The Market for Food Ingredients China HK 1998(10)

The Market for Food Ingredients in China and Hong Kong

Bakery Ingredients

The Chinese baking industry has developed strongly during the last decade. In 1996 China produced 720 000 tonnes of biscuits, 520 000 tonnes of instant noodles, and over 1 000 000 tonnes of pastry products. Growth in the production and consumption of cereal-based bakery products has been accompanied by strong growth in the market for bakery ingredients.

Growth of the cereal processing industry in China has been slow. According to recent reports, the average rate of increase between 1989 and 1993 was 1.69 per cent per year, which was 9.44 per cent below the annual rate of increase in the food processing industry (ASL 1996). Consequently, there has been a steep decline in the share of cereal processing in the total value of the food processing industry, from 18.90 per cent in 1989 to 11.21 per cent in 1994.

China’s production of yeast agents totalled about 30 000 tonnes in 1996, while enzyme production reached 220 000 tonnes in 1995 and starch production was 1.6 million tonnes in the previous year. While the growth rate in production of yeast agents has slowed to around 10 per cent in the past year, enzyme production soared by around 40 per cent from 1994 to 1995.

China has reversed its trade balance for yeast agents and exports now outnumber imports by around 3 to 1. China also exports more enzymes than they import – a trend that is increasing – and is the major supplier to Hong Kong (which in turn is a major importer).

Dairy Ingredients

Consumption of dairy products such as ice cream and drinking yoghurt is increasing steadily in China and Hong Kong. Rising production, as in other industries, has brought about steady growth in the market for dairy ingredients.

In 1995, China’s dairy industry produced 6.7 million tonnes of milk and 525 000 tonnes of other dairy products, including 352 000 tonnes of milk powder. Per capita consumption of milk was estimated at 5.3 kilograms, although there were large disparities between regional centres.

China imports relatively large quantities of milk powder and increasing amounts of whey and casein. As tariffs on dairy foods and ingredients decline, China will continue to be a net importer of dairy products. The elimination of price controls in China continues to raise the cost of raw materials, causing prices for dairy products also to increase.

Food Additives

By the end of 1994, China’s Ministry of Public Health approved the use of 1 306 food additives in food products (ASL 1996). As the table below indicates, production capacities vary significantly from ingredient to ingredient.

In 1996 double-digit growth rates were recorded in China’s retail markets for biscuits, chocolate confectionery, instant noodles, baby foods, frozen foods, ice cream and soft drinks, among others. Given the strong growth of many of China’s processed food segments in recent years, prospects for certain varieties of general food additives appear quite good.

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