The increasing number of people buying ready-to-eat foods from supermarkets in the UK and the US helped fuel a 15 per cent jump in profits at Bunzl last year.

The outsourcing services company's main business is supplying supermarkets, caterers, hotels and contract cleaners with food packaging, disposable supplies and cleaning and hygiene products.

Its outsourcing division, which operates across North America, Europe and Australia, saw sales increase by 25 per cent to £1.8 billion in the year to December 31.

The London-based group is the largest distributor of supermarket supplies in North America, and said it had seen a strong growth in demand for disposable bags on the back of consumers looking for more fresh and freshly prepared foods.

It was also supplying microwave, freezer and oven-proof packaging for foods that are either ready-to-eat or can be taken home for reheating.

Bunzl said the supply of packaging and other products to supermarkets also saw the highest organic growth rates in the European division of its outsourcing services business.

Bunzl supplies more than a dozen supermarket groups in the UK.

The group's pre-tax profits for the year to December 31 rose to £173.4 million, on sales of £2.4 billion, up from £2 billion the year before.

Bunzl was also helped by a strong performance from its paper and plastics divisions and its Filtrona cigarette filter business, where sales and profits both rose seven per cent.

Last year it spent £171 million on acquisitions, including the purchase of specialist disposable glove supplier Shermond, and cleaning and hygiene supply group Greenham Trading.

Shareholders will receive a total dividend for the year of 9.4p, up from 8.3p the year before.