Pre-boiled eggs: brilliant or rotten idea?

The eggs are produced by Levin-based Delicato. Photo / NZ Herald

Pre-boiled eggs have landed on supermarket shelves, the latest creation in the rise of lazy foods.

The idea is described as an "evolution" by the man behind it, but critics say it's a sad comment on how idle we've become in the kitchen.

The eggs are produced by Levin-based Delicato. Artisan food producers' consultant Mark Collins said they were inspired by seeing pre-boiled eggs in the US and Europe. The half-dozen packs cost $7.49 - a $3.50 mark-up on fresh eggs - and went on sale in 12 Auckland and Wellington supermarkets three weeks ago.

"Not long ago everything was made from scratch. Now just about every dish people make at home will have some pre-prepared products," Collins said.

Home Economics and Technology Teachers' Association of NZ president Prue Rehu described their sale as "sad. Is this where we are heading now, where everything is done for us?"

Ultra-convenient food is flooding Kiwi supermarkets. Fruit and vegetables are washed, peeled and chopped, and the ingredients in an apple crumble "kit" can tumble directly from packet to dish.

Pre-sliced cheese sits next to cheaper, unsliced blocks on chiller shelves. Mt Wellington Fruit World co-owner Minh Bui peels mandarins by the half-dozen and wraps them on trays.

"It's popular. We were doing eight trays a day in June last year, now we sell more than 20." The trays are $1.99 each, and loose, unpeeled mandarins sell for $3.29 a kilo.

Mangere mum Selu Silipa bought a packet because she was "too lazy" to peel the fruit. A packet of sliced pineapple is also in her basket.

Foodstuffs corporate public relations director Antoinette Shallue said demand was up for pre-packed salads, stir-fries, sliced fruit and vege packs. Sales of half-cabbages, half-melons and pre-cut, packed celery were also increasing.

Time-poor people doing smaller family shops wanted quick and convenient products, she said. "Consumers want dinner to be easy but they are still keen to assemble and design their own meals rather than purchase ready-made options."

Otahuhu Recreation and Youth Centre nutritionist David Hill said it was good people were choosing healthy food, but the extra cost might not be affordable long-term and cooking skills were vital to sustaining a healthy diet.