Changing lifestyles, new food tech drive demand for ready meals in Kenya

Food Extrusion Workshop at Proctor & Allan Limuru factory on 21st  July 2025. [Peterson Githaiga, Standard]

A local food processing company has introduced a range of ready-to-eat meal options in response to increasing demand.

Customers can now access extruded breakfast cereals, oats, and precooked fortified flours, offered in various brands by Proctor & Allan (EA) Company Limited.

Extrusion is a food processing technique that involves precooking blended and ground food materials to produce ready-to-eat products. This form of factory-based value addition is intended to save time and reduce meal preparation costs for households.

The company notes that demand for convenient, ready-to-eat food is being driven by a growing middle class in Kenya and the wider region. This shift is attributed to changing lifestyles, reduced disposable income, and limited time for food preparation and dining.

During a tour of the company’s facility, Proctor & Allan EA Ltd director Stephen Nthei said the firm aims to expand its presence in the ready-to-eat cereals market by using extrusion technology to produce a wider variety of food products beyond basic breakfast cereals.

The new processing facility, supplied by Switzerland-based Buhler Group, is part of the company’s efforts to modernise its operations and expand its product range.

“Households are increasingly seeking quicker meal options, with manufacturers now absorbing much of the time and cost involved in cooking. More Kenyans and other Africans are consuming breakfast cereals and precooked meals with added nutritional value not typically found in basic food items,” said Nthei.

Demand for ready-to-eat cereals has risen alongside Kenya’s classification as a middle-income country and accompanying lifestyle changes.

Proctor & Allan was established in the 1940s in Nakuru and later relocated to Nairobi in 1999. It was acquired from Unga Group by a group of local investors and industrialists.

The company has since moved its operations from Industrial Area, Nairobi, to a new facility in Limuru, Kiambu County, where the current processing plant is located.