The Russians have significantly increased purchases of ready-made food in supermarkets: what are the risks

Along with the structure of the economy, our food structure is also changing. The latest Nielsen study shows that last year Russians increased their purchases of ready-made food in retail chains by 25%: various salads and vinaigrettes, pancakes with cottage cheese and other semi-finished products. Such statistics radically change the stereotypes that the population is getting poorer and there is only enough money for bread and milk.

Researchers believe that sales statistics show that ready-made food and convenience foods are a means of saving time and money. As for the time, this is for sure – you don’t need to bathe at the stove, “rewinding” the shift in the office or in production. I opened the refrigerator and had a bite, the maximum that needs to be done is to warm it up in the microwave. But about saving money, you can argue.

We specifically looked into several chain stores where there is a brisk trade in finished products. Turkey with a side dish, “Uzbek pilaf”, pasta – all this is packaged in beautiful 250-gram containers. And it costs 140-160 rubles. Although it is not a fact that you can pick up a piece of turkey or lamb in a container.

– Terribly expensive, – customers are indignant. – 250 grams is a glass. Is it possible to eat a glass of pasta for 160 rubles? And I vouch for my cooking, I know what I put in the dish. And what will be stuffed into this salad, I don’t know …

Experienced housewives claim that store-bought ready-made food costs two to three times more than cooking it yourself. Price tags confirm such conclusions. So, 100 grams of grilled chicken costs 50 rubles, pork kebab – 40. So, a kilogram of both, respectively – 500 and 400 rubles. Whereas in the same store the most expensive chilled chicken will cost 240 rubles, and pork ham – 260.

In a word, it is unlikely that such products are available at prices to the broad masses of the people. But statistics are stubborn things. It shows that ready meals and culinary outputs continue to grow by leaps and bounds, at about 55% per year over the past five years. And forecasts say that in the next 2-3 years, the purchase of ready-made food in retail chains may even triple.

Expensive and cheap are, of course, relative terms. Yes, prices in supermarkets are lower than in public catering. According to analysts, this explains the sharp increase in sales, retail chains win back consumers from catering. Although in the shops where we visited, we did not see any excitement at the windows with Olivier salad.

But let’s agree that today there is no affordable public catering (for example, canteens), where earlier it was possible to kill a worm inexpensively. Now even the most seedy eatery is a cafe or even a restaurant with its own markups.

“The increase in buyers of ready-made food in supermarkets can be explained by the fact that the share of the next generation among consumers is increasing,” says Alexander Brazhko, coordinator of the civil project “For Honest Foods”. – The older generation will not buy ready-made food, no one knows whose production, for any price. And in the 2000s, young people were addicted to such semi-finished products. They don’t know how to cook, they don’t need to, they were told that the whole world eats differently. Buy, unpack, reheat, and that’s it … Young people rarely buy potatoes, cabbage, carrots or something else to cut and make their own salad. It is more convenient to buy ready-made Olivier in the store …

But can you unconditionally trust store-bought tablecloths? Food poisoning is not uncommon in our lives…

The well-known nutritionist and gastroenterologist Nuria Dianova recommends that fast food lovers carefully read the label on the package and the shelf life before making a purchase.

– If the goods are prepackaged and vacuum-packed, the risks are less, – she says, – but they remain anyway. Products by weight are more dangerous, they have very short sales periods, especially if they are refilled.

What ingredients should you pay special attention to?

– Boiled eggs, mayonnaise, meat, cottage cheese… Any ingredients of animal origin dramatically reduce the shelf life of the product. A dish of potatoes or mushrooms is less dangerous than pancakes with cottage cheese or meat. And vinaigrette is much more long-lasting than Olivier salad. In the evening, at the end of the working day, I would not recommend shopping at the ready-made food departments at all.

– Is there any ready-made food that does not contain the risks of food poisoning?

– Surely there is. However, you need to be prepared that in any case it will cost more than if you cook it yourself. The manufacturer will save you money. But you won’t get poisoned. Some large retail chains have their own cafes, they have a large staff of staff working in the kitchen. There are huge turnovers and products are not stale. Once cooked, they have very short disposal times if the product is left on the shelf.