In terms of sales, pasta registers a strong $6 billion annually, representing a steady growth of 12% in current prices from 1997 to 2001. However, a look at inflation-adjusted sales shows only a 2% increase. Between 1999 and 2001, frozen pasta dinners/entrées, shelf-stable pasta and dry pasta combined to register an average growth of 8%, a telling statistic considering these three segments comprise more than 90% of the market. Frozen pasta dinners/entrées and shelf-stable pastas, in particular, posted significant sales increases during that three-year span. Sales of shelf-stable pastas grew 7.2%, while frozen dinners/entrées posted an 11.5% gain.
Some 96% of households consume pasta, according to Simmons' (New York) National Consumer Survey (NCS), with 93% favoring dry pasta. Complete packaged dinners and mixes registered a distant second (63%), followed by canned/jarred pasta (59%). However, these usage patterns are not carved in stone, as 96-97% of households consuming either complete packaged dinners/mixes or canned/ jarred pasta also use dry packaged pasta.