Table of Contents
Executive Summary
-
- The market
- The issues
- The opportunities
- Future outlook considering the impact of COVID-19
-
- Figure 2: Short, medium and long term impact of COVID-19 on consumers’ demand for nutrition and its impact on the market, October 2020
- The consumer
- More detailed solutions to healthy eating are in demand
-
- Figure 3: Dietary habits, August 2020
- Nutrition label understanding needs improvement
-
- Figure 4: Nutrition information, August 2020
- Safety and fortification features are most appealing
-
- Figure 5: Trading up features, August 2020
- Heavy oil/seasonings and preservatives are techniques more related to decreasing nutritional values
-
- Figure 6: Attitudes towards food processing, August 2020
- Perceptions of special diets become more sophisticated
-
- Figure 7: Correspondence analysis of perceptions of special diets, August 2020
- Highly-educated consumers are more attracted to personalised diet solutions
-
- Figure 8: Attitudes towards nutrition (A healthy diet varies from person to person), by education, August 2020
- Young consumers have a new definition of junk food
-
- Figure 9: Attitudes towards nutrition (Eating junk food occasionally will not affect health as long as the amount is controlled), by age, August 2020
- What we think
Issues and Insights
-
- Modernising Chinese medicinal diet in next step applications
- The facts
- The implications
-
- Figure 10: Examples of food and drink products that get a modern makeover through featuring specific botanicals and nutrients that fit with TCM theories, China, 2020
-
- Figure 11: Chinese-medicinal-style light meal set offered by Soup Master, China, 2017
- Nutrition gets personal
- The facts
- The implications
-
- Figure 12: MeumGummie by MeumSrping, China, 2019
-
- Figure 13: Greenspoon’s personalised smoothie subscription service, Japan, 2020
- Figure 14: Kolibri Strawberry & basil sparkling drink, UK, 2019
- Decoding consumer demand for understanding food labels
- The facts
- The implications
-
- Figure 15: Examples of food and drink products highlighting fortified nutrients front-of-pack, China, 2020
- Figure 16: Examples of packaged food and drink products and supermarket receipt that offer easy-to-quantify information on nutrient contents, Global. 2017-2020
The Market – What You Need to Know
-
- Healthy eating is facing “hidden” challenges
- Government regulations promote nutrition awareness to healthier growth
- Making efforts to raise awareness of food labelling
- Stepping up to get rid of deceptive nutrition claims
- Spotlight on packaged food and drink sector
- Spotlight on foodservice sector
Market Overview
-
- The current nutritional problems among Chinese
- Healthy eating is facing “hidden” challenges
-
- Figure 17: Examples of campaigns and product applications targeting “hidden hunger”, China, 2019-20
- Chinese consumers’ understanding of nutrition labels is yet to develop
-
- Figure 18: Health education competition hosted by NHC, China, 2020
- 2019-2020 marks a major change regarding government regulations
- Industry evolution in nutrition labelling to promote rational eating
- A step towards healthier choices by getting rid of deceptive nutrition claims
- Reduce food waste to promote ethical eating
- Spotlight on packaged food and drink sector
- Gaps for brands to fulfil in detailed nutritional claims
-
- Figure 19: Gaps between product claims and features that consumers are willing to pay more for, food* and drink in China, 2020
- High-tier and highly-educated consumers look for low sugar over sweeteners
- Indulgence does not contradict healthy eating amongst young consumers
-
- Figure 20: Misszero’s 14 days calorie control meal subscription service, China, 2020
- Figure 21: Examples of indulgent food products that balance between taste, price and nutrition, Global and China, 2020
- Aging population will drive nutrition innovation
- Healthy food and drinks should not limit themselves to “trade up”
-
- Figure 22: Examples of affordable healthy food product innovations, Global and China, 2019-20
- Spotlight on foodservice sector
- The emergence of “trendiness” in medicine food homology diet
-
- Figure 23: Chinese-medicinal-style light meal set offered by Soup Master and Rollersfree, China, 2016-17
- Western diet concepts are localising to adapt to Chinese consumers’ taste
-
- Figure 24: Example of cooking oil innovation that adopts Mediterranean diet concepts as well as suiting Chinese taste preference, China, 2017
- The competitive marketplace of light meals
-
- Figure 25: Examples of light meal brands educating consumers by making food interesting, China, 2019-20
- The age of the flexitarian
-
- Figure 26: Examples of products that embrace the idea of flexitarianism, Global and China, 2019-20
- Future outlook in the wake of COVID-19
- The past (January to today)
- Short-term future (12 months from now)
- Mid-to-long term (2-3 years from now)
-
- Figure 27: Short, medium and long term impact of COVID-19 on consumers’ demand for nutrition and its impact on the market, October 2020
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
-
- More detailed healthy eating solutions are in demand
- Understanding of nutrition labels still to develop
- More willing to trade up for safety and fortification features
- Chinese medicinal diet is nutritious but less trendy
- Tier one cities consumers demand light meals to manage specific health issues
- Heavy oil/seasonings and preservatives are techniques more related to decreasing nutritional values
- Personalised diet is appealing to highly-educated consumers
- Young consumers view junk food healthy as long as amount is controlled
Dietary habits
-
- Solutions for less processed, light taste and calorie control are desirable
-
- Figure 28: Dietary habits, August 2020
- Low-educated consumers could be key audience for less-processed and calorie control products
-
- Figure 29: Select dietary habits – important but I have not done enough, by education, August 2020
- Light diet becomes a mass consumer demand
-
- Figure 30: Dietary habits (maintaining a light diet*) – important but I have not done enough, by age, August 2020
- Young males look for meat with high quality protein
-
- Figure 31: Dietary habits (controlling meat consumption) – important but I have not done enough, by gender and age, August 2020
- Mid-west consumers demand dairy and fresh produce
-
- Figure 32: Select dietary habits – important but I have not done enough, by region, August 2020
Important nutrition information
-
- Consumers’ understanding of nutrition labels still to develop
-
- Figure 33: Important nutrition information, August 2020
- Lower tier city consumers tend to pay attention to ingredient lists
-
- Figure 34: Important nutrition information (ingredient list), by monthly household income and city tier, August 2020
-
- Figure 35: Select verbatim regarding ingredient lists amongst lower tier city consumers, August 2020
- Nutrition reference value (NRV) is still niche to mass consumers
- Deep dive into specific nutrients
- Parents seek more than just protein
-
- Figure 36: Examples of kids’ food products offering more than extra protein, Global, 2019-20
- Trans-fat content is more sought after by high-income earners
-
- Figure 37: Important nutrition information (trans fat content), by monthly household income, August 2020
- Vitamins and minerals most sought by females aged 30-49, while information on sodium most popular among their male counterparts
-
- Figure 38: Select important nutrition information, by age, August 2020
- Figure 39: Examples of products designed for males and females, Global, 2019
Trading up features
-
- Safety and fortification features are most appealing
-
- Figure 40: Trading up features, August 2020
-
- Figure 41: Trading up features – TURF analysis, August 2020
- Tailor trading up features to suit different life stages
-
- Figure 42: Select trading up features, by age, August 2020
- Young people, tier one consumers and calorie counters are key audiences for low/no sugar feature
-
- Figure 43: Trading up features (low or no sugar), by age and city tier, August 2020
- High-income earners embrace “good fat”
-
- Figure 44: The percentage distribution of consumers with different monthly household income, by fat-related trading up features, August 2020
- Parents show great interest in trading up for plant protein
-
- Figure 45: Trading up features (containing plant protein), by family structure, August 2020
- Botanical ingredients are more welcomed as natural sweeteners
-
- Figure 46: Trading up features (using natural sweeteners), by consumers considering using botanical ingredients as a trading up feature, August 2020
Perceptions of special diets
-
- Perceptions of special diets become more sophisticated
-
- Figure 47: Correspondence analysis of perceptions of special diets, August 2020
- Chinese medicinal diet concept is not seen as trendy
-
- Figure 48: Select trading up features, by consumers who perceive medicine food homology as being “trendy”, August 2020
- Tier one city consumers associate light meals with improving health issues
-
- Figure 49: Perceptions of light meals (Can improve health issues*), by city tier, August 2020
-
- Figure 50: Collaboration between Swisse and Element Fresh, China, 2020
- Consumers of different ages have different purposes for adhering to flexitarian diet
-
- Figure 51: Select perceptions of flexitarian diet, by age, August 2020
- Mediterranean diet is perceived as expensive
Attitudes towards food processing
-
- Fried, salted and using preservatives are more related to decreasing nutritional value
-
- Figure 52: Attitudes towards food processing, August 2020
- “No fat” is less nutritious than “low fat”
- Freeze-dried is more nutritious than air/sun-dried
- Pasteurisation is more nutrition-friendly compared to UHT sterilisation
-
- Figure 53: New Hope improved 24-hour fresh milk, China, 2020
Attitudes towards nutrition
-
- Attitudes towards customised nutrition
- Highly-educated consumers are more interested in personalised diet solutions
-
- Figure 54: Attitudes towards customised nutrition (A healthy diet varies from person to person), by education, August 2020
- Tailoring diverse consumers’ needs in subscription packages
-
- Figure 55: Little Tummy’s paediatrician-approved fresh baby food subscription service, UK, 2019
-
- Figure 56: Examples of meal planning kits, Global, 2020
- Setting up relevant information channels for a defined audience
-
- Figure 57: Attitudes towards nutrition (various information sources), August 2020
- Nutrition opinions
- Indulgence does not contradict healthy eating amongst young consumers
-
- Figure 58: Attitudes towards nutrition (Eating junk food occasionally will not affect health as long as the amount is controlled), by age, August 2020
- Consumers of a wider age still perceive healthy eating as expensive
-
- Figure 59: Attitudes towards nutrition (Healthy eating is always high-price), by age, August 2020
- Highly-educated consumers put more thought into healthy eating and emotional wellbeing
-
- Figure 60: Attitudes towards nutrition (Healthy eating makes people feel good), by education, August 2020
Meet the Mintropolitans
-
- More likely to trade up for special functioning ingredients
-
- Figure 61: Select trading up features, by consumer classification, August 2020
- More likely to see vegetarian diet as easy to adhere to
-
- Figure 62: Trading up factors, by Mintropolitans who perceive a vegetarian diet being “easy to adhere to”, August 2020
- More likely to see Mediterranean diet as nutritionally complete and tasty
-
- Figure 63: Perceptions of Mediterranean diet (nutritionally balanced, suits my taste), by consumer classification, August 2020
- More interested in obtaining nutrition knowledge from offline events
-
- Figure 64: Attitudes towards nutrition (information sources), by consumer classification, August 2020
- Intrigued Mintropolitans crave more healthy meal subscription services
-
- Figure 65: Attitudes towards nutrition (healthy meal subscription package), by consumer classification, August 2020
Appendix – Methodology and Abbreviations
-
- Methodology
- Abbreviations
Back to top