Stamford, Connecticut-based American Halal Company is adding four halal-certified, gluten-free products to its Saffron Road World Cuisine range of globally inspired frozen ready meals: Thai-style Green Curry with Chicken, Coconut Curry Chicken, Vegetable Biryani, and Madras Curry with Chicken Meatballs.
Featuring chicken raised without antibiotics and sustainable plant-based proteins including chickpeas and cashews, the recipes are free from artificial colors, fake flavors and preservatives. They will be unveiled and available to sample, along with Saffron Road’s newly launched Ramen Bowls and Crunchy Chickpea snack products at Booth #5406 during the March 5-9 Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, California.
A brief description of the new products, which weigh in at 283 grams and will sell for $4.99 at Kroger supermarkets and other retail outlets in the USA and Canada beginning in June, follows:
Coconut Curry Chicken with Basmati Rice. This meal features tender white meat chicken in a warmly spiced, creamy curry of coconut milk and yogurt.
Thai Style Green Curry with Chicken. This flavorful offering is an authentic Thai green curry featuring coconut milk, red bell peppers, green beans, dark meat chicken and rice.
Vegetable Biryani. The vegan dish combines premium basmati rice with a colorful mélange of roasted cauliflower, green peas, cashews, chickpeas and caramelized onions.
Madras Curry & Chicken Meatballs with Basmati Rice. Curry leaves, tamarind and coconut milk in a South Indian recipe loaded with spices and complimented with chicken meatballs.
“Believing that authentic flavors have the power to transport you, we at Saffron Road make that journey a reality by offering the best from around the globe,” said CEO Adnan Durrani. “The spirit for flavor adventure and exploration only continues to grow with the rising spending power of younger shoppers – especially millennials. They increasingly want more internationally inspired options that are made with clean-label ingredients such as antibiotic-free and plant-based proteins. We are proud to be at the forefront of the intersection between authentic world cuisines and wholesome, pure ingredients.”
Frozen ready meals comprise 43.2% of global frozen food sales, and the overall category continues to improve, according to a July 2018 report from Global Industry Analysts Inc. Specifically, it states: “Current microwavable food options offer myriad benefits in terms of preparation, time, flexibility, handling, portion consistency, hygiene, waste reduction and easy-to-make recipes.”
Furthermore, according to Acosta, 26% of grocery shoppers in the United States find themselves walking the frozen aisle more often today than last year. Not surprisingly, this is partly due to grocery buyers from households with children as well as millennials seeking innovation, new flavors and the convenience provided by having ready meals quickly available in one’s home freezer.
Although small brands like Saffron Road account for just 2% of market share currently, they are poised to capture 30% of growth over the next five years, estimates Bain & Company.
“We are at the forefront of the intersection between authentic world cuisines and wholesome, pure ingredients and we think the interest in better-for-you products featuring global flavors will continue into 2019 and beyond,” said Durrani.
