Food makers eyeing China’s rising healthy snacks market

CEBU, Philippines — With the growing number of fruit-based snack manufacturers, Cebu could capitalize on the rapidly growing demand in China.

“China’s market is unlimited. The demand is too big,” said Profood International Corporation founder Justin Uy.

Uy confirmed the recent issue of The Euromonitor Digest by Department of Trade and Industry-Export Marketing Bureau (DTI-EMB) that said the Chinese savory snacks market is seen to grow rapidly over the next five years, driven by the rising consumer preferences towards healthy food.

The report said that the salty snacks category, with sales of 47.54 billion yuan, leads total market sales amounting to 123.474 billion yuan this year.

This is followed by other savory snacks; nuts, seeds and trail mixes; puffed snacks; potato chips; savory biscuits; rice snacks; and popcorn.

While salty snacks has an unhealthy image in China, the category has been growing interest in new product types that combine healthy ingredients with tasty flavors, such as yam chips.

The report added that over the forecast period, it is possible that some manufacturers will launch new yam chips products that are roasted rather than fried so as to better meet the demand for healthier salty snacks.

Uy’s company exports fruit-based chips and snack food led by its flagship product—dried mango.

Aside from mangoes, tropical fruits such as jackfruit, banana, among others have variety of snack food options made into chips or dried.

These too, have huge potential to hit big in Chinese market, Uy said. In fact, Profood is building manufacturing plants overseas initially in Vietnam and Cambodia to serve the “unlimited” demand of fruit-based snack food in China.

Nuts, seeds and trail mixes remain the most dynamic category in current value growth terms in 2018, owing to rising demand for convenient but healthy snack foods, the report  added. (FREEMAN)