The vent and conscience of pre-made dishes: When Xibei "breaks the defense", how should we define this dish?
A plate of ready-to-eat Kung Pao chicken is behind it. Behind it is a huge wave of catering industrialization. Xibei’s pre-made dishes are trapped in a whirlpool of public opinion. This is not only a brand crisis, but also a sign that the entire industry is standing at a crossroads - how should we view this "kitchen revolution"?
As the topic of "Xibei Pre-made Cuisine" continues to ferment, a debate about the modernization of the catering industry and consumer trust has reached a climax. Consumers are questioning: What I spent a lot of money to eat in a restaurant was actually pre-made dishes mass-produced by the factory? The industry is thinking: Is pre-made dishes an inevitable choice for the revolution in catering efficiency, or a betrayal of the "burn" and the essence of catering?
01 Phenomenon: Xibei encountered a public opinion crisis, and pre-made dishes were at the forefront
Recently, Xibei has become the target of public criticism because of the pre-made dishes. Consumers have found that this catering brand, which sells "Northwest cuisine" and "handmade" as its selling points, actually uses pre-made dishes in large quantities.
This triggered a crisis of trust, and people questioned: Why did I pay the restaurant's premium but couldn't get freshly prepared dishes? Xibei’s case is not an isolated case, it is just a microcosm of the general doubts faced by the pre-made vegetable industry.
From chain restaurants to takeaway platforms, pre-made dishes are everywhere. Data shows that the size of China's pre-made vegetable market has reached 419.6 billion yuan in 2022, and is expected to exceed one trillion yuan by 2026. This quiet diet revolution is reshaping our dining tables.
02 Tracking the roots: clearly define pre-made dishes and unveil the veil of catering industrialization
To discuss pre-made dishes, you must first clarify what is pre-made dishes. According to the standards issued by the China Cooking Association, pre-made dishes are made from one or more agricultural products as raw materials, using standardized flow operations, pre-processed, pre-cooked, etc., and pre-packaged finished or semi-finished dishes.
According to the degree of processing, pre-made dishes can be divided into four categories: ready-to-eat food (such as canned food, eight-treasure porridge), ready-to-eat food (need to be heated and eaten), ready-to-cooked food (need to be cooked in the pot) and ready-to-eat food (raw and cut raw materials).
From this perspective, pre-made dishes are not new things, and traditional canned and frozen dumplings can be classified into this category. However, the technical level and product richness of modern pre-made dishes are no longer comparable.
03 Insight: Industry-driven triple logic, victory of efficiency and standards
Behind the rise of pre-made dishes is the inevitable logic of the development of the catering industry. First of all, the demand for efficiency. The catering industry is facing the challenges of rising labor costs, increasing rental pressure and high difficulty in standardization. Pre-made dishes can significantly reduce labor costs and increase the speed of meal delivery.
The second is standardized demand. The expansion of chain catering requires consistent taste. Pre-made dishes can ensure the stable quality of dishes in different stores and at different times. This is also an important reason why capital is optimistic about the pre-made cuisine track.
The third is the change in market demand. Under the fast-paced life, young people are unwilling to spend time cooking, but they also want to have a higher quality diet experience than takeaway. Pre-made dishes just fill this gap.
04 Controversy: Why do consumers conflict? The gap between price, health and expectation
Although the industry is optimistic, consumers have obvious differences in their acceptance of pre-made dishes. The core controversy point is first at the price level. Consumers are unwilling to buy pre-made dishes at the price of the current dishes, believing that the price is unfair.
Health concerns are another major resistance. In order to extend the shelf life of pre-made dishes, they often need to add preservatives or perform high-temperature sterilization, which may lead to nutrient loss and taste changes. In addition, the problems of high oil, high salt and high sugar are also relatively common.
The deepest conflict lies in the gap in psychological expectations. When going out for a meal or ordering takeout, consumers are looking forward to the experience of "pot" and "handmade" and "handmade". Although pre-made dishes improve efficiency, they cannot meet this emotional need.
05 Trend: Standardization and development parallel, the future path of pre-made dishes
In the face of controversy, the pre-made vegetable industry is not without a way out. The first thing is to establish a transparent mechanism to give consumers the right to know and the right to choose. Restaurants should clearly identify which pre-made dishes are and provide corresponding price distinctions.
Standard formulation is also crucial. At present, the pre-made vegetable industry lacks unified national standards, resulting in uneven product quality. Establishing a strict standard system is an important prerequisite for ensuring the healthy development of the industry.
Technical innovation will promote the upgrade of pre-made dishes. The advancement of cold chain technology, the improvement of fresh locking technology, and the improvement of additive technology all help solve the shortcomings of pre-made dishes in taste and nutrition. #Autumn Life Check-in Season#
The most important thing is that the market needs to develop in segments. Pre-made dishes for restaurants and pre-made dishes for households should have different positioning to meet the needs of different scenarios, rather than generalization.
Prepainted dishes will not disappear, they are deeply embedded in the modern catering system. But the controversy caused by Xibei reminds everyone: the core of the catering industry is not only efficiency and standardization, but also trust and value equality. The winners of the future will not be those companies that will reduce costs the most, but brands that can find the best balance between industrialization and humanization.
The choice of consumers will ultimately define the final direction of this kitchen revolution.
