The Frozen food industry in Turkey; Analysis of structure, conduct and performance

SUMMARY It is very important to consume foods in near form of natural and fresh. After the transition to the agriculture, one of the most important problems is how to store the products. The freezing method is the main subject of this paper that which is the one of the most healthy methods to save the products in suitable way to consume that. The first stage to freeze foods is choosing the crop which will be frozen. Each crop is not convenient to be frozen and the structure of it has to be suitable for this work. In agricultural products, the election of the seeds, raising and harvesting with convenient methods and carrying to the factory in suitable conditions are the steps of the first stage. The products are frozen with the techniques which are suitable according to their kinds, hold in cold depots under the controling until their consumption in next stage. Türkiye is a country which has agricultural variety and affluence because of the micro climas of Anadolu ground. It is the main base of this paper, the necessity of production of the frozen foods for domestic market of Türkiye the place of plentiful fresh crops. In this meaning, by the investigation of the frozen food market, it is seen that Türkiye' s production is for foreign market, not for interior one. In the same time, frozen fruits and vegetables constitutes %80-90 rate of the production of frozen foods. By this reason, however the name of the paper is "Frozen Foods" but the main subject is frozen fruits and vegetables. Türkiye has started the production of frozen foods by Meybuz in Kayseri in 1970' s and produced for only foreign market by only a few firm during 1980's. However the production started for interior market, exportation increased and the development of the sector started by the new investments in especially Bursa dating from the middle of the 80's. The frozen foods which is the nearest to fresh is known by the community but the usage is not accustomed. Consumption of frozen foods increased rather well during 1970's, started in 1930' s in developed countries. Frozen food sector will develop in the future by the economic development however the consumption is insufficient nowadays. The large part of demand is the result of catering sector.