Discover the enormous potential of selling gourmet canned food, a great business opportunity
According to the dictionary, canned food, such as meat, fish or fruit, is food that is conveniently prepared, thermally processed and hermetically packed to be kept edible for a long time.
We could add to this definition that there are two types of canned food on the market:
- The standard canned food, produced industrially, aimed at a wide public and that we can find in any local supermarket. The different brands that market them compete with one another more on price than on quality.
- Gourmet canned food, handmade with high quality products and aimed at the most demanding consumers. Gourmet canned food can be found in specific areas of the supermarket or in specialised shops. Due to the raw materials and the technique used to produce them, they are more expensive than standard canned food, and the different brands compete more on quality than on sale price.
In this article we will focus on the marketing of gourmet canned food, also known as premium canned or delicatessen canned food, which is cooked, pasteurized or sterilized in our autoclaves.
Gourmet canned food as a business opportunity
The term gourmet comes from French, and the dictionary defines it as a person with exquisite tastes in food and drink. And as an adjective, it would be something of a gourmet, such as a gourmet dishes or gourmet canned food. Therefore, from this definition, we can intuit that gourmet canned food is intended for the man or woman with a select palate.
Requirements for a canned food to be considered a gourmet canned food
The fact is that canned food must meet a series of requirements to be able to boast the adjective gourmet, premium or delicatessen:
High quality raw materials
- Origin. In gourmet canned food, the origin of the product is highlighted and detailed because it is an excellent feature of the product. The raw material is usually local, which gives gourmet canned food the added value of sustainability and belonging.
- Harvesting. The food is left to mature or grow at its own pace, listening at all times to the times set by nature and without additional measures to accelerate the process, harvesting at the moment of its maximum splendor.
- Seals and certifications. Gourmet canned food, in addition to the obligatory health certifications, usually have seals that guarantee the food’s designation of origin and other certifications specific to organic products.
Manual and artisanal preparation
● Gourmet canned food is cooked in the traditional way and are packed and labeled usually one by one by hand, without industrial machinery.
● They are usually pasteurizedor sterilized in compact autoclaves.
● These preservation methods usually mean that the product does not require additives or artificial preservatives.
Small-scale production
Due to their manual and artisanal production, Gourmet canned food is produced in small batches and always according to the availability and seasonality of the raw materials.
How to make gourmet canned food?
It goes without saying that we won’t explain how to cook your gourmet canned food, we’re not in the kitchen, that will be up to you. What we can help you with is the perfect preservation method for your recipe.
In order to ensure that your gourmet canned food does not need chemicals or artificial additives, does not require refrigeration, maintains their nutrients and organoleptic properties, are 100% safe and have a long shelf life, the most advisable method of preservation is sterilization.
Pasteurization may also be an option to consider, although you should be aware that your canned food will require refrigeration and will have a much shorter shelf life.
Both methods of preservation are recommended and both can be carried out with our autoclaves. Both pasteurization and sterilization are similar, but not the same. Find out here their differences and decide which technique is the most suitable for your gourmet canned food.
Gourmet canned food marketing
Gourmet canned food is not only a delicacy, but also a business opportunity for sectors such as agriculture and catering. The demand for high-quality, local and organic products is on the rise, both in Europe and abroad.
According to the technical study by Qapla, an Italian e-commerce services company, on the results of e-commerce and logistics in 2021, sales in the gourmet sector grew by 10% that year, reaching record figures.
Another global survey conducted by Nielsen on the “Premiumisation trend” (pdf content in Spanish) indicates that almost 4 out of 10 global respondents said they would be willing to pay more for premium products that are organic or contain natural ingredients (42%) or are environmentally friendly or made from sustainable materials (39%), and 31% said they would be willing to pay for socially responsible products.
For restaurants, the marketing of gourmet canned food is an opportunity to, among other things, to put an end to idle hours and take their dishes beyond the restaurant itself. In addition, it allows them to prepare their bases and stir-fries with seasonal products, being able to conserve them for their own dishes or market them to third parties, thus obtaining significant economic and time savings and much faster and tastier dishes. For chefs such as Luca Marchini, gourmet canned food have offered the possibility to enter the homes of many people through his recipes. And for the head chef of Antoni Izquierdo Gourmet, the marketing of gourmet canned food has allowed him to diversify and even turn his business around.
As far as the agricultural sector is concerned, the marketing of gourmet canned food involves the full utilization of those fruits or vegetables that have not been sold directly. As well as an alternative to the seasonal nature of this area. The experience of Asparragus Foz-Clua shows us how, through the production of gourmet canned food, it is possible for many small producers to find a way out when they start experience diminishing returns on their crops.
If you want to know more examples, we encourage you to visit our success stories to discover the full potential of selling gourmet canned food.
Make gourmet canned food your own business
To make gourmet food a business and be able to sell to third parties in markets, local shops or delicatessens, you must first formalize a series of legal and sanitary procedures. If you are determined to set up your own gourmet canned food business, TERRA Food-Tech® offers you a downloadable guide with five steps that will help you get started.
In addition to the bureaucratic aspect, the selling to the public of gourmet canned food usually requires sterilization. Sterilization to be 100% satisfactory and compliant with health regulations, requires the use of an autoclave and continuous testing until you reach the ideal point in terms of the organoleptic properties of your product: its flavor, color, texture and smell. That is why when you purchase one of our autoclaves, TERRA Food-Tech® offers a food consultancy service. Our technicians, in addition to guiding you with regard to the optimum times and temperatures for your products, they can also give you useful tips so that your recipe tastes great after undergoing sterilization.
We won’t tell you that starting a gourmet canned food business is easy. No, it is not. However, what we can tell you is that it is a rewarding venture and can offer very interesting returns in the short term. That is why TERRA Food-Tech® encourages you to join the exciting world of gourmet canned food production. If you still have doubts, ask us. We are here to help you.