and fast freezing method is a highly safe method that does not contain any shelf-life-enhancing additives.

With the rapid spread of frozen bakery products, which have reached a market size of $22.5 billion worldwide, the waste of bread, one of the most wasted products in the world and in our country, can be reduced to some extent. Bread, which is bought more than necessary and thrown away when not consumed, means throwing away national wealth. Especially at a time when wheat prices are increasing rapidly all over the world, frozen production, which prevents waste, will reduce the waste of the farmer and the wheat in the field.

In order to freeze bakery products in a healthy way, it is necessary to freeze the product very quickly at -40 ° C. Contrary to popular belief, frozen bakery products are safe foods that do not contain preservatives or shelf-life-enhancing additives. In other words, frozen production technology is the most natural preservative to preserve freshness. By keeping frozen bakery products below -18 °C, reproduction of micro-organisms and deterioration of products are prevented.

In terms of logistics and transportation, frozen bakery products have a much easier shipping capability than fresh bakery products. The continuity of the cold chain, which will also be provided in logistics, ensures the shipment of the product produced in the facility between cities, countries and even continents. This is an important feature of the countries that contributes to the transfer of frozen bakery culinary cultures between geographies. Consumption of a frozen industrial pastry produced in a thin and crispy quality close to hand-blanched in any city in the world is a great gain for the sector.

RISING DEMAND FOR READY TO BAKE BAKERY PRODUCTS

Bake-off bakery production has become one of the key targets for almost all industrial bakers in Europe. Scratch baking is labor-intensive and requires a long time. The industry is shifting from traditional baking to Bake-off technologies (BOT). Three key BOT are unfermented frozen dough (UFD), partially-baked frozen bread (PBF), and partially-baked unfrozen bread (PBUF). Frozen semi-baked goods and ready-to-bake goods are also important product segments for the food industry, especially for hotels and the catering industry. Pre-proofed frozen dough is also a convenient alternative to fresh-baked bread. Bakery products, like bread, rolls, and bagels are majorly served as ready-to-thaw products, while croissants and pastries are available in the ready-to-bake form.

The global frozen bakery products market, based on distribution channel, has been segmented into artisan bakers, retail, and catering & industrial. Retail is expected to be the largest segment through the forecast period, whereas catering & industrial is projected to be the fastest growing segment. Certain factors pertaining to an increased interest in frozen bakery products impact the retail market dynamics significantly, while the catering & industrial channel is driven by the growing demand for frozen and par-baked products from restaurants and other institutional food services. On the basis of technology, the frozen bakery products market is segmented into raw products, ready-to-bake, and ready baked & frozen. The ready baked & frozen segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR, according to the research company. Factors such as wide scale of application, versatility, convenient products and quick to use continue to drive the ready baked & frozen segment.

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