More Ready-to-Zap Foods Showing Up in the Freezer Case

Frozen food, enjoying a prolonged sales boom, is branching out. Many grocers are making more space for gourmet and specialized foods from companies like Boston Market Corp. and ConAgra Foods Inc. that are expanding their offerings. Moreover, better freezing techniques allow foods to stay fresher and retain more nutrients. And new types of packaging, such as microwave "crisping trays" that keep panini from getting soggy, help make taste and texture more like freshly prepared food.

As a result, sales of frozen entrées and side dishes are booming. In a year when supermarkets aggressively cut prices and battled with deflation, frozen-food sales grew 3.1% to $40.5 billion for the 52 weeks ended Jan. 23, according to Nielsen Co. That was more than four times the 0.7% rate of growth for total food sales.

Wall Street Journal