Chinese F&B businesses brace for new regulations governing pre-packaged products

28 Feb 2024 --- China is the latest Asian market to initiate a revision of pre-packaged F&B regulations governing the labeling of products, following similar actions taken in Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines in recent years.

The upcoming regulation, set to take effect later this year, is expected to establish tighter control on pre-packaged food preservatives. The changes will also regulate labeling practices for both locally produced and imported pre-packaged food items, distinguishing between instant food and pre-packaged food categories.

Since the start of 2024, 25 provinces in China have issued their own documents and local standards related to the development of ready meals and pre-packaged food. Many provinces have included “supporting the standardization and development of the ready-meal industry” in their 2024 government work reports.

Growing trend
Food Ingredients First speaks to Xuannan Yang, a member of the research team focusing on “Alternative Food Systems, Standards, and Sustainability,” to discuss the current landscape of the pre-packaged food industry. This research project is led by assistant professor Li Xueshi from the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

She highlights how this year, during the Chinese New Year holiday season, there has been a surge in demand for pre-packaged dishes. Businesses provided a wide variety of pre-made meals to choose from, and many online platforms saw increasing sales volumes, with many products exceeding 100,000 in sales.

“And this increase in prepared dishes served during New Year’s Eve dinner may suggest an inevitable shift which is caused by the industrialization and commercialization of the Chinese food systems in the globalization process.”

As China’s Gen Z grew up in such an environment, the research team finds that the younger generations may prefer the convenience of pre-packaged food more to avoid time-consuming steps: shopping, washing, cutting and cooking.

“Meanwhile, many people no longer romanticize the dinner cooked by ‘mothers’ or ‘grandmothers’ and seem to recognize the hidden labor embedded in it,” says Yang.

Regulatory update
Before this year’s holiday season began, drafts were submitted for the national standardization of pre-packaged food and forwarded to the Food Safety Commission office at the State Council for review, with results expected within the next five months.

The new draft regulations governing the labeling of pre-packaged foods and beverages will contain stricter guidelines, including mandating manufacturers to include clearer information on compound ingredients as well as more details on the country of origin.

The State Administration for Market Regulation said last year that it would “continue to collaborate with relevant departments to promote standardization work related to pre-packaged food, fully leveraging the regulatory to support the high-quality development of the industry.”

Innovation for better quality
Nevertheless, the public debate surrounding pre-packaged food has gained momentum on Chinese social media platforms. The topic has trended multiple times on Weibo during the holiday season.Ready meals can help consumers to reflect on tradition and culinary culture.

“For families that include prepared dishes in their Chinese New Year’s Eve dinner, one important reason is to reduce the burden on the elderly who may become exhausted from preparing dinner all day,” Yang remarks.

“Some older generations may feel nostalgic and worry that the tradition may be negatively affected by the increasing involvement of prepared dishes.”

According to her, informants from diverse regions have shared similar experiences. Consumers emphasize the importance of “fresh and high-quality ingredients” to achieve the desired texture in some specific traditional Chinese New Year dishes, such as steamed seafood in Southern China and stewed beef in Northern China.

For these consumers, Yang notes that current pre-packaged products on the market “may not be included, or at least may not be served as core dishes of the dinner.”

In response to public concern, some businesses are already endeavoring to improve product quality through innovation.

In a recent interview with Nestlé Professional, Paul Nagelkerken, the Country Business Manager, shared insights with Food Ingredients First. He mentioned that in the current Asian market, they are focused on collaborating with customers to develop food concepts that prioritize quality and taste while also being easy to prepare with just “one or two simple steps.”

By Sichong Wang

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