Growth-hungry global food companies target worldly Chinese consumers, CIIE attendees say | South China Morning Post

CIIE participants say Chinese consumers want high-quality milk and additive-free food products

International food companies are seeking to stay competitive in China by targeting well-travelled consumers who value healthy food and have a growing appetite for Western products, exhibitors said at the world’s largest trade show.

“[Chinese] consumers particularly enjoy products like high-protein milk beverages,” she said, speaking at the China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai on Wednesday. The CIIE has drawn 3,500 exhibitors from more than 150 countries and regions, including major multinationals like carmaker Volkswagen Group and cosmetics giant L’Oreal.

Goodman Fielder is especially interested in younger Chinese people who go abroad for study, travel or work and upon their return home, they crave the flavours they experienced in the West. Tang said consumers from first-tier Chinese cities travel abroad and develop tastes for ciabatta and sourdough breads, for example, and are interested finding them when they get home.

Armed with conclusions drawn from its market research, Goodman Fielder has added La Famiglia frozen garlic bread and a pancake premix to its product offerings for China.

Theland, a New Zealand dairy firm, is another company that is launching new products – like milk mixed with honey – to stay competitive in China, according to its Asia-Pacific CEO Sheng Wenhao. He said despite the economic malaise, there are pockets of growth.