China Freeze Dry Food Market

China Freeze Dried Food Market Analysis

The China Freeze-Dried Food Market is expected to register a CAGR of 6.02% during the forecast period.

The interest of Chinese consumers in healthy and innovative products formulated with Chinese ingredients is supporting market growth. Also, foreign retail manufacturers are expanding their presence in the country, which is expected to drive market growth. The freeze-dried food market in China is experiencing rapid expansion, due to the increasing consumption of processed food and rising preference for ready-to-eat meals, owing to the rising trend of on-the-go lifestyles of consumers. Owing to the expansion of China's freeze-dried food market the government has been intervening in the market and regulating the market. For example, in November 2021, China launched its new online overseas food manufacturer registration platform, for any businesses wishing to export goods into China. To ensure that food produced abroad met national standards, the country's control of imported food items was strengthened with the introduction of new legislation and a new platform, 18 categories, including those for dairy products, dried fruits, meat and associated products, fish and related products, and other similar items were covered by the regulations.

Furthermore, the technique is ideal for fruit and vegetable products, as freeze-drying technology is most suitable for uncooked food products. However, freeze-drying equipment is comparatively costlier than other dryers, which is a major drawback for small and medium-scale industries. Also, larger freeze-dried pet food pack sizes increase the convenience factor since these products are typically thought of as being more cost-effective due to better benefits per kg and the opportunity to purchase dry food in bulk packs, which saves both time and money. Sales of fresh and freeze-dried durian goods for both the local and export markets are being driven by durian's high production and demand across the region. Another reason why China could be a viable market for the freeze-dried goods market is.

China Freeze Dried Food Market Trends

Suitability of the Freeze-Drying Technique for Heat Sensitive Food Products

Food products, such as fruits, vegetables, etc are highly heat-sensitive, and their chemical composition, structure, texture, taste, and nutrient content change drastically and quickly when exposed to higher temperatures. Food preservation methods, such as drying, boiling, and smoking, require high-temperature exposure, which is not suitable for quickly perishable food items, such as fruits. Owing to this, freeze-drying is considered a superior procedure for the preservation of delicate fruits, such as raspberries. The freeze-drying process locks in their tanginess and keeps the fiber structure intact. This factor, coupled with the seasonal availability of fruits, such as strawberries and raspberries, propels the market growth. Manufacturers are focusing on achieving various certifications to gain consumer/client trust and interest. Chaucer Foods Ltd offers Halal and Kosher-certified freeze-dried mango in powder, slices, pieces, and organic formats with a shelf life of typically 12-24 months.

Additionally, China's production base of fruits has been rising steadily over the past few years hence, the country has been witnessing a surge in the freeze-dried food segment. According to the National Bureau of Statistics of China, in the year 2021, the fruit production value of 299.7 million metric tons as compared to the fruit production of the previous year which was 286.92 million metric tons in 2020. Moreover, the vegan and plant protein segment of freeze-dried food products is witnessing an inflated demand amid changing consumer demands. This is primarily due to the prolonged shelf life of freeze-dried products, which can be purchased in larger quantities at a time to tackle hectic work schedules, over the fresh food products that require frequent buying in lesser quantities. Hence, the suitability of cutting-edge freeze-drying techniques for heat-sensitive food products has been one of the factors driving the market study.

Freeze-dried Dairy Products are the Fastest Growing Application Segment in the Country

Being an agriculture-promoting country, China has a good strength of livestock animals and, hence, the dairy sector of the country is well-established. Moreover, with the advancement in technology, the country has also become enough equipped to process its dairy products in the best possible ways. Despite the process being expensive, it is being extensively used because the quality of the final dried product in terms of a rigid structure with reduced shrinkage, high rehydration ability, and superior quality renders this method suitable for the production of products with high market value.

Additionally, milk is highly perishable so, freeze-drying is one of the effective methods to use milk across the food and beverages industry in China. The major applications of freeze-drying in the dairy industry are the preservation of probiotics and starter cultures. Apart from these, freeze-drying is also suitable for the production of freeze-dried milk, cheese, lactose, cream, and ice cream. Hence, the freeze-dried dairy products segment has been one of the prominent segments with huge growth potential in the China freeze-dried food market.

China Freeze Dried Food Industry Overview

The market is fragmented and competitive at the same time as different companies master different fields of expertise. The companies that are into fruit and vegetable freeze-drying are mostly not involved in the freeze-drying of dairy products, coffee and tea, and so on. Thus, it creates a wide base for the manufacturers to compete on to prove their superiority. Thus, to cater to the vivid demands of the Chinese culture and to support the export trade, manufacturers are establishing multi-functional lines, especially for fruit and vegetable freeze-drying as they can be easily dried using the same processing line. Conversely, meat and seafood, though related, are tough to process on the same line due to their typical smells, which might get incorporated into one another at the time of processing. Some of the key players in the market include Lixing Group, Tianjin Sai Yu Food Co., Ltd., Anyang General Foods Co. Ltd, Zhengzhou Donsen Foods Co. Ltd, and Shanghai Richfield International Co. Ltd.

China Freeze Dried Food Market Leaders

China Freeze Dried Food Market News

• In May 2022: Fonterra announced the launch of an online platform for dairy ingredients across Asia and a few other regions for the convenience of their ingredients customers to purchase the products, from milk powder to specialty dairy proteins including its freeze dried-products such as SureStart BifidoB HN019.
• In December 2021, The backbone of the Lixin food manufacturing chain, the Fujian Lixing Phase IV Freeze-Dried Production Workshop, which took more than a year to construct was completed. The yearly output of the manufacturing plant was anticipated to reach CNY 800 million with a total investment of CNY 300 million, a total building area of 19,510 square meters, and 10 new freeze-dried furnaces.
• In April 2021, Kerry Group declared that it had purchased the Shandong-based manufacturer Jining Natural Group to expand its footprint in China's market.