Shelf-stable meals, for the most part, face an uphill battle on two consumer fronts—perception and an understanding of the technology. The perception aspect of the equation centers around the previous delivery method of shelf-stable products—cans. By and large, consumers have opted for canned products because of their convenience and competitive cost. Fresh-like quality is not expected.
Technological advances have produced new opportunities for shelf-stable products. The notion of shelf-stable no longer relegates the product to a can. Free of that packaging paradigm, a number of manufacturers are trying to buck the trend of low-quality, shelf-stable meals. In the process, they have introduced products (both in canned and other shelf-stable containers) that rival meals found in other areas of the store.