Initially market growth was due to the dramatic increase in the number of households with domestic refrigerators and the emergence of supermarkets, whose shorter lines of supply and faster turnovers allowed for the handling of shorter shelf life prepared foods. Over the past 20 years, however, the market has been driven by the huge social, economic and demographic changes that have influenced eating habits. Time pressures and higher disposable incomes combined with a rise in the number of working women and people living alone has resulted in an increased demand for good value delicious nutritious foods that are quick and easy to prepare.After food safety, taste and nutritional quality are the most important criteria. Chilled prepared meals are made from high quality ingredients with full traceability at every stage of the food chain. They are made from seasonal raw materials where possible, but, as production is year round overseas sources area also used and these must meet UK standards. Foods are made to order with short production runs and are often delivered on the same day to retailers.As temperature is the principal means of keeping the food fresh, food additives, such as preservatives are rarely used in chilled prepared meals. Manufacturers use ingredients and cooking methods that are found traditionally in a normal domestic kitchen and, unlike many other countries, UK chilled foods have very short shelf lives, typically from 1–10 days.Major chilled food manufacturers are aware of Department of Health recommendations to reduce fat and salt consumption in the general population and, in partnership with their retail customers take this into account when developing products and recipes. In many cases the industry has already achieved the targets ahead of government guidelines.In addition, chilled prepared meals provide convenience in buying, preparing and cooking food helping to reduce the amount of time and energy consumers would otherwise spend looking for/buying, washing and preparing the different ingredients that make up a meal. They also reduce waste by cutting down on the need for consumers to buy unnecessary or large quantities of ingredients which may then be wasted. They also help to reduce waste in the manufacturing process as the non-edible materials, such as peels, vegetable tops, bones etc, are removed during preparation instead of going into domestic waste.