Eight major innovation trends in China's convenience food industry

The pace of convenience food innovation has never stopped. It is precisely because of this that under the impact of the new crown pneumonia epidemic this year, as a convenience food industry rooted in a profound traditional food culture, it has burst out of infinite vitality in the face of the trend. During the 20th China Convenience Food Conference held recently, the Chinese Society of Food Science and Technology released eight major innovation trends in China's convenience food industry from 2019 to 2020.

　　Innovation Trend One

　　Health, safety and characteristics are the general trends

　　 This year’s innovative products are centered on the new consumer demand in the new era. They are a fusion of raw materials, technology, packaging, ingredients and other aspects, running through the entire industry chain of convenience food upstream and downstream. Relying on the rapid improvement of my country's industrialization level, refreshing innovative products are not only outstanding in appearance, excellent in quality, but also safer and more nutritious, and are getting closer to the "taste of home kitchen". The overall trend is health, safety and characteristics.

　　Innovation Trend Two

　　derived from nature and return to tradition 　 regional specialties take the road of standardization

　　The industrialization of traditional food makes people feel the intimacy of "hometown" wherever they go. Dabei Youpo spicy noodles, braised pork with dried Guilin rice noodles, Guangxi Liuzhou snail noodles, Cantonese refreshment mara cakes, Henan Jiaozuo specialty Jian rotten pork, Nanjing duck blood vermicelli soup and other convenience foods and ingredients have emerged in large numbers. Digging from tradition and returning to traditional flavors, standardized products are extending their sales radius and shelf life. Because of the technology's wings, local cuisine can fly higher and go further.

　　 Innovation Trend Three

　　Self-heating food blowout, paying attention to standards and safety

It’s everyone’s wish to eat a bowl of steaming hot meals anytime and anywhere, especially the special needs during the epidemic prevention and control period. The self-heating food that only needs to be soaked in cold water to realize this long-cherished wish is popular among consumers. . In the convenience food industry, after big companies such as Uni-President and Sanquan launched self-heating foods, Jinmailang, Master Kong, Baixiang, Zhengda, Keming and other companies have joined the self-heating food market. A wide range of self-heating foods such as self-heating rice, self-heating noodles, and self-heating hot pots have shown a spurt of growth, meeting the diversified needs of the market. Varieties are developing rapidly, but the safety and standards of products in a mixture of good and bad are getting more and more attention from the industry and consumers, and a new round of regulation and integration is imperative.

　　 Innovation Trend Four

　　The kitchen supply is getting warmer, and it promotes simple dishes

　　 The "restaurant" is directly moved to the family kitchen, so that every family can produce exquisite and delicious dishes in a short time and with less effort. This has become a mission that the convenience food industry is working hard to implement. Various innovative products such as hand-rolled noodles presented in instant noodles, instant chicken soup bibimbap that can be carried around, fried and ready-to-eat puff pastry pies, chicken nuggets for direct consumption, and Sydney soup for brewing and drinking. The main products are convenient and fast. , With nutritious ingredients, presenting natural aroma and delicious taste, it fits the new life concept of simple cooking of modern urban consumers, and at the same time satisfies different people's pursuit of deliciousness.

　　 Innovation Trend 5

　　 Continue to innovate to break through the difficulties and restore the classic taste

　　 How many diners coveted the "for reference only" pattern on the packaging of instant noodles? In this year’s innovative products, Jinmailang’s Lao Fanjia Cup Noodles series uses non-fried cooking noodles technology, combined with freeze-drying technology to achieve rapid rehydration of soaking food in 3 minutes, and contains real meatballs. Abundant ingredients such as prawns and shrimps restore the "family delicacy" to the ingredients. Chunfa has continued to explore traditional Chinese flavors for decades. Its "Lunchous Golden Soup Paste" that can be enjoyed in hot water truly restores the original flavor of Huajiao Chicken Soup and expands its application scenarios. In the ultimate pursuit of taste and flavor, convenience food companies use the spirit of "craftsman" to integrate modern craftsmanship to bring consumers more authentic experiences.

　　 Innovation Trend 6

　　 Vegetarian food is popular, "mix and match style" pursue fashion

　　The application of new technology and new ingredients has injected more fashionable elements into convenience foods, so that “eating” is no longer a basic requirement for the stomach, but also has new needs in multiple dimensions such as vision, taste and touch. The golden hot dog sticks with a cake texture, the explosive salad flavor balls with flying fish roe wrapped in the outer skin, the crispy fried milk with matcha, the red cabbage corn plant meat dumplings, etc., make the product fashionable and satisfy the pleasure of eating. . The application of healthy ingredients such as steamed yellow rice into the skin, fine seafood as fillings, and collocation of flower maw chicken soup has also greatly improved the nutritional value of the product, adding new vitality and health elements to the product, and has become a convenient food nutrition and health upgrade Important direction.

　　 Innovation Trend Seven

　　The packaging is exquisite and practical, integrated into the cultural scene

　　Product packaging began to change from the pursuit of luxury appearance and self-willedness to “knowing you” and respecting the demands of consumers. The packaging creativity is diversified, such as the unique shape of the small square box designed by Tong Da Ren, which is fashionable and beautiful, breaking the inherent impression of "one thousand years" of convenience food. The packaging design is full of innovation. The introduction mode of the inner lid of the Nissin Hewei series of noodles simplifies the solution of material separation and changes the embarrassment of various soil methods to prevent heat loss in the traditional instant noodles, making it safer and more convenient to eat. At the same time, the company pays more attention to printing illustrated stories on the packaging, spreading the regional food culture, and condensing the nostalgia between the lips and teeth of "one face, one meal".

　　Innovation Trend 8

　　The industry accelerates the pace of intelligence

　　 With the decline of my country's demographic dividend and the dilemma of resuming work and production due to the epidemic, the demand for automation and intelligence of machinery and equipment in the convenience food industry has stood at a historically high level. This year, the application of intelligent software and intelligent robots in food equipment tends to be widespread. The automation of mainframes and production lines is getting higher and higher, and the development of intelligent equipment characterized by unmanned or few-person operations has been significantly improved. The design of food equipment pays more attention to energy conservation, environmental protection and reduction of material loss, and has achieved remarkable results in increasing the output of single machines and reducing the production costs of food manufacturing enterprises. The subdivision of intelligent applications, customized design, and multi-disciplinary technology integration have become the innovation highlights of the convenience food industry machinery and equipment.