View source for Convenience food

{{Short description|Processed food designed for ease of preparation and consumption}}
{{redirect-distinguish|Packaged food|Food packaging}}
{{redirect-distinguish|Ready-to-eat food|Meal, Ready-to-Eat}}

[[File:SnackfoodRackDF.JPG|thumb|Rack of convenience [[snack food|snack foods]]]]

'''Convenience food''' (also called [[Food processing#Tertiary food processing|tertiary processed food]]) is [[food]] that is commercially [[food preparation|prepared]] (often through [[food processing|processing]]) for ease of [[Consumer (food chain)|consumption]], and is usually ready to eat without further preparation. It may also be easily portable, have a long [[shelf life]], or offer a combination of such convenient traits. Convenience foods include ready-to-eat dry products, [[frozen food]] such as [[TV dinner]]s, [[shelf-stable food]], prepared mixes such as cake mix, and [[snack food]]. Food scientists now consider most of these products to be [[ultra-processed food]]s and link them to poor health outcomes.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Monteiro |first1=Carlos A. |last2=Cannon |first2=Geoffrey |last3=Levy |first3=Renata B |last4=Moubarac |first4=Jean-Claude |last5=Louzada |first5=Maria L. C. |last6=Rauber |first6=Fernanda |last7=Khandpur |first7=Neha |last8=Cediel |first8=Gustavo |last9=Neri |first9=Daniela |last10=Martinez-Steele |first10=Euridice |last11=Baraldi |first11=Larissa G. |last12=Jaime |first12=Patricia C. |date=2019 |title=Ultra-processed foods: what they are and how to identify them |journal=Public Health Nutrition |language=en |volume=22 |issue=5 |pages=936–941 |doi=10.1017/S1368980018003762 |issn=1368-9800 |pmc=10260459 |pmid=30744710}}</ref>

[[Bread]], [[cheese]], [[Salting (food)|salted food]] and other prepared foods have been sold for thousands of years, but these typically require a much lower level of industrial processing, as reflected in systems such as the [[Nova classification]]. Other types of food were developed with improvements in [[food technology]]. Types of convenience foods can vary by country and geographic region. Some convenience foods have received criticism due to concerns about nutritional content and how their packaging may increase solid waste in landfills. Various methods are used to reduce the unhealthy aspects of commercially produced food and fight [[childhood obesity]].

Convenience food is commercially prepared for ease of consumption.<ref name="Nutrition Bible">{{cite book|title=The Nutrition Bible|author=Jean Anderson|author2=Barbara Deskins|date=October 1995|publisher=William Morrow & Co|isbn=978-0-688-11619-4|edition=1st|author-link=Jean Anderson (cookbook author)}}<!--|access-date=18 May 2009 --></ref> Products designated as convenience food are often sold as hot, ready-to-eat dishes; as room-temperature, shelf-stable products; or as refrigerated or [[frozen food]] products that require minimal preparation (typically just heating).<ref name="Health and age">{{cite web |url=http://www.healthandage.com/Home/gid2=2434 |title=Convenience Foods |date=8 May 2003 |work=Swiss Association for Nutrition |publisher=Health and Age Center |access-date=18 May 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090422033216/http://www.healthandage.com/Home/gid2=2434 |archive-date=22 April 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Convenience foods have also been described as foods that have been created to "make them more appealing to the consumer."<ref name="Chow">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Hcl0fkcrfbEC&q=snack+chips+convenience+food&pg=PA335 |title=Fatty Acids in Foods and their Health Implications, Third Edition |page=376|access-date=10 July 2013|isbn=9781420006902 |last1=Chow |first1=Ching Kuang |date=19 November 2007 |publisher=CRC Press }}</ref> Convenience foods and restaurants are similar in that they save time.<ref name="Ensminger1">Ensminger 1994, p. 463.</ref> They differ in that restaurant food is ready to eat, whilst convenience food usually requires rudimentary preparation. Both typically cost more money and less time compared to home cooking from scratch.<ref name="Ensminger1"/>

==History==
Throughout history, people have bought food from [[bakery|bakeries]], [[Creamery|creameries]], [[butcher]] shops and other commercial processors to save time and effort.  The [[Aztec]] people of Central [[Mexico]] utilized several convenience foods that required only adding water for preparation, which were used by travelers.<ref name="Encyclopedia">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QIFTVWJH3doC&q=south+america+convenience+food&pg=PA138 |title=Encyclopedia of American Indian Contributions to the World: 15,000 Years of Inventions and Innovations - Emory Dean Keoke, Kay Marie Porterfield |page=138|access-date=10 July 2013|isbn=9781438109909 |last1=Keoke |first1=Emory Dean |last2=Porterfield |first2=Kay Marie |year=2009 |publisher=Infobase }}</ref> [[Cornmeal]] that was ground and dried, referred to as ''pinolli'', was used by travelers as a convenience food in this manner.<ref name="Encyclopedia"/>

[[Canning|Canned food]] was developed in the 19th century, primarily for military use, and became more popular during [[World War I]].  The expansion of canning depended significantly upon the development of canneries for producing large quantities of cans very cheaply. Before the 1850s, making a can for food required a skilled [[tinsmith]]; afterwards, an unskilled laborer, operating a can-making machine, could produce 15 times as many cans each day.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title = Candy: A Century of Panic and Pleasure|last = Kawash|first = Samira|publisher = Faber and Faber|year = 2013|isbn = 9780865477568|pages = 46–48}}</ref>

One of the earliest industrial-scale processed foods was [[meatpacking]]. After the invention of a system of [[refrigerator car]]s in 1878, animals could be raised, slaughtered, and butchered hundreds (later thousands) of miles or kilometers away from the consumer.<ref name=":0" />

[[File:Grocery Store display-1966-11-no border.jpg|thumb|Grocery store display in 1966]]Experience in [[World War II]] contributed to the development of [[frozen food]]s and the frozen [[food industry]].<ref name="Ensminger2">Ensminger 1994, p. 465.</ref> Modern convenience food saw its beginnings in the United States during the period that began [[Post–World War II economic expansion|after World War II]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TDiatOE5B24C&q=Japanese+convenience+food&pg=PA150 |title=The World the Sixties Made: Politics and Culture in Recent America |page=150|access-date=10 July 2013|isbn=9781592138463 |last1=Gosse |first1=Van |last2=Moser |first2=Richard R. |year=2008 |publisher=Temple University Press }}</ref> Many of these products had their origins in military-developed foods designed for storage longevity and ease of preparation in the battle field. Following the war, several commercial food companies had leftover manufacturing facilities, and some of these companies created new freeze-dried and canned foods for home use.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jiLxeHlP03sC&q=history+convenience+food&pg=PA180 |title=Diversity in European Marketing: Text and Cases |page=180|access-date=10 July 2013|isbn=9783834969767 |last1=Rudolph |first1=Thomas |last2=Schlegelmilch |first2=Bodo B. |last3=Bauer |first3=András |last4=Franch |first4=Josep |last5=Meise |first5=Jan Niklas |date=9 March 2012 |publisher=Springer }}</ref> Like many product introductions, not all were successful—convenience food staples such as [[fish sticks]] and canned [[peach]]es were counterbalanced by failures such as ham sticks and [[cheeseburger]]s-in-a-can.<ref name="shapiro">{{cite book|title=Something from the Oven: Reinventing Dinner in 1950s America|last=Shapiro|first=Laura|author-link=Laura Shapiro|date=29 March 2005|publisher=Penguin|isbn=978-0-14-303491-9|location=New York}}<!--|access-date=14 July 2009--></ref> However, this new focus on convenience foods and the use of technology in the kitchen alleviated labor that was traditionally carried out by women, and therefore meals that could be prepared quickly enabled women to exercise more control over their time<ref>{{citation | last = Maurer | first = Elizabeth | title = How Highly Processed Foods Liberated 1950s Housewives | publisher = National Women's History Museum | year = 2017 | url = https://www.womenshistory.org/articles/how-highly-processed-foods-liberated-1950s-housewives}}</ref>, although research suggests these convenience technologies paradoxically intensify housework for women.<ref>{{Cite web |title=More Work For Mother: The Ironies Of Household Technology From The Open Hearth To The Microwave {{!}} HSS {{!}} Arts & Sciences |url=https://hss.sas.upenn.edu/content/more-work-mother-ironies-household-technology-open-hearth-microwave |access-date=2025-11-17 |website=hss.sas.upenn.edu}}</ref>
 
As of the 2010s due to increased preference for fresh, "[[natural foods|natural]]", [[whole food|whole]], and [[organic food]] and health concerns the acceptability of processed food to consumers in the United States was dropping and the reputation of major packaged food brands had been damaged. Firms responded by offering "healthier" formulations and acquisition of brands with better reputations.<ref name=NYT11615>{{cite news|author1=Hans Taparia and Pamela Koch|title=A Seismic Shift in How People Eat|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/08/opinion/a-seismic-shift-in-how-people-eat.html|access-date=7 November 2015|work=The New York Times|date=6 November 2015|quote=The food movement over the past couple of decades has substantially altered consumer behavior and reshaped the competitive landscape.}}</ref>

==Types==
Convenience foods can include products such as [[candy]]; [[beverages]] such as [[soft drinks]], [[juices]] and [[milk]]; [[Nut (fruit)|nuts]], [[fruits]] and [[vegetables]] in fresh or [[Dried fruit|preserved]] states; [[Cold cut|processed meats]] and [[processed cheese|cheeses]]; and [[canning|canned]] products such as [[soup]]s and [[pasta]] dishes. Additional convenience foods include [[frozen pizza]],<ref name="Rees"/> chips<ref name="Chow"/> such as [[potato chip]]s (known in Britain as crisps),<ref name="Rees"/>  [[pretzel]]s,<ref name="Chow"/> and [[cookie]]s.<ref name="Rees">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uB9TZrE_gi4C&q=potato+chips+convenience+food&pg=PA22 |title=Eating Properly - Jonathan Rees |date=30 July 2005 |access-date=10 July 2013 |isbn=9781583405918 |last1=Rees |first1=Jonathan |publisher=Smart Apple Media }}{{Dead link|date=December 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

These products are often sold in [[Portion control (dieting)|portion-control]]led, single-serving [[packaging]] designed for portability.<ref name="Diversity">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jiLxeHlP03sC&q=single+serving+convenience+food&pg=PA181 |title=Diversity in European Marketing: Text and Cases |page=181 |access-date=10 July 2013|isbn=9783834969767 |last1=Rudolph |first1=Thomas |last2=Schlegelmilch |first2=Bodo B. |last3=Bauer |first3=András |last4=Franch |first4=Josep |last5=Meise |first5=Jan Niklas |date=9 March 2012 |publisher=Springer }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RyYM4OuSixUC&q=single+serving+convenience+food&pg=PA333 |title=Food, People and Society: A European Perspective of Consumers' Food Choices |date=21 September 2001 |page=333|access-date=10 July 2013|isbn=9783540415213 |last1=Frewer |first1=Lynn J. |last2=Risvik |first2=Einar |last3=Schifferstein |first3=Hendrik |publisher=Springer }}</ref>

===Packaged mixes===
[[File:Cake mix in plastic packet photo.JPG|thumb|A cake mix]]
[[Gristmill]]s have produced [[flour]] for [[baking]] for thousands of years. In more recent times flour has been sold with other ingredients mixed in, as have other products ready to cook. Packaged mixes are convenience foods<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nT0d4Ewjb1wC&q=Packaged+mix+convenience+foods&pg=PA5 |title=Dimensions of Food, Fifth Edition - Vickie A. Vaclavik, Ph.D., Marcia H. Pimentel, M.S., Marjorie M. Devine, Ph.D. |access-date=10 July 2013|isbn=9781439832714 |last1=Vickie a. Vaclavik |first1=Ph. D. |last2=Marjorie m. Devine |first2=Ph. D. |last3=Marcia h. Pimentel |first3=M. S. |date=7 June 2002 |publisher=CRC Press }}</ref> which typically require some preparation and cooking either in the oven or on the stove top.

Packaged baked goods mixes typically use chemical [[leavener]]s (commonly referred to as baking powder<ref>John Brodie, John Godber  "Bakery Processes, Chemical Leavening Agents" in Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology 2001, John Wiley & Sons. {{doi|10.1002/0471238961.0308051303082114.a01.pub2}}</ref>), for a quick, reliable result, avoiding the requirement for time-consuming skilled labor and the climate control needed for traditional yeast breads. These packaged mixes produce a type of [[quickbread]].

Examples include [[cake mix]]es,<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PMOrW3zkirwC&q=Packaged+mixes&pg=PA143 |title=Food bites [electronic resource&#93;: the science of the foods we eat - Richard W. Hartel, AnnaKate Hartel |access-date=10 July 2013|isbn=9780387758459 |last1=Hartel |first1=Richard W. |last2=Hartel |first2=Annakate |date=1 March 2009 |publisher=Springer }}</ref> [[macaroni and cheese]],<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AoWlCmNDA3QC&q=macaroni+and+cheese+convenience+food&pg=PA363 |title=The Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink |access-date=10 July 2013|isbn=9780195307962 |last1=Smith |first1=Andrew F. |date=May 2007 |publisher=Oxford University Press, USA }}</ref> [[Chocolate brownie|brownie]] mixes,<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w3PszdK5gtIC&q=Packaged+mixes&pg=PA39 |title=Destination Mexico: Planning a Cruise to Mexico - Carolyn Mehaffy, Bob Mehaffy  |access-date=10 July 2013|isbn=9780939837410  |last1=Mehaffy  |first1=Carolyn  |last2=Mehaffy  |first2=Bob  |date=November 1995  |publisher=Paradise Cay Publications }}</ref> and [[gravy]] mixes.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iPFokL0MuswC&q=Packaged+gravy+mixes&pg=PA339 |title=Prevention Magazine's Nutrition Advisor: The Ultimate Guide to the Health-Boosting and Health-Harming Factors in Your Diet |date=15 August 1994 |access-date=10 July 2013|isbn=9780875962252 |last1=Bricklin |first1=Mark|publisher=Rodale }}</ref> Some packaged mixes may have a high [[saturated fat]] content.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8gqHERUZlw8C&q=Packaged+mixes&pg=PA221 |title=The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Anti-Inflammation Diet - Christopher Cannon, Elizabeth Vierck  |access-date=10 July 2013|isbn=9781440696879  |last1=Cannon  |first1=Dr. Christopher P.  |last2=Vierck  |first2=Elizabeth  |last3=Beale  |first3=Lucy  |date=5 December 2006  |publisher=Penguin }}</ref>

===By country===
[[File:Onigiri at a convenience store by typester in Kamakura.jpg|thumb|[[Onigiri]] at a convenience store in [[Kamakura, Kanagawa|Kamakura]], [[Japan]]]]
In 2007, it was noted in the book ''Australia's food & nutrition 2012'' that a distinct increase in convenience food consumption had been occurring in [[Australia]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eIfb1zwTFqcC&q=australia+convenience+food&pg=PA13 |title=Australia's food & nutrition 2012 |page=13|access-date=10 July 2013|isbn=9781742493237 |last1=Welfare |first1=Australian Institute of Health and |year=2012 }}</ref>

In the [[Republic of Ireland]], [[breakfast roll]]s eaten by busy workers became a symbol of the [[Celtic Tiger]] economic boom.<ref name="mcdonald20080512">{{Cite news |url=https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/top-breakfast-baguette-rolls-into-irish-history-26445568.html |title=Top breakfast baguette rolls into Irish history |last=McDonald |first=Brian |date=12 May 2008 |work=Irish Independent |access-date=3 February 2019 |language=en}}</ref>

In [[Japan]], [[onigiri]] (rice balls) are a popular convenience food<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mJvpFC1-x5AC&q=Japanese+convenience+food&pg=PA131 |title=Fast Food, Slow Food: The Cultural Economy of the Global Food System |access-date=10 July 2013|isbn=9780759109155 |last1=Wilk |first1=Richard R. |year=2006 }}</ref>  that dates for millennia — by the [[Heian period]] these were established enough to be mentioned in [[Heian literature|literature]].<ref>{{cite book
  | last = Ikeda
  | first = Kikan
  |author2=Shinji Kishigami |author3=Ken Akiyama
   | title = Koten Bungaku Taikei 19: Makura no Sōshi, Murasaki Shikibu Nikki
  | publisher = [[Iwanami Shoten Publishing|Iwanami Shoten]]
  | year = 1958
  | page= 455
  | location = Tōkyō
  | isbn = 978-4-00-060019-4
  }}</ref><ref>{{cite book
  | last = Hasegawa
  | first = Masaharu
  |author2=Yūichirō Imanishi
  | title = Shin Koten Bungaku Taikei 24: Tosa Nikki, Kagerō Nikki, Murasaki Shikibu Nikki, Sarashina Nikki
  | publisher = [[Iwanami Shoten Publishing|Iwanami Shoten]]
  | year = 1989
  | page = 266
  | location = Tōkyō
  | isbn = 978-4-00-240024-2
  }}</ref> Additional Japanese convenience foods include prepared [[tofu]] (bean curd),<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=g_eGICVMj3YC&q=Japanese+convenience+food&pg=PA55 |title=The Essence of Japanese Cuisine: An Essay on Food and Culture - Michael Ashkenazi, Jeanne Jacob |page=55|access-date=10 July 2013|isbn=978-0812235661 |last1=Ashkenazi |first1=Michael |last2=Jacob |first2=Jeanne |date=26 October 2000 |publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press }}</ref> prepared packages of seafood<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OULfrDOF1wAC&q=Japanese+convenience+food&pg=PA28 |title=Japan's Tuna Fishing Industry: A Setting Sun Or New Dawn? - Anthony Bergin, Marcus G. Haward |isbn=9781560722410 |access-date=10 July 2013|last1=Bergin |first1=Anthony |last2=Haward |first2=Marcus G. |year=1996 |publisher=Nova Publishers }}</ref> and [[Instant soup|instant]] [[ramen]] noodles.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wjRO3z1KcKUC&q=Japan+noodle+convenience+food&pg=PT11 |title=Ramen to the Rescue Cookbook: 120 Creative Recipes for Easy Meals Using Everyone's Favorite Pack of Noodles - Jessica Harlan |isbn=9781612430041 |access-date=10 July 2013|last1=Harlan |first1=Jessica |date=30 August 2011 |publisher=Simon and Schuster }}</ref>

In [[Philippines|the Philippines]], ready-to-consume packages of traditional Filipino dishes such as [[sisig]], [[Philippine adobo|adobo]], and [[Kaldereta|caldereta]] are popular products offered by convenience stores across the country.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lucas |first=Daxim L. |date=2019-09-06 |title=More Filipinos getting everyday meals from convenience stores |url=https://business.inquirer.net/278309/more-filipinos-getting-everyday-meals-from-convenience-stores |access-date=2023-11-19 |website=INQUIRER.net |language=en}}</ref>

Canned [[tuna]] packed in oil is a convenience food in the [[Solomon Islands]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ly3JcCmf7VoC&q=Japanese+convenience+food&pg=PA3 |title=A Japanese Joint Venture in the Pacific: Foreign bodies in tinned tuna - Kate Barclay  |isbn=9780203930908 |access-date=10 July 2013|last1=Barclay |first1=Kate |date=8 February 2008 |publisher=Taylor & Francis }}</ref>

In Russia, frozen [[pelmeni]], a type of meat dumplings, adopted from Uralic peoples such as [[Komi peoples|Komi]], [[Mansi people|Mansi]] and [[Udmurts]],<ref>[http://www.slovardalja.net/word.php?wordid=24562 Dal Dictionary on-line] derives the etymology of pel'men' from pel'=ear and nan'=bread in Komi and Mansi (Vogul) languages. This may be why pelmeni are called ''[[uszka]]'' ("ears") in Poland.</ref> are known from at least the 18th century, and industrially produced and prepacked pelmeni are a staple of the supermarket freezer sections.

===By region===
In [[Western Africa]], processed [[cassava]] flour that has been grated and dried is a popular convenience food.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1s-a7EMM6BgC&q=african+convenience+food&pg=PA30 |title=Food Culture in Sub-Saharan Africa - Fran Osseo-Asare|page=30|isbn=9780313324888|access-date=10 July 2013|last1=Osseo-Asare|first1=Fran|year=2005|publisher=Bloomsbury Academic }}</ref>

==Retail==
In some instances, retail sales of convenience foods may provide higher profit margins for food retailers compared to the profits attained from sales of the individual ingredients that are present in the convenience foods.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0tWMtRLaZOEC&q=convenience+food+history&pg=PA350 |title=Food: The History of Taste |page=350|isbn=9780520254763 |access-date=11 July 2013|last1=Freedman |first1=Paul |last2=Freedman |first2=Professor Paul |year=2007 |publisher=University of California Press }}</ref>

A survey in 1984 attributed over one-third of funds spent by consumers for food in [[Britain (country)|Britain]] to be for convenience food purchases.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Yg0VASw8KO8C&q=british+convenience+food&pg=PA145 |title=The Challenge of Affluence: Self-Control and Well-Being in the United States and Britain Since 1950 - Avner Offer |page=145|isbn=9780198208532 |access-date=10 July 2013|last1=Offer |first1=Avner |date=9 March 2006 }}</ref>

==Environmental and health concerns==
[[File:7-Eleven Frozen Spaghetti Rendang.JPG|thumb|Refrigerated dinner, to be heated in a microwave oven]]
Several groups have cited the environmental harm of single serve packaging due to the increased usage of [[plastics]] that contributes to [[solid waste]] in [[landfills]].<ref name="wwuk">{{cite web|url=http://www.wastewatch.org.uk/page/4819/About-Us/Our-views/Talking-about-waste-prevention|title=Talking about waste prevention|publisher=Waste Watch UK|access-date=14 July 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090915182340/http://www.wastewatch.org.uk/page/4819/About-Us/Our-views/Talking-about-waste-prevention|archive-date=15 September 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="reuters-waste">{{cite web|url=http://www.scientistlive.com/European-Food-Scientist/Packaging/Food_packaging_waste_a_concern/19764/|title=Food packaging waste a concern|date=14 February 2008|agency=[[Reuters]]|access-date=14 July 2009|quote=Wasteful food packaging is among the fastest-growing environmental concerns for shoppers worldwide with New Zealanders most willing to cut back, a poll showed on Thursday.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090301152707/http://www.scientistlive.com/European-Food-Scientist/Packaging/Food_packaging_waste_a_concern/19764|archive-date=1 March 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> Due to concerns about [[obesity]] and other health problems, some health organizations have criticized the high fat, sugar, salt, [[food preservative]]s and [[food additive]]s that are present in some convenience foods.<ref name="Diversity"/>

In most developed countries, 80% of consumed salt comes from industry-prepared food (5% come from natural salt; 15% comes from salt added during cooking or eating).<ref>{{Cite journal|title=Should we eat less salt?| doi=10.1016/j.acvd.2013.01.003 |pmid=23769406| volume=106|issue=5 |journal=Archives of Cardiovascular Diseases|pages=324–332|year=2013 |last1=Delahaye |first1=François |doi-access=free}}</ref> [[Health effects of salt]] concentrate on [[sodium]] and depend in part on how much is consumed. A single serving of many convenience foods contains a significant portion of the [[Dietary Reference Intake|recommended daily allowance]] of sodium.  Manufacturers are concerned that if the taste of their product is not optimized with salt, it will not sell as well as competing products. Tests have shown that some popular packaged foods depend on significant amounts of salt for their [[palatability]].<ref name="nyt-hardsell">{{Cite news|title=The hard sell on salt|author=Michael Moss|newspaper=The New York Times|date=29 May 2010|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/30/health/30salt.html}}</ref>

==Labeling, mitigation, and regulation==
[[File:Very long ingredients list with may preservatives on highly processed food.jpg|thumb|Many preservatives, salts, artificial colors and artificial flavorings are used in this highly processed frozen food item.]]
In response to the issues surrounding the healthfulness of convenience and restaurant foods, an initiative in the United States, spearheaded by [[Michelle Obama]] and her ''[[Let's Move!]]'' campaign, to reduce the unhealthy aspects of commercially produced food and fight [[childhood obesity]], was unveiled by the [[White House]] in February 2010. Mrs. Obama has pushed the industry to cut back on sugars and salts found in many convenience foods, encouraging self-regulation over government intervention through laws and regulations.<ref name="dp-sweet">{{cite web |last=Sweet |first=Lynn |title=Michelle Obama Unveils Anti-Childhood Obesity Action Plan |url=http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/05/11/michelle-obama-unveils-anti-childhood-obesity-action-plan/ |work=Politics Daily |access-date=29 May 2010 |date=11 May 2010 |archive-date=19 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180819230533/http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/05/11/michelle-obama-unveils-anti-childhood-obesity-action-plan |url-status=dead }}</ref> Despite Mrs. Obama's stated preference on self-regulation, the [[Food and Drug Administration]] announced that it was looking into quantifying the guidelines into law while other groups and municipalities are seeking to add other preventive measures such as target taxes and levies onto these products.<ref name="cbs-sodium">{{cite news  |title=16 Food Companies Agree to Reduce Salt |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/16-food-companies-agree-to-reduce-salt/ |work=[[CBS News]] |agency=Associated Press  |date=26 April 2010|access-date=29 May 2010|archive-date=2010-10-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101029132011/http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/04/26/health/main6434928.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="ap-jalonick">{{cite web |last=Jaldonick |first=Mary Clare |title=Food companies agree to remove 15 trillion calories from foods to reduce childhood obesity |url=http://business.gaeatimes.com/2010/05/17/food-companies-agree-to-remove-15-trillion-calories-from-foods-to-reduce-childhood-obesity-61817/ |work=Business News |publisher=Associated Press |access-date=29 May 2010 |date=17 May 2010}}</ref>

In response to the attention, in April 2010 a coalition of sixteen manufacturers all agreed to reduce salt levels in foods sold in the United States under a program based on a similar effort in the United Kingdom.<ref name="cbs-sodium" /> However, the initiative has met with resistance from some manufacturers, who claim that processed foods require the current high levels of salt to remain appetizing and to mask undesirable effects of food processing such as "[[warmed-over flavor]]".<ref name="nyt-hardsell" /> The coalition expanded its mission in May 2010 by announcing that it intends to reduce the amount of calories in foods. By introducing lower calorie foods, changing product recipes and reducing portion sizes, the coalition stated that it expected to reduce the caloric content of foods by more than 1.5 trillion calories in total by 2012.<ref name="ap-jalonick" />

== Social inequality ==
{{Globalize|date=January 2025|2=US|talk=Globalize: #Social_inequality}}
As previously stated, convenience foods cover a variety of food groups and come in numerous forms. Thus, there are a variety of healthy and unhealthy convenience foods. Research such as the 2002 study by Kimberly Morland et al., have correlated inequalities between low-income communities and increased access to unhealthy convenience foods. This is mostly due to the decline of affordable grocery stores in some urban areas.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|last1=Morland|first1=Kimberly|last2=Wing|first2=Steve|last3=Diez Roux|first3=Ana|last4=Poole|first4=Charles|date=January 2002|title=Neighborhood characteristics associated with the location of food stores and food service places|journal=American Journal of Preventive Medicine|volume=22|issue=1|pages=23–29|doi=10.1016/s0749-3797(01)00403-2|issn=0749-3797|hdl=2027.42/56186|url=https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/56186/1/Morland%20K%2c%20Neighborhood%20characteristics%20associated%20with%20the%20location%20of%20food%20stores%20and%20food%20service%20places%2c%202002.pdf|pmid=11777675|hdl-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|title=The contextual effect of the local food environment on residents' diets: the atherosclerosis risk in communities study|journal = American Journal of Public Health|volume = 92|issue = 11|pages = 1761–7|pmid = 12406805|pmc = 1447325|year = 2002|last1 = Morland|first1 = K.|last2 = Wing|first2 = S.|last3 = Diez Roux|first3 = A.|doi = 10.2105/ajph.92.11.1761}}</ref> Comparing low-income communities to more affluent communities, there are four times more supermarkets located in white communities than the black communities (commonly found in [[food desert]]s). As a result, the 2002 study concluded that with limited access to healthy food options in supermarkets, members within the low-income and minority communities have unequal access.<ref name=":1" />{{Primary source inline|date=November 2018}} A 2010 study by Dharma E. Cortes et al. also found a connection between consumption of unhealthy convenience food and minority communities. Limited access to healthy food options has resulted in an increase in [[obesity]] amongst members in these communities.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Cortés|first1=Dharma E.|last2=Millán-Ferro|first2=Andreina|last3=Schneider|first3=Karen|last4=Vega|first4=Rodolfo R.|last5=Caballero|first5=A. Enrique|date=March 2013|title=Food Purchasing Selection Among Low-Income, Spanish-Speaking Latinos|journal=American Journal of Preventive Medicine|volume=44|issue=3|pages=S267–S273|doi=10.1016/j.amepre.2012.11.012|pmid=23415192|issn=0749-3797|doi-access=free}}</ref>{{Primary source inline|date=November 2018}}

Many low-income families struggle with buying fresh fruits and vegetables and nutritional meals for their families because of the price of the products. These families are most often located in [[food desert]]s and fresh food is not readily available in their community. Thus, families resort to buying food that is high in fat, sugar, and salt because these highly processed options are inexpensive. These highly processed foods make up a significant portion of unhealthy convenience foods.<ref>{{Cite book|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8rotBgAAQBAJ&q=%22Social+Injustice+in+Our+Food+Systems+Contributes+to+Food+Insecurity+and+Obesity%22&pg=PA331|title=Encyclopedia of Diversity and Social Justice|last=Thompson|first=Sherwood|date=18 December 2014|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|isbn=9781442216068|pages=331–334|chapter=Food Justice: Social Injustice in Our Food Systems Contributes to Food Insecurity and Obesity}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Food|Drink}}
{{Div col|colwidth=22em}}
*[[Comfort food]]
*[[Convenience store]]
*[[Food desert]]
*[[Food packaging]]
*[[Food preservation]]
*[[Food processing]]
*[[Junk food]]
*[[List of foods]]
*[[Snack food]]
*[[Ultra-processed food]]{{div col end}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em|refs=}}

==Bibliography==
* Ensminger, Audrey H. (1994). [https://books.google.com/books?id=XMA9gYIj-C4C&dq=Foods+and+Nutrition+Encyclopedia%3A+A-H.+%2C+convenience+food&pg=PA463 ''Foods and Nutrition Encyclopedia: A-H. 1'']. CRC Press. Pages 463–476 {{ISBN|0849389801}}

==Further reading==
* [[Geoffrey Lawrence (sociologist)|Lawrence, Geoffrey]]; Lyons, Kristen; Wallington, Tabatha (2012). [https://books.google.com/books?id=4ciRFgy8lMoC&dq=convenience+food+history&pg=PT130 ''Food Security, Nutrition and Sustainability'']. Routledge. Chapter 8, pages (unlisted). {{ISBN|1136545654}}
* Obenauf, Carl F. (2004). [https://books.google.com/books?id=Kd16GwAACAAJ&q=convenience+food+history ''The Building of an Industry: The History of the Convenience Food Industry'']. C.F. Obenauf.


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[[Category:Convenience foods| ]]