USA: Convenience, portability boost sales of Mexican food

US sales of Mexican and Hispanic convenience foods have grown 103% in the last five years.

Convenience and portability of items such as breakfast burritos and Salvadoran papusas increased sales from just under US$250m in 1999 to $505m this year, according to a Packaged Facts market report.

Researchers report that nearly 90% of young teenagers considered quesadillas an everyday food, reflecting shifting American taste buds toward bolder flavours. For their part, American Hispanics are becoming more acculturated, easing the daily burden of meal preparation with dinner kits, single-serve beverages, and frozen foods. The $4.3bn Hispanic food and beverage market now seems poised to eclipse Chinese as the favourite foreign food for Americans.