RTE Versus RTC Food Products: A Practice Theory Perspective of ‘Meaning’ in Food Consumption: An Abstract

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Changing socio-economic environment in India has altered food consumption. Despite a promising market for packaged foods, understanding of consumers’ behaviour for ready-to-eat (RTE) and ready-to-cook (RTC) food products is limited. Greater understanding of food consumption practices and socio-cultural dispositions in specific geographies will inform markets about food product design and development. The current study adopts a Practice theory lens to explore changes in routine food consumption in a select group of Indian middle-class households. 32 semi-structured interviews along with projective technique exercises were conducted with food provisioners. Observations were made during the home visit, and in shop along situations. Food and pantries were photographed.The study finds that within the elements; meaning, materials and competence constituting a practice, the meaning usually governs the way the practice is engaged in. lifestyle changes have constrained the routinised performance of food provisioning. Food practitioners therefore use products that enable them to maintain their practices. Participants were found to accept and reject RTEs based on the meaning they attached to a specific context of food provisioning. While ready-to-cook type of food products are accepted in time and skill constrained situations, the same is not true for ready-to-eat packaged meals. Despite their ability to ease and expedite food provisioning, the RTE food products were rejected by both employed as well as at-home food provisioners. Apart from questioning the quality of ingredients provisioners’ rejection for these also stemmed from relinquished care and control over food provisioning processes. Having incorporated part of herself into the end-product that embodies her emotions, the food provisioner derives pleasure and satisfaction from preparing the meal.The performance of food provisioning is in accordance with the different goals and meanings attached to the contexts of food. Such a Practice theory perspective explains why participants in the current study were found using ready-to-eat food products like herb extracts and powders for use in performance of morning food related rituals but not for provisioning household meals. Thus, when the goal of a food provisioner is to engage in a food related health routine, the availability of ready food product (material) from the market, enables competence for engaging in the practice, whereas with regards food provisioning for the family, the goal involves, along with providing food, the provisioner’s greater involvement in the production and serving of that meal, hence ready-to-eat food products are rejected in the performance of those practices. Lifestyle based constraints on meeting embodied meanings of food provisioning and food consumption are being managed by consumers with market offerings like RTC and RTE food products. However, by opting for and against RTE food products in different contexts of food provisioning, the food provisioners illustrate the importance of meaning in practice.KeywordsReady-to-eatReady-to-cookPractice theoryConsumer behaviourFood-provisioningFood-consumption