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Refrigerated Home Meal Replacements in Supermarket Showcases

Retailers who offer convenient meal solutions such as refrigerated home meal replacements rely heavily on impulse sales. Display lighting on steam tables and in retail showcases is critical as the wrong lighting can damage food and distort its appearance, creating unappetizing displays.

Promolux lamps emit a balanced spectrum and lower levels of ultraviolet light to provide true color definition and safely display beautiful, deliciously tempting home meal replacements.

Spoilage and Holding Time of Retail Home Meal Replacements

Home Meal Replacements are affected by display case lighting regardless of whether they are stored in refrigerated food service display cases or in hot steam trays. UV and visible spectrum radiation from retail lighting can raise the surface temperature of refrigerated home meal replacements enough to increase bacterial growth, cause premature spoilage, and accelerate the dehydration already caused by dry refrigerated air, causing marinated meats and ready-to-cook meals to look unappealing. In hot food displays, the holding time can be shortened by display lighting that continues to cook the food on display, or dries out the top layer of sauces or casseroles forming an unappetizing crust.

When exposed to light, fats oxidize and become rancid, creating off-flavors in home meal replacements and casseroles. If home meal replacements do not look fresh, customers will not be tempted to buy them.

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Impulse Buying of Supermarket Home Meal Replacements

Impulse buying accounts for a large proportion of home meal replacement sales, so it is important that HMR’s are visually appealing. Regular supermarket fluorescent lighting tends to be very strong in the yellow and green wavelengths of the visible spectrum, which can make gourmet entrées look old and unappealing. Under regular fluorescent lamps, food that is naturally red such as rare roast beef tends to look brownish, while food that is white such as steamed rice or potato salad can take on an unappetizing greenish tinge. If the convenient meal solution does not look appealing, shoppers will not be tempted to buy it.

Display lighting initiates chemical changes in food dyes and cures that can cause colors to fade. The nitrite cure in pepperoni and other processed meats is very unstable when exposed to high levels of UV and yellow wavelength radiation, and under normal merchandiser lighting the bright colors of these processed meats will become pale or even gray.

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Promolux True Color Definition Lamps

Promolux balanced spectrum lamps emit lower levels of heat and ultraviolet radiation than regular supermarket fluorescent lamps, prolonging the shelf life of delicatessen foods. Compared to other fluorescent lighting, Promolux lamps emit 86% lower UV B radiation, a shorter wavelength that penetrates and causes heating, and 52% lower UV A radiation, a longer wavelength that tends to affect surfaces.

Because Promolux lamps are designed for true color definition, they have a more balanced visible spectrum than other fluorescent lamps. The yellow and green wavelengths that are predominant in regular fluorescent lighting are the most damaging wavelengths in the visible spectrum. Promolux lamps emit a more balanced range of wavelengths, including more of the red and blue wavelengths and more moderate levels of the yellow and green wavelengths, which results in greater sales through better eye appeal and increased consumer impulse shopping.