Consumers Work up an Appetite for Meal Replacements

2 | Monday, August 31, 2020 HONG KONG EDITION | CHINA DAILY PAGE TWO Consumers work up an appetite for meal replacements Wide range of products introduced to market By CHEN YINGQUN A CBNData report said that last [email protected] year some 22 percent of consumers spent more than 1,000 yuan a eijing resident Zhang Hong- year on food replacements. More wei has not eaten congee, than 60 percent of them take meal soybean milk or bread — replacements at least once a week, all popular Chinese break- and some 20 percent do so once a Bfast staples — for more than six day. years. A total of 52 percent said they Instead, she favors meal replace- bought meal replacements ment products, including protein because they were easy to carry shakes and energy bars, which she around and quickly satisfied their considers convenient, healthy and appetite; 47 percent took them to good for weight control. lose weight, while 25 percent After she lost weight by taking viewed them as healthy snacks such products for breakfast and between meals. More than half the dinner for two months, Zhang respondents were born from 1990 began to pay more attention to the to 1995. nutrition her body needs. In recent “Women are the main driving years, she has also provided pro- force, and eating meal replace- fessional advice on nutritional ments is not only popular with management and introduced meal consumers in first- and second- replacement products to more tier cities — enthusiasm is also ris- than 1,000 consumers. ing sharply in third-tier cities and “Many people don’t know much others,” Gong said. about the balance of nutrients and Global brands have taken the energy in the food they eat,” she lion’s share of the Chinese market, said. “I think the meal replace- including Soylent, based in Los ment industry has huge potential Angeles, SuperBodyFuel from San for growth, and the market needs Francisco, and Huel from the Unit- not only products, but also educa- ed Kingdom. tion about healthy eating.” Domestic food and beverage Jason Yu, general manager of brands have also accelerated pro- Kantar Worldpanel Greater China, duction of new meal-replacement said meal replacement products products. For example, China are available in various forms — Mengniu Dairy Co has introduced powder, liquid, shakes and energy a yogurt with fiber, and drinks bars — that can replace a regular giant Hangzhou Wahaha Group meal. In recent years, some yogurt Co has rolled out a red yeast rice and snacks have also entered this beverage and a quinoa biscuit. lucrative market. In early 2018, Cao Peng, founder Amid rapid economic develop- of Shanghai MySmeal Biotech Co, ment and increased awareness of started promoting and selling the healthy eating, the meal replace- New Zealand meal replacement ment market in China has grown brand Smeal. During the Singles at an annual rate of more than 30 Day shopping festival on Nov 11, 1 percent in recent years, despite million bottles of Smeal powder Consumers need making a late start, according to were sold on Tmall, generating LIANG LUWEN / FOR CHINA DAILY market research company Euro- total revenue of 11.5 million yuan. products that are monitor International. It said the This was just six months after the nutritious and easy market size in 2017 reached 57.17 company opened a store on the billion yuan ($8.33 billion at major e-commerce platform, to carry around. In the today’s rates) and is expected to hit where 30 bottles of the powder past two years, meal substitute for a regular meal. ready for the market, she said, and more diverse categories developed 120 billion yuan by 2022. cost about 500 yuan. “Every bottle of Smeal provides since September, Fix XBody total and an increasing number of large Yu said the market’s rise has Smeal powder comes in a bottle, replacements have about 300 calories, which is sales have exceeded 1 million yuan. healthcare brands and fast-mov- been driven by growing health rather than a paper bag. It can be gained in popularity, enough for our customers, 85 per- “We are very optimistic about ing consumer goods are entering awareness, including weight loss, mixed with cold, rather than hot, cent of whom are women,” he said. the future,” Zhuang added. the industry. and the demand for greater conve- water and the texture is similar to especially as Chinese In September, Chinese food Yu, from Kantar Worldpanel, However, due to the lack of stan- nience. any liquid drink, rather than being consumers are company Want Want Group said the meal-replacement mar- dards and regulations, some com- “Consumers need products that “sticky”. The company imports more aware of the launched its healthy snack Fix ket’s growth is promising, as Chi- panies exaggerate the effect of are nutritious and easy to carry some 60 percent of its raw materi- XBody. Brand manager Zhuang nese consumers are constantly their products or place false around,” he said. “In the past two als for Smeal powder, both to risks associated Ya’ru said it is aimed at those who adopting healthier diets and lifes- adverts, which could mislead con- years, meal replacements have enhance the taste and to ensure with obesity.” want to lose weight and who love tyles. There are vast opportunities sumers. gained in popularity, especially as healthier products. For example, to work out. for specific areas of the market “The whole industry needs Chinese consumers are more cocoa from Belgium and black tea Jason Yu, general manager The number of calories per serv- that address different consumer strengthened regulations and aware of the risks associated with from Sri Lanka are used. of Kantar Worldpanel ing is marked on Fix XBody pack- needs. management,” she said. obesity.” “As the powder is stored in bot- Greater China ets to help consumers. In It is important for brands to Yang Yuxiang, a senior nutri- Gong Menghan, a senior analyst tles, mixing it with cold water is addition, the company has devel- develop a healthy growth path tionist and psychologist in Beijing, with research company CBNData fun, just like making a cocktail,” oped more than 20 products in without making excessive claims, said more people are taking meal in Shanghai, said about 50 percent Cao said, adding that the company four categories: oatmeal and grain as is the case with some manufac- replacements, but whether these of consumers in China bought started its factory in China to ena- powder for breakfast; rice crack- turing nutritional supplements, he products can help consumers “healthy eating products” over the ble it to mass-produce the prod- 11.5 ers and grain bars for dessert; said. Meal replacements are no depends on factors such as their past year, with those born in the ucts with a “special million yuan enzyme jelly and nutritious sea- substitute for a healthy lifestyle, so nutritional components and 1990s in particular showing manufacturing technique”. revenue from sales of 1 million weed for afternoon tea; and sugar- they need to be taken in tandem whether these are balanced and bottles of Smeal powder on increased awareness of this market. Cao said Smeal sales are rising Tmall during the Singles Day free coffee and oat milk for with exercise. safe. She said an estimated 200 mil- by 40 to 50 percent a month on shopping festival on Nov 11 healthy drinking. “Chinese consumers love food “I suggest that consumers eat lion people in China are over- average. More than 80 percent of Zhuang said it wants to promote that is tasty, so meal replacements regular meals as their main source weight, and this could customers are ages 18 to 35, as the concept that eating rationally have to taste good in addition to of nutrition and energy, and that significantly boost the meal-re- many young people “prefer conve- and controlling calorific intake being nutritious,” Yu said, adding other products act as nutritional placement industry. Consumers’ nience, good taste and healthy eat- 120 can help with weight loss and that educating consumers to supplements or temporary increased health awareness, along ing”. billion yuan healthy living. “We also want to develop a healthy lifestyle is also replacements for meals,” she said. with a range of demands, includ- Meal replacements must taste estimated market value of the tell consumers that meal replace- crucial. Yang added that healthy eating ing weight loss, muscle enhance- good to ensure repeat purchases, food-replacement sector in ments are tasty and pleasant to Gong, from CBNData, said the alone cannot solve the obesity ment, eating healthily and looking Cao said. They should also contain 2022, according to market eat,” she said. meal-replacement market is grow- problem, as a good and balanced young, have fast-tracked this mar- sufficient basic calories and nutri- research company It took almost three years before ing rapidly. More fresh and organ- lifestyle also includes proper physi- ket. tion needed by the body to act as a Euromonitor International the company’s products were ic ingredients are being used, cal exercise. Think twice before abandoning regular meals, health experts warn By CHEN YINGQUN replacements on the market use die- as eating home-cooked meals with others who have such issues.” products can completely replace tary fiber as their main ingredient, fresh ingredients as often as possi- Yang Yuxiang, a senior nutrition- regular meals or achieve weight Despite numerous claims that which satisfies the appetite but it is ble and taking regular exercise. ist and psychologist in Beijing, said loss. meal-replacement products provide difficult to digest. However, they He added that sometimes meal- choosing healthy meal-replacement Meal replacements Wu Juntong, a 22-year-old stu- sufficient nutrition and calories, lack other types of nutrients.

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