Consumers appear to be happy at home — cooking and creating culinary adventures with sauces and marinades, but manufacturers face the challenge of finding the right formula for success and blending on-trend flavor with convenience and health.

If one thing is certain, it is that the future of the meat industry is still in good hands as the Millennial generation comes into its own.

The prepared meal and entrée categories seek to answer consumer demands for convenience and healthier options.

The cultured dairy category is made up of yogurt, cream cheese, cottage cheese, dairy dips and sour cream.

Last year was when confectionery makers finally took the clean label message to heart. They gave artificial ingredients the boot and focused on simple, less processed ingredients.

Market researcher Mintel Group Ltd., Chicago, covered the breakfast foods market with two extensive reports last summer, a “Frozen Breakfast Foods-US” study last July; and a “Hot and Cold Cereal-US” report in August.

Even though consumers always will have to shop for groceries, the channels in which they visit continually change, and supermarkets now are feeling the pressures of these changes.