Romance Foods microwave-pasteurizes pasta and sauce products
in barrier-plastic films for 75-day refrigerated shelf life, 2-minute
heat-and-serve convenience.
But fewer consumers are turning to fast-food restaurants for prepared takeout meals. FMI reports that the percentage of shoppers purchasing takeout meals "most often" from fast-food restaurants fell from 48 percent in 1996 to 34 percent this year, while the percentage of those purchasing takeout meals "most often" from supermarkets rose from 12 to 18 percent over the same period.