More Chinese aim for a healthier lifestyle

MINTEL recently released its new report on the China market, “The Chinese Consumer 2017”. Part of this consumer survey focuses on food and beverage. The market intelligence agency sees the in-home food market to reach RMB 7,001 billion in value by 2021. This is driven by the demand for more trading-up options in the form of better-for-you versions and higher-quality ingredients.

Among products, yogurt is positioned as an indulgent pleasure; cheese for snacking shows the greatest potential. On the other end, ready meals and instant noodles are in jeopardy due to the thriving food delivery service. 

Plant protein drinks (PPDs), functional beverages (eg. sports drinks, energy drinks), and some light flavored beverages, are all growing in popularity. Overall, the Chinese non-alcoholic drink market is likely to retain its positive growth with a CAGR of 7.2% in the next five years. Besides consumers’ ongoing interests in pursuing healthy food and drinks, their knowledge of nutrition and ingredients is also growing. As such, the premium soft drinks market is expecting products featuring a clean and natural ingredient list that create associations with functional health benefits.