The 22nd Annual Meeting of the Chinese Society of Food Science and Technology was held in Guangzhou October 2025. Through conference reports, special seminars, display of achievements, theses, other forms, this annual conference promoted the cross-integration of food science, accelerated the transformation and application of scientific and technological innovation achievements, built a high-quality food science and technology talent echelon, strengthened the integration and innovation of science and technology and industry for the food industry.

The remainder of this item provides summaries of the various forums and seminars of the Conference.

Hot Issues Forum:

The 2025 Food Science Frontier Hot Issues Forum focussed on the most forward-looking research direction in the field of food science. From new resource mining, nanobiology, precise nutrition, immune regulation, digital intelligence to intelligent materials, it presents a high-density and high-quality ideological collision, clearly outlining the cross-integration of food science. The way to break through with innovation.

Professor Mao Xiangchao, dean of the School of Food Science and Engineering of Ocean University of China, introduced the great development potential of marine carbohydrates, as well as the team’s discovery, functional analysis and high-value utilisation of new marine polysaccharide structures such as duckweed starch and microalgae starch in the report of new carbohydrate resources. Breakthrough research progress has been made in terms of use, pointing out that the need for resources from the ocean is one of the key paths to meet the challenges of sustainable food supply in the future.

Professor Fang Yapeng, dean of the School of Health Science and Engineering of Shanghai University of Technology, brought a report entitled “Intracellular Biological Effects of Food-based Nanoparticles”. Through the close intersection of food science with nanobiology and cell biology, we explore the interaction mechanism between natural food-genic nanoparticles such as lipids, starch and proteins and cells. He emphasised that paying attention to the biological effects of food nanoscale is of milestone significance for a comprehensive understanding of the deep mechanism and safety assessment of the health effects of food components.

Professor Chen Hongbing of the Sino-German Joint Research Institute of Nanchang University focusses on the increasingly serious global food allergy problem and shares the latest research results of “the immune regulation role of active polysaccharides in the prevention and treatment of food allergies”. Chen Hongbing’s team discovered and verified the specific structure of polysaccharides, such as sea cucumber polysaccharide, aloe vera polysaccharide, etc., by regulating the intestinal flora-immune axis, reshaping the Th1/Th2 balance and inducing Treg cells, thus effectively alleviating food allergy reactions. This study provides a new theoretical basis and practical strategy for the development of natural immunomodulators based on dietary polysaccharides and the realisation of nutritional intervention for food allergies.

Professor Xu Yong, director of the Oil and Plant Protein Research Centre of the School of Food of Jiangnan University, looked forward to the “development and challenges of digital intelligence of oils and fats in the future”. Driven by big data, artificial intelligence and advanced sensor technology, grease from molecular design, precision processing, customised nutrition to intelligent control of the whole industry chain is the key to solving the core challenges of efficiency, sustainability and personalised needs faced by the oil industry.

The report of Professor Guo Zhiming of the School of Food and Biological Engineering of Jiangsu University, “Research Progress on Intelligent Packaging Indication of Fruit and Vegetable Multifunctional Response Nanomaterials”, introduced the intelligent nanomaterials developed by the team that can produce sensitive colour or signal response to specific gases, temperature or microbial changes released during the corruption of fruits and vegetables. These “intelligent packaging” can monitor the freshness of food in real time and without damage, greatly improving the safety of food quality and security and the intelligence level of the supply chain.

Professor Tian Jinhu, vice dean of the Central Plains Research Institute of Zhejiang University, shared the “structural design and application research of pH-responsive EGCG-metal self-assembly ‘phenol cage’ as a long-term delivery carrier of insulin”. The study uses the self-assembly behaviour of EGCG and metal ions to construct a nanocarrier with a “cage-like” structure, which can effectively envelop insulin and intelligently release it in a specific pH environment, providing potential new materials for oral long-acting drug administration in patients with chronic diseases such as diabetes.

Professor Sun Na’s report of the School of Food of Dalian University of Technology “Research on the Risk Assessment and Blocking of Cell Cultured Fish Sensitisation” confronts the potential risks and safety problems in this emerging field and explores effective strategies for cultivating fish sensitisation through processing technology or formulas to adjust the sensitisation of blocking cells.

Jia Longgang, a young teacher of the School of Food Science and Engineering of Tianjin University of Science and Technology, reported “From the atmosphere to the intestine: a two-way pathway for PM2.5 aggravation and probiotics to relieve neurodegenerative diseases”, revealing PM2.5 by building a complete pathway from environmental exposure to intestinal flora disorder and then to central nerve inflammation. How to “enter the brain” to aggravate neurodegenerative lesions, and it has been verified that specific probiotics can effectively inhibit this negative pathway by repairing the intestinal barrier and regulating flora metabolites. This research combines environmental science, neuroscience and food microbiology to open up a new perspective for nutrition intervention in environmental-related diseases.

New Quality Protein Innovation and Development Forum:

The New Protein Innovation and Development Forum, hosted by the Professional Committee of New Proteins of the Chinese Society of Food Science and Technology, gathered experts and scholars from universities, scientific research institutions and business circles across the country to carry out in-depth discussions on the technical path, health effects, risk assessment and industrial application of new proteins. At the meeting, Professor Chen Jian, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, vice president of the Society, and director of the Professional Committee of New Mass Protein, released the “Top Ten Technical Problems of New Mass Protein in 2025”, specifically including: green and efficient extraction technology of low-denatured plant protein; improvement of the multi-dimensional structure of neoplasm protein mimic meat and juice sensitivity simulation; cell culture The creation of long-term transmission of muscle cells in meat cultivation; the construction of a large-scale serum-free culture system for cell cultivation meat; the construction of microbial fermentation bacteria protein high-efficiency cell factory; the design of protein biological manufacturing reactor and the intelligentisation of high-density fermentation process control; the precise design of yeast chassis cells for high-efficiency expression of functional proteins; edible Integrated technology of low-carbon processing and automated solid-state fermentation equipment of bacterial protein; optimisation of yeast protein processing adaptability and multi-scenario application development; enrichment and quality-enhancing and efficiency utilisation of Venetian sickle protein.

Professor Li Zhaofeng, vice president of Jiangnan University, gave a systematic introduction to the above problems. He pointed out that these topics are not only the bottlenecks of current scientific research, but also the key to whether new proteins can be industrialised and go to the mass table in the future.

The forum set up a number of special reports on the top ten technical problems, from intelligent manufacturing, health assessment to resource development, and introduced the progress in the field of new protein research in many aspects.

In terms of intelligent manufacturing and equipment technology, Professor Liu Donghong of Zhejiang University discussed the intelligent manufacturing path of new mass proteins and shared the three-dimensional culture and moulding technology and equipment of cell culture meat. Li Yingying, a senior engineer at the China Meat and Food Research Centre, focussed on cell cultivation of meat and shared the key breakthroughs in the construction of its large-scale production process.

In terms of health and safety assessment, Professor Yang Xiaoquan of South China University of Technology systematically explained the health effect mechanism of plant protein diet and emphasised the importance of scientific evaluation system to product development. Professor Fu Linglin of Zhejiang University of Industry and Technology proposed a systematic assessment and control strategy for the risk of sensitisation for emerging protein resources such as insect proteins. Jin Fen, a researcher at the Institute of Agricultural Quality Standards and Testing Technology of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, further explored the risk of chemicals in the cell culture medium and discussed the scientific construction of the safety system of cultured meat.

In terms of green manufacturing and resource development, Li Huiyue, a senior engineer of Jiangxi Fuxiang Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., proposed a green process path for the industrialisation of new protein. Associate Professor Li Jian of Beijing University of Industry and Commerce deeply analysed the flavour characteristics of yeast protein and its multi-scenario application potential. In addition, Jiang Xianzhi, the founder of Momi (Guangzhou) Biotechnology Co., Ltd., and Liu Xiao, an associate researcher of Jiangnan University, respectively introduced the creation and multi-scenario application expansion of the Venetian sickle fungus.

Xue Changhu, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Professor of Ocean University of China, and Wang Qinhong, a researcher at the Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, concluded: “New protein is not only the breakthrough direction of food science and technology, but also a strategic choice to ensure national food security and achieve sustainable development. Only through collaborative innovation and cross-border integration can we jointly meet the global challenges of protein supply.

Artificial Intelligence and Food Seminar:

At a time when artificial intelligence technology is accelerating to penetrate into various fields, how to promote its deep integration with food science, health research and other fields has become the key proposition of industrial upgrading and scientific and technological innovation. At the artificial intelligence and food seminar co-hosted by Professor Sun Xiulan, dean of the School of Food of Jiangnan University, and Jiang Shuqiang, a researcher at the Institute of Computing Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, experts and scholars from universities, scientific research institutes and enterprises focussed on the innovative achievements of artificial intelligence in food science, brain health, industrial application and other fields. In-depth communication.

At the beginning of the seminar, Jiang Shuqiang systematically sorted out the application progress of AI technology in the field of food with the title of “Artificial Intelligence-Driven Food Science Research”. He pointed out that artificial intelligence has gradually penetrated from basic research to the whole chain of food research and development, production, safety, etc., providing a new methodology for food science research, promoting the transformation of the industry from traditional experience-driven to data intelligence-driven, and attracting the attention of the whole audience.

Hu Bin, a professor at South China University of Technology, focussed on the “Multimodal AI Large Model-Driven Depression Brain Health Research” and shared three core research results. The dynamic map pulse neural network model developed by its team has solved the problem of time dynamic feature extraction and bioexplicability missing through innovative designs such as BIP modules; the multi-task mixed pulse network model realises the efficient processing of joint classification and segmentation of CT images, which is greatly efficient than the traditional single-task mode. Improvement; The multimodal language risk assessment model builds a depression risk assessment system covering EEG, voice, text scale and other multimodal data based on the collaborative attention mechanism, and finally formed a “multimodal + brain-like + knowledge-driven” brain health management framework, with low power consumption and high response characteristics, for real-time health Dynamic evaluation provides technical support.

Cheng Wei, a dual professor of Huashan Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University, referred to the global attention to brain health issues with the title of “Big Data-Driven Brain Health Research”. He introduced that the number of brain disease patients in China ranks first in the world, and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other diseases seriously affect the quality of life of the elderly. Relying on artificial intelligence algorithms, his team has built a series of results such as the brain biological age assessment model and the blood protein AD risk early warning model based on multimodal images. It has also been confirmed through research that a healthy lifestyle can reduce the risk of AD by 41% and the risk of depression by 72%, and machine learning has helped Build the best diet model for AD, which provides a scientific basis for early accurate intervention.

Ma Peihua, a researcher at the Institute of Agricultural Products Processing of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, focusses on the “cross-basic research of artificial intelligence and food science”, showing the hardcore breakthrough of AI in the field of food. He introduced that the team realised millimetre-level heating control in food extreme processing through Q-Learning, and completed the screening of high-throughplet materials with the help of the Gaussian process. The “AI food techologist” developed by it became the first food AI intelligent body included in OpenAI. At the same time, he expects that in the future, AI4-food will achieve greater breakthroughs in the research of natural product function, intestinal microbial mechanism analysis, and extreme process control.

Li Li, dean of Xunfei Higher Education Research Institute of the University of Science and Technology, Cheng Li, vice dean of the School of Food of Jiangnan University, and Qin Hui, deputy general manager of Luzhou Laojiao Brewing Co., Ltd., shared their experiences from the perspective of educational application, discipline-specific large model construction and industrial practice respectively. Li Li introduced the application cases of large models in college teaching evaluation, intelligent office and other fields; Cheng Li explained the construction background of FoodSeek special large models for food disciplines and the cooperation path between schools and enterprises; Qin Hui shared the results of the exploration and application of digital intelligence technology in the liquor industry.

This seminar has built a cross-border communication platform in the fields of artificial intelligence, food and health, and comprehensively presented the achievements and application prospects of cutting-edge technology. Experts said that the seminar will accelerate the transformation and application of AI technology in the fields of food and health, promote the upgrading of the industry to precision and intelligence, and inject new momentum into the implementation of the Healthy China Strategy.

Seminar on Technology Innovation and Industrial Development of Dairy Deep Processing:

With the slowdown in global dairy consumption and the increase in consumers’ demand for nutrition and health, deep-processed raw materials for dairy products are becoming a key component in achieving precise nutrition. At the seminar on dairy deep processing technology innovation and industrial development chaired by Professor Jiang Yujun, vice president of Northeast Agricultural University, and He Jian, director of the National Dairy Technology Innovation Centre, the experts clearly outlined the future picture of China’s dairy deep processing.

With the deep processing of dairy products as the traction, it drives the value of the industrial chain to leap.

Jiang Yujun pointed out that the dairy industry has changed from the “era of nutrition preservation” and the “era of nutrition optimization” to the “era of precise nutrition”. Deeply exploring the natural nutrition in dairy products and realizing precise nutrition transmission is inseparable from the innovation and breakthrough of deep processing technology. Professor Ai Lianzhong, dean of the School of Agriculture and Biological Engineering of Shanghai Jiaotong University, said that the dairy industry will enter a new cycle of “total stability and structure rebalance” in the next 3-5 years, with cheese products as the core, extending high value-added products such as whey powder and functional milk-based ingredients. Professor Zhou Peng of the School of Food of Jiangnan University said that compared with traditional whey ingredients obtained through enzyme coagulation or acid sedimentation, natural whey obtained through membrane filtration has unique nutritional and health characteristics. In addition, through the isolation and enrichment of key subcomponents in casein, its nutritional characteristics and health efficacy in special foods such as infant products can be better improved.

Innovation and breakthrough from “component simulation” to “structure-function”

The composition and structural recomposition of milk fat phospholipids has become a research hotspot in the field of infant formula. Professor Zhang Lanwei of the School of Food Science and Engineering of Ocean University of China said that the dual strategy of “MFGM phospholipid composition remodelling” and “three-layer membrane structure reconstruction” has realised the leap from “component simulation” to “structure-component double repetition”. The new idea of constructing breast milk MFG based on precise lipid composition remodelling and membrane structure reconstruction, which provides a theoretical basis and practical path for the research and development of functional dairy products and the cognitive nutrition intervention of breast milk infants. Particulate whey protein can simulate the slippery taste of fat. At the same time, because physical modification will not introduce safety risks, it is an important direction to improve the added value of whey protein and can be used in industrial use. Liu Guanchen, a researcher at the Innovation Centre of the Yangtze River Delta Wisdom Oasis of Zhejiang University, introduced the new progress of whey protein particulate technology and its application research. He believes that by combining AI with the process parameter information collection of particulate whey protein, particulate products adapted to different consumption scenarios can be efficiently prepared.

Build a closed loop of “R&D-application” to enhance the potential of market competition

Professor Tan Mingqian of the School of Food of Dalian University of Technology has established an effective lutein stabilisation carrier construction method, which has significantly improved the water solubility and stability of lutein. At the same time, he explored the mechanism of exocrine-loaded lutein in alleviating dry eye, which is of great significance for improving eye health. Wang Caiyun, executive director of the Dairy Technology and Equipment Research Centre of the National Dairy Technology Innovation Centre, shared the analysis of the path of lactoferrin from laboratory to commercialisation. She said that at present, the mainstream in the field of deep processing of lactoferrin in China still focusses on “added application of ingredients”. With the industrialisation of domestic lactoferrin, it is still necessary to build a collaborative closed-loop research of “raw material structure effect-process-application adaptability” to improve the market competitiveness of domestic lactoferrin. Liu Yitong, application innovation director of Nuohe and Shenyuan Food and Beverage Biological Solutions in China, shared her insights on how enzyme and fermentation biotechnology can empower the deep processing of dairy products with dual engines. She pointed out that in the field of cheese research and development, biological solutions can help release the value of cheese; in terms of milk fat, through enzymatic and fermentation, cream wind The taste can be improved.

Seminar on Medical Food Innovation and Adult Nutrition and Health:

In addition to continuously promoting the optimisation of medical food product formulas and the construction of clinical paths, “personalised nutrition”, “precise intervention” and “cross-border collaboration” will become the core driving force for the development of the industry. At the Seminar on Medical Food Innovation and Adult Nutrition and Health, eight experts from the medical, nutrition and food industries held in-depth discussions aimed at providing scientific, safe and effective nutritional and health solutions for a wider adult population. The seminar was co-chaired by Professor Shi Hanping, the founding director of the Department of Clinical Nutrition of Capital Medical University, and Wang Shuo, a special professor of Nankai University.

Driven by clinical demand: tumour nutrition becomes a breakthrough

Shi Hanping pointed out in the report of “Promoting the Development of Clinical Nutrition Therapy with Tumour Nutrition as the fulcrum” that with the expansion of tumour patients and the diversification of treatment models, the nutritional status of patients has become a key factor affecting the treatment effect, prognosis and quality of life. This has brought new challenges and opportunities for clinical nutrition treatment. Huang Rongkang, deputy chief physician of the Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, further strengthened this view in the report of “Nutrition Support Strategies for Perioperative Colorectal Cancer”. He stressed that precise nutritional support in the perioperative period has become a new clinical consensus, which is directly related to the treatment effect and rehabilitation process of colorectal cancer patients.

Functional ingredient innovation: from basic research to application potential

While discussing specific clinical needs, many experts shared potential new functional ingredients and their research results. In the report of “Health Benefits of New Food Resources HMB: Research Progress and Efficacy Exploration”, Wang Shuo systematically sorted out the research progress of β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyric acid (HMB). Many evidences show that HMB can effectively promote protein synthesis and inhibit its degradation, showing great potential in intervening myopenia, and is expected to become a key component of new functional foods. In addition, Tian Yu, a postdoctoral fellow of the School of Food Science and Engineering of Nanjing University of Finance and Economics, pointed out from the perspective of food materials science in the report “Enzymatic Preparation Mechanism and Application of Functional Starch Derivatives” that enzymatic modification is a green means of high-efficiency and targeted preparation of starch derivatives, which is used to develop medical food with specific functions. High-quality raw materials are provided.

Regulations and Products: Building a Flexible and Scientific Industrial Ecology

The healthy development of the industry is inseparable from a clear regulatory framework. Fang Haiqin, director of the Applied Nutrition Office of the National Food Safety Risk Assessment Centre, systematically interpreted the latest regulations in the report of “The Latest Progress of Non-Full Nutrition Formula Food Standards and Regulations”. She pointed out that compared with “full nutrition formula”, “non-total nutrition formula” has greater flexibility in terms of technology, labelling and applicable population, and can better meet the specific clinical needs of adults. Zhong Zhuxuan, a clinical nutrition scientist at the research and development centre of Abbott Nutritional Products (China), confirmed in the report “Innovation and Clinical Benefit Evidence of Non-Total Nutritional Medical Nutritional Products” from the perspective of enterprise innovation that for specific groups of people, non-total nutritional medical nutrition products play a positive role in supplementing specific nutrients and improving nutritional status. Function.

Technological challenges and new opportunities in the market

In the face of specific productization challenges, Wan Zhili, vice dean of the School of Food Science and Engineering of South China University of Technology, deeply analysed the technical path of stability of protein ingredients in liquid medical food in the report “Stabilisation Technology of Protein Ingredients in Liquid Special Medical Food and Its Nutritional Health Effects”. He put forward the view that soybean protein is more suitable as a core raw material, and pointed out that production processes such as ingredients and particulates are technical difficulties in the manufacture of liquid special medical emulsions. Market opportunities also come from the cutting-edge clinical trends. Dr. Lou Yuanying, an IFF nutrition expert, proposed in the report “When Weight Loss Meets Science: The Enlightenment of GLP-1 and New Opportunities for Weight Management” that although GLP-1 receptor agonists are “game changers” in the field of weight management, the pain points such as gastrointestinal side effects they bring are precisely to alleviate side effects and raise Medical food for precise nutritional support has created a new market space.

Seminar on Brain Health and Food Nutrition Transformation:

At the Seminar on Brain Health and Food Nutrition Transformation hosted by the Food Nutrition and Health Branch of the Chinese Society of Food Science and Technology, the Chinese Society of Food Science and Technology officially released the Scientific Consensus on L-α-Glycoline Glycophosphate (hereinafter referred to as the Consensus), which is a new food raw material with both scientific value and industrial prospects. Indicate the direction of application.

Huang Jian, director of the Food Science and Technology Office of the Institute of Nutrition and Health of the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, gave an in-depth interpretation of the core content of the Consensus and systematically presented the research results and application prospects of L-α-glycophosphate choline. As an important choline phospholipid derivative, L-α-glycophosphate choline exists naturally in animal and plant food and is easily absorbed and utilised by the human body. In addition, L-α-glycophosphate choline has the metabolic characteristics of choline and 3-phosphate glycerine at the same time, and can participate in multiple physiological processes such as neurotransmitter synthesis, biofilm construction and energy supply. Many studies have shown that L-α-glycophosphate choline has played a positive role in improving cognitive function, regulating emotional state, and enhancing motor ability.

In terms of industrial application, L-α-glycophosphate choline has been widely used in the international food processing field. In 2009, Japan took the lead in including it in the “List of Non-Drug Ingredients”. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classified it as a “Generally Safe Substance (GRAS)”. At present, there are more than 400 food products containing this ingredient in the U.S. market. In China, L-α-glycophosphate choline was officially approved as a new food raw material last year, and the recommended edible amount is ≤600 mg/day (measured by dry base), marking that its application in the domestic food field has entered the stage of standardised development.

In the future, L-α-glycophosphate choline needs to optimise the transformation path in the production process and simplify the refined analysis method in detection. In the field of research, large-scale and multi-centre population intervention research should be carried out, especially the effectiveness evidence for the Chinese population; in terms of industrial norms, it is necessary to improve the production, inspection, application, quality standards and other regulatory systems.

At the seminar, Zeng Ping, a researcher at the National Geriatrics Centre of Beijing Hospital, introduced the impact of the dietary intervention model on delaying cognitive disorders to the delegates on “Ageing and Brain Health Maintention – Dietary Nutrition Intervention Strategy”. Wang Huijun, a researcher at the Institute of Nutrition and Health of the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, analysed the correlation between L-α-glycophosphate choline intake and cognitive function in the diet based on empirical data from the Chinese Health and Nutrition Survey. Professor Yang Jingyu of the School of Clinical Pharmacy of Shenyang Pharmaceutical University deeply explained the evidence-based research on the improvement of metabolism and cognitive function of L-α-glycophosphate choline in the body, which provided solid laboratory evidence of its mechanism of action. In the field of applied research, Professor Gu Peifei of Shenyang Sports College shared the team’s research progress on L-α-glycophosphate choline in sports nutrition. He found that L-α-glycophosphate choline can improve attention and reaction, providing a new direction for the research and development of sports nutrition products. Professor Liu Zhigang of the School of Food Science and Engineering of Northwest Agricultural and Forestry University of Science and Technology shared the new perspective of ApoE polymorphism and brain health maintenance around “gene-nutrition interaction”, and proposed that in the future, we should explore personalised brain health and accurate nutrition plans based on the differences in nutrient absorption and metabolism in the genetic background. Yuan Peng, director of the Food Engineering Research and Development Department of China Food Fermentation Industry Research Institute Co., Ltd., sorted out the application status of the new food raw material in the international market by sharing “application examples and prospects of L-α-glycophosphate choline in global dietary supplements”, which provided a reference for the development of China’s industry.

Food Flavour Science Frontier Forum:

The Food Flavour Science Frontier Forum hosted by the Food Flavour Professional Committee of the Chinese Society of Food Science and Technology has attracted many experts, scholars and enterprise representatives from the national food field. They have carried out in-depth exchanges on the cutting-edge issues of food flavour science and gathered wisdom for the innovation and development of the industry.

Sun Baoguo, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, president of the Chinese Society of Food Science and Technology, and professor of Beijing University of Industry and Commerce, pointed out in his speech that “flavour is the core competitiveness of food”, and emphasised that “if the flavour of food is not acceptable to consumers, there is no second choice”. He further clarified the misunderstandings of the industry: the “delicious” of food is not necessarily related to chronic diseases. The key is whether it is overeaten; flavour substances such as flavour essence are necessary to make up for the loss of flavour in the processing process and strengthen product characteristics. For example, ice cream, cola and other flavours are inseparable from edible flavour essence, and traditional food added flavour substances are also It needs to be viewed scientifically, and at the same time, it is called on scientific researchers to deepen research and do a good job in science popularisation.

Sun Baoguo further focussed on the scientific research of flavour, and proposed that it is necessary to take into account “ancient for modern use” and “foreign use for Chinese use”. It is not only necessary to explore the traditional dietary wisdom such as “five-flavor harmony” in “Lv’s Spring and Autumn”, but also to study the application logic of the original taste of spices and ingredients, but also to keep up with the international frontier and explore the integration of AI, electroencephalogram technology and flavour science. Establish a predictable theory of “molecular structure and aroma”, and at the same time encourage the integration of “flavour + AI” and open up a new direction of “flavour + health”.

At the meeting, Liu Yuan, dean of the School of Food Science and Engineering of Ningsia University, sorted out the development vein and future trends of flavour disciplines with “Exploration on the Development of Flavour Science”; Professor Zhao Mouming of South China University of Technology shared the research process, composition-effect relationship and peptide-rich peptide-rich flavour base in the report of “Progress of Flavour Peptide Research and Key Technology for Preparation” Preparation technology, introduce its application and industrialisation progress in flavour regulation; Professor Xu Yan of Jiangnan University analyses the composition and perception mechanism of flavour substances of Chinese liquor through “Research Progress and Challenges in Liquor Flavour Science”; Professor Tian Shiyi of Zhejiang University of Industry and Technology uses “different taste cell models in food flavour regulation and shape The title of “Application in the Research of Formation Mechanism” describes the research of the team in the field of taste cell models in detail, which provides a key experimental tool for accurately analysing the interaction between flavour substances and taste receptors and optimising food flavour regulation. Professor Zhang Yuyu of Beijing University of Industry and Commerce focusses on “thinking on the mechanism of freshness and salting of flavour substances and appetite regulation effect” Enjoying the results not only clarifies the principle of flavour substances to enhance the taste and enhance the saltiness, but also provides new support for the research and development of low-sodium and high-fresh foods and the research on appetite regulation. In addition, representatives of Beijing Feiyuxing Technology Co., Ltd. and Shanghai Baosheng Industrial Development Co., Ltd. also introduced the application of neuroscience and AI technology in food flavour research to provide reference for the technological upgrading of the industry.

This forum is both cutting-edge and practical, which not only clarifies the direction of flavour science research, but also provides new ideas for the industry to solve the problems of flavour regulation, and injects new momentum into the innovative development of China’s food flavour field.

Source: China Food Newspaper 19/11/2025

Peter Peverelli has been actively involved in and with China since 1975 and frequently travels to the most remote regions of that vast nation. He is a co-author of a substantial book that explores the cultural factors that have contributed to China’s economic success. Peter has been involved in the Chinese food and beverage industries since 1985.

Regular readers are aware that Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), particularly those that are permitted to consume as food ingredients, has become a significant business in China. This trend initially emerged in the regular food and beverage market but has since expanded into the snack food sector. For health-conscious affluent Chinese individuals, snacking should also be beneficial for their well-being. According to data from Ai Media, the value of this market has surpassed RMB 265 billion in 2024.

In this ‘punk diet’ revolution driven by Generation Z, 72% of the post-1990s generation has substituted traditional healthcare products with ready-to-eat medicinal foods of the same origin. The concept of ‘health snacks’ has garnered substantial attention on the social media platform Xiaohongshu, with over 800 million views. From established brands like Tongrentang to emerging brands, TCM institutions, leisure food enterprises, and cross-border players are actively expanding their presence in the TCM snack market.

This article presents an analysis of the latest industry developments, elucidates the innovative direction of TCM snacks, and evaluates the technical challenges and breakthrough opportunities for popular products.

Trend 1: TCM Centres Emerge as Market Players

The Zhejiang TCM Hospital’s phenomenal success with its hit Wumei (black plum) soup has significantly impacted the summer beverage market. The first version of Wumei, launched last year, achieved remarkable sales figures, with 1.15 million posts sold within 24 hours. Following the introduction of the upgraded 2.0 formula in the Tmall flagship store this year, the monthly sales reached the pinnacle of the tonic and health tea category. This ancient tea drink, featuring black plum, lotus leaf, and hawthorn as its primary ingredients, has become the quintessential embodiment of ‘punk health care’ for young individuals, offering the convenience of ‘professional medical institutions’ research and development combined with ‘ready-to-eat’ consumption.

“Yangzhou TCM Hospital, Jiangsu Province” draws upon the “Outline of Herbal Medicine” and other medical texts, integrating the prevalent ailments of contemporary young individuals such as qi and blood deficiency, spleen deficiency, phlegm and dampness, and fatigue. It extends the innovative concept of medicinal diet to the realm of baking. Their medicinal breads are enriched with over ten medicinal food ingredients, including angelica and poria. Within the first month, the product’s daily sales volume surpassed 1000 pastries, with an astonishing 3000 sold during the peak period. The accompanying image depicts one of their scones.

“Guangdong Zhongshan Boai Hospital” sought to address the specific needs of children’s medicine, incorporating two Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) formulas into lollipops. The digestion-strengthening herbs (including hawthorn) and the cough-clearing herbs (including loquat leaves and Luohan fruit) are both seasoned with rock sugar and devoid of preservatives.

When the hospital’s TCM pharmacy transformed into a “snack shop,” it not only generated substantial demand for exceptional products but also fully demonstrated the market’s substantial demand and trust in the “foodization” of classic TCM formulas.

In comparison to conventional food enterprises, medical institutions and TCM centres possess inherent advantages such as professional endorsement, access to local medicinal materials, and ancient prescription resources. This enables them to develop health snacks that combine scientific basis with cultural heritage.

Trend 2: Customised TCM snacks cater to specific segments

Various groups of individuals have distinct physical and health requirements. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) snacks that customise formulas and functions for specific subgroups are emerging as a significant direction for the innovation of food and healthcare products. By focussing on segmenting customer groups and emphasising specific effects, TCM snack products can not only fully realise the value of medicinal and food ingredients of the same origin, but also effectively capture customers and enhance user retention. Urban young people constitute a substantial force in snack consumption. They prioritise health, yet they frequently lack time and patience for traditional dining habits.

Dongfang Yanqisheng’s ‘Red Bean Barley Rice Jelly’ incorporates over 30 ingredients, including kudzu root, barley kernels, goji berries, porigi, yam, and others, all of which are of medicinal origin. Utilising jelly as the carrier, it dispels moisture, nourishes the skin, and can also serve as a snack for satiety and energy during work. The product adopts a compact packaging design to cater to the needs of young people seeking ‘light healthcare anytime and anywhere’.

Mommy Yummy has developed a range of novel medicinal and healthy snacks of the same origin to meet the needs of pregnant mothers. Notably, the 0-sucrose millet eight-treas cake features eight precious ancient recipes as its primary ingredients. This cake integrates a diverse array of nutritious and low-glycemic index ingredients, such as yam, poria, lotus seeds, white lentils, and malt, which collectively possess the effect of strengthening the spleen, nourishing the stomach, and promoting digestion.

The increasing attention paid to the application value of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) snacks in the field of children’s nutrition and health is particularly noteworthy. This trend has gained significant traction, particularly among parents of children born after 1985 and 1990, who are increasingly concerned about their children’s health. Notably, 65.4% of these parents are willing to pay a premium to ensure their children’s well-being.

For instance, ‘Banfang Baba’ has collaborated with the Academy of Agricultural Sciences to develop a range of nutritious snacks tailored to children’s specific health needs. These snacks address concerns such as spleen and stomach conditioning, picky eating, anorexia, and poor resistance. The brand has incorporated medicinal food-like ingredients with the beneficial effects of strengthening the spleen and facilitating digestion into children’s preferred food forms.

Workplace Depression

In the context of the prevalent ‘996’ culture, characterised by extended working hours and late-night work, many workers have experienced post-work depression. Sour jujube kernels, derived from medicinal food ingredients, possess the ability to nourish the mind, alleviate anxiety, and promote deep sleep. Poria, another medicinal food ingredient, can strengthen the spleen and calm the heart, while benefiting water and moisture. It also helps relieve stress and improves sleep quality.

Trend 4: Technological Innovation Promotes the Advancement of TCM Snacks

To effectively engage with the public, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) snacks must overcome the challenges associated with TCM, which include its perceived difficulty in consumption, usage, and adherence. This necessitates the integration of modern food technology and biotechnology.

From raw material processing and active extraction to flavour enhancement and dosage form innovation, a series of technological advancements empowers TCM snacks. These innovations enable ancient medicinal materials to reveal novel flavours and forms.

Emerging technologies, such as mouth-soluble membrane technology, have gained prominence in the TCM snack industry. This technique encapsulates active ingredients within a film composed of modified starch and colloids, positioning them either on or beneath the tongue. This allows for rapid dissolution and drug release in saliva.

For instance, mouth-soluble membrane technology, a novel dosage type of oral administration method, achieves rapid dissolution and efficient absorption through the mouth. This approach extends from professional medical treatment to functional health food. Nano-embedding technology, for example, provides dual benefits of bitterness shielding and active protection through microscale wrapping, while probiotic fermentation facilitates bacterial group fermentation.

Technological advancements not only enhance the active utilisation of raw materials but also optimise taste by decomposing bitter substances.

The concept and technology of flavour science also serve as viable solutions. Existing products leverage the coordinated application of natural sweeteners and bitterness masking technology to reduce the bitterness of raw materials like ginseng and other medicinal and food sources. This approach ensures the preservation of active ingredients and improves palatability.

 form creativity, a series of technological innovations are empowering TCM snacks, so that ancient medicinal materials can shine new flavours and new forms.

Emerging technologies such as mouth-soluble membrane technology are becoming new favourites in the field of TCM snacks. This technique fixes the active ingredients of TCM on a film made of modified starch and colloids, and places them on or under the tongue, which can quickly dissolve and release drugs in saliva.

For example, the mouth-soluble membrane-making technology, this new dosage type of oral administration method achieves rapid dissolution and efficient absorption through the mouth, which is extending from professional medical treatment to functional health food; for example, nano-embedding technology can achieve the dual effect of bitterness shielding and active protection through microsacle wrapping; probiotic fermentation through bacterial group fermentation. Technology, on the one hand, can improve the active utilisation of raw materials, and on the other hand, it can optimise the taste by decomposing bitter substances.

The concept and technology of flavour science are also popular solutions in the field. There are already products on the market that rely on the coordinated application of natural sweeteners and bitterness masking technology to reduce the bitterness of raw materials such as ginseng and other medicinal and food sources, ensure zero loss of active ingredients, and improve palatability.

Peter Peverelli has been actively involved in and with China since 1975 and frequently travels to the most remote regions of that vast nation. He is a co-author of a substantial book that explores the cultural factors that have contributed to China’s economic success. Peter has been involved in the Chinese food and beverage industries since 1985.

n the Announcement No. 1 of 2025 of the Health Commission (the former Ministry of Health of China) officially approved stevia polyphenols as a new food raw material, alongside stevia glycosides, as the two “star ingredients” of stevia.

For an extended period, stevia has garnered significant attention due to its abundance of stevia glycosides, a natural sweetener, and its role as a crucial sugar substitute in the food industry. The legalisation of stevia polyphenols has undoubtedly paved the way for the expanded application of stevia. Its antioxidant and multifaceted health benefits anticipate its emergence as a preferred choice in the domains of food and healthcare products, potentially surpassing the popularity of stevia glycosides.

Originating from South America, stevia was introduced to China in the 1970s and has since gained widespread cultivation in Hebei, Gansu, Shandong, and other regions. The sweetness of stevia glycosides in its leaves is approximately 200-300 times greater than sucrose, making it the cornerstone of natural sugar substitutes. However, during the extraction process of stevia glycosides, a “side product” emerged—stevia polyphenols.

Stevia polyphenols constitute 2%-4% of the dried stevia leaves, primarily comprising chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, quercetin, and other active ingredients. High-purity products are obtained through extraction technology, resulting in a total polyphenol content exceeding 40%. The polyphenols are derived from stevia leaves through ethanol extraction, filtration, purification, concentration, drying, and other processes.

In 2025, stevia polyphenols officially became a new food raw material in China, ushering in a novel trajectory for the application of stevia in the food sector.

What are plant polyphenols?

Plant polyphenols are secondary metabolites synthesised by plants during their growth. They constitute a diverse class of compounds characterised by the presence of multiple phenolic hydroxyl structures. These compounds are composed of benzene ring structures, each bearing one or more hydroxyl (-OH) groups on each benzene ring, conferring them with robust antioxidant properties and the ability to neutralise free radicals.

Plant polyphenols can be categorised based on their chemical structure, primarily comprising flavonoids, proanthocyanins, hydrolyzed tannins, simple phenolic acids, and other major categories.

Plant polyphenols serve as essential nutrients produced through photosynthesis, playing a multifaceted role within the plant body. These compounds contribute to disease resistance, pigment formation, structural support, and regulation of the growth cycle. Polyphenols are typically stored in various plant parts, including roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits, and epidermis.

Which foods are rich in polyphenols?

Plant polyphenols constitute a diverse class of natural compounds widely distributed in plants. Their content ranks second only to lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose. Over 600 plant species are known to contain higher levels of polyphenols compared to other compounds.

In daily life, foods rich in polyphenols include various fruits (e.g., apple peel, grape peel), vegetables, tea, coffee, seeds, grains, beans, olive oil by-products, cocoa, vanilla, and spices.

Related extracts exhibit remarkable diversity, such as apple polyphenols, pomegranate polyphenols, sour cherry polyphenols, blueberry anthocyanins, grape resveratrol, green tea polyphenols, coffee chlorogenic acid, and dark chocolate cocoa polyphenols, among others.

Which newly approved ingredients are polyphenols?

In addition to stevia polyphenols, numerous new food sources primarily contain polyphenols or polyphenol derivatives.

Sugarcane polyphenols are among the recently approved food ingredients. Sugarcane polyphenols are naturally extracted compounds from sugarcane. The primary constituents include total polyphenols, total flavonoids, and proanthocyanins, which possess substantial biological activity and commercial value.

A recent study demonstrated that this polyphenol exhibits potent inhibitory effects on α-glucosidase and α-amylase enzymes in the small intestine. This action effectively retards the degradation of carbohydrates within the digestive tract, thereby reducing the absorption rate of monosaccharides such as glucose and fructose. Consequently, it contributes to sugar control. Primarily, this polyphenol is utilised in the development of low-glycemic index (GI) food products.

Shanghai TPM, a subsidiary of Australian International Ingredients, has recently declared sugarcane polyphenol as a new food raw material. Their product portfolio encompasses Phytolin@phenol® sugarcane polyphenols and Polynol@phenol@sugarcane polyphenol food ingredients.

Milk tea by Hankou Erchang contains phytolin

Phytolin@

Phytolin® has emerged as an innovative raw material in the weight management sector, serving as a sugar substitute and effective sugar control agent.

Catechin

Catechin, a newly approved food raw material in 2023, finds applications in beverages and candies. When consumed in conjunction with gallocate (EGCG) as outlined in Announcement No. 17 of 2010, the recommended daily intake is limited to ≤300 mg (measured in total catechin content).

Catechin constitutes the primary polyphenol in tea, comprising 12% to 24% of the dry weight and 60% to 80% of the total polyphenol content. It is predominantly found in green tea, black tea, and oolong tea varieties.

The catechin family comprises four main types (C): epigallic catechic acid (EGCG), pyglytic catechin (EGC), capechic acid (ECG), and epicatechin (EC).

In Japan, catechin has gained recognition as a functional raw material for weight management, a concept that consumers highly value. This recognition may be attributed to the success of Huawang, a company that introduced Healthia green tea in 2003. Since then, Huawang has sold an impressive 3.1 billion bottles of Healthia green tea over a 21-year period, as of the end of 2024.

Tea polyphenols, also known as polyphenols, are polyphenolic compounds primarily extracted from tea leaves as food ingredients. As a food additive antioxidant, they are permitted in over 60 sub-food categories in GB 2760, including oils and fats, jams, nuts, pastries, meat products, aquatic products, canned foods, seasonings, beverages, and puffed foods.

The permitted addition range is between 0.1g/kg and 0.8g/kg, with varying allowable amounts for different product categories. The quality standard adheres to the national standard “GB 1886.211-2016 Food Safety National Standard Food Additives Tea Polyphenols”.

These polyphenolic ingredients can be utilised in both domestic and international food applications. However, foreign dietary supplements often employ a wider range and more diverse types of polyphenol food ingredients.

Apple polyphenols

Apple polyphenols are primarily derived from apple peels, particularly immature green apples, which are rich in polyphenols. The polyphenol content in immature fruits is approximately 10 times higher than that of ripe fruits. Apple polyphenols encompass a diverse range of phenols, including chlorogenic acid, catechin, epicatechin, apple condensed tannin, root peel, root skin, and anthocyanin.

BGG

BGG is a reputable supplier of apple polyphenol food ingredients. They possess the process of extracting apple polyphenols from immature green apples and have obtained intellectual property protection in China and the United States. Furthermore, BGG has conducted clinical trials investigating the role of apple polyphenols in weight management and has received strong scientific research endorsement. Notably, BGG’s apple polyphenols are marketed in the Korean market, where their jelly bars and oral solutions have gained popularity among consumers.

As a byproduct of the wine and juice industry, grape seeds contain a high polyphenol content, ranging from 60 to 70%. The primary polyphenols include catechins, epicatechins, proanthocyanins, and proanthocyanidins (OPC), which are the core active ingredients. Grape seed polyphenols have garnered significant market recognition and have long been the cornerstone of the oral beauty market. Notably, the 2024 Swisse grape seed niacinamide tablets available on Taobao Online stand out in comparison to similar products.

Lychee polyphenols

In addition to the aforementioned polyphenols, another polyphenol is extracted from lychees. Lychee polyphenols are a specific type of polyphenolic substance derived from lychees. Different parts of lychees, such as the flesh, kernels, and shells, contain a diverse range of polyphenols. The polyphenols found in lychee fruit primarily consist of protocatechic acid, catechins, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, epicatechins, butylic acid, p-coumic acid, rutin, valeric acid, and others.

Numerous products utilise this raw material. For instance, lychee polyphenol vegetarian capsules are designed to provide a dual effect of “fatigue reduction and weight management.” Low molecular weight polyphenols were obtained through low-temperature extraction, resulting in a threefold increase in absorption rate. Trial testing has been conducted to validate the efficacy of this process.

Polyphenol compounds

Concurrently, the application of single polyphenol ingredients has also emerged as an optimistic direction for certain enterprises.

For example, a dietary supplement launched by one such enterprise incorporates pomegranate extract, keratin, turmeric, bitter orange (fruit), green tea (leaf extract), grape extract (skin and seeds), organic blueberry fruit extract, apple extract, wild cherry berry extract (berry), olive extract (fruit), acai berry (fruit), Noli (fruit), alfalfa (whole plant), hawthorn berry powder, and celery extract (seeds).

The product comprises over 10 components, including pomegranate, turmeric, and blueberry, that are rich in plant polyphenols. These polyphenols are amplified through synergy, emphasising plant-based and natural ingredients.

In light of the approval of stevia polyphenols, more polyphenols are anticipated to be considered for inclusion in the list of new food ingredients in the future. Polyphenols, due to their high purity and antioxidant properties, are expected to gain popularity as a raw material in the food and health food industries. They will play a significant role in dietary supplements, beverages, snacks, dairy products, and other sectors.

Peter Peverelli has been actively involved in and with China since 1975 and frequently travels to the most remote regions of that vast nation. He is a co-author of a significant book that delves into the cultural factors driving China’s economic success. Peter has been involved in the Chinese food and beverage industries since 1985.

Light eating, qingshi (轻食) has been an issue in China for some time. It includes foods that are low(er) in salt, fat and sugar, but also has broader health connotations. Moreover, it is also about eating smaller meals or portions than usual. That is not just about food but about a complete life style concept, for many also including more exercising. This is reflected by the fact that many Chinese speak of ‘light-eating-ism’ (qingshizhuyi 轻食主义).

This post starts with a description of traditional Chinese concepts about nutrition. These concepts have not only never disappeared, young Chinese show a renewed interest in this tradition. Concepts and terms in this first chapter will reappear in following reports as well.

After that introduction, I will highlight the various aspects of light eating in separate chapters, and end with a review about the future of this movement.

Embedded in an ancient tradition

Qingshi is not just a Western trend catching on in China. The ancient Chinese medical classic Huangdi Neijing, the Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor, written during the Qin (221 BC – 207 BC) and Han (206 BC ~20 AD) periods, warned against overeating in general and consuming too much fish or meat.

Huangdi Neijing was the first systematic medical book to be published in China. It incorporated the accumulation over centuries of medical experience and observations by the Chinese herbal doctors. The theory of Chinese medicine is heavily influenced by ancient Chinese philosophy, especially that of cosmology and movement of the universe. This world outlook views that things are compassed of five elements – metal, wood, water, fire and earth – and that all material is in a process of change between the universe and the human body. Traditional Chinese Medicinal (TCM) doctors believe that each individual is both a part of the universe and a complete unit, so that a cosmic view of health was required. A well-nourished body was therefore also regarded as a condition for maintaining mental health.

Within this philosophy, phenomena are understood in terms of contradictory relations, for example, the sun versus the moon, the sky versus the earth, the day versus the night, the male versus the female and the positive versus the negative. TCM doctors analyse the physical signs and symptoms of a case by differentiating the appearances into two opposite categories, for example, into yin (阴 dark) and yang (阳bright), han (寒 cold) and re (热hot), xu (虚weak) and shi (实strong), wai (外exterior) and nei (内interior). It is thought that these extremes exist at the same time and are interchangeable, moving to the opposite extreme when conditions change; for example, water becomes air when temperature rises. This is expressed as ‘things at one extreme must go to the opposite extreme’.

Don’t think that these terms are esoteric, only known to TCM doctors who have studied for years. Most Chinese, including the young and hip, know these terms and use them regularly. E.g., a woman can warn a female friend not to eat too much of a certain food during menstruation, because it would make her diet too cold (han). Another Chinese can tell his colleague that his complexion is getting a little plump, which could indicate that his ‘spleen is too weak (pi xu)’.

The concept of a ‘balanced diet’ and ‘a complete diet’

TCM doctors pay a lot of attention to proper nourishment by selecting appropriate food in a way which is somewhat philosophical. By appropriate amounts of food was meant not too much or too little, otherwise it was thought that one health extreme or the other could result.

Huangdi Neijing provides a few recommendations for food intake: (1) Poisons (毒du) (substances to rid or destroy unwanted principles in the body) and medicines provide cure. (2) Five cereals (rice, sesame seeds, soya beans, wheat, millet) provide nourishment. (3) Five fruits (dates, plum, chestnut, apricot, peach) produce complementarity. (4) Five animals (beef, dog meat, pork, mutton, chicken) give advantage. (5) Five vegetables (marrow, chive, bean sprouts, shallot, onion) are for supplementarity. (6) If the food tastes and smells good, eat it to replenish the body’s needs.

The first quotation refers to an important aspect of the TCM view on food and nutrition: food and medicine come from the same sources (药食同源 yao shi tong yuan). The concept of du, literally meaning poison, can be confusing. In the Western perception, poising is something that makes you ill. In TCM is can be that as well, but the same substance that makes you ill can also help restoring the balance. In this sense, it resembles the Western tradition of homeopathy: curing a disease using a very thin solution of the substance that causes it.

The following four parts of the statement describe basic food groups and reflect principles, like having a variety of cereal like foods in order to nourish the body. The number ‘five’ (derived from the five fingers of a hand) does not mean a number per se, but signifies the varieties of cereal, fruit, animal and vegetable derived food. Cereals are considered basic and staple foods for nourishment Fruits are placed second because they compensate for shortages in whatever cereals provided. Animal-derived foods are perceived to be important for the human body, with its resemblance to the animal. Vegetables are regarded to provide an extended range of substances.

With the development of society, people and their circumstances change and cultural exchanges between countries include those of food and technology. Sometimes cultures integrate. Thus the food produced in the Chinese restaurants or home kitchens today will not be representative of the traditional diet, because it will have been modified to suit the taste of people in various locations and countries. However, it has been shown in the 1988 National Nutrition Survey of China, that most people living in the countryside and cities still follow traditional food patterns.

The concept of han (cold) and re (hot)

Han and re literally mean ‘cold’ and ‘hot’. However, the meanings of these essential concepts in TCM nutritional thinking are much more complex. They refer, not only to the body’s status, but also to its function, reaction and symptoms. For example, when a person has ingested cold food, (s)he may respond with related characteristics. Thus, han food may cause diarrhea and re food may cause constipation; han foods may cause nausea while re foods may cause gut problems such as heartburn. On the other hand, han food could combat constipation and re food diarrhoea. These symptoms do not relate to food temperatures, but to the relationship between food and the human body.

Whilst food is believed to provide our bodies with nourishment, the body reacts to food in different ways. For example, if a person eats too much meat, its metabolic effects through acid production may be uncomfortable. This is what is described as re (literally: hot; Westerners also speak of heartburn). Modern nutritional science concentrates on the nutrient components of foods and on the metabolism of nutrients. It rarely acknowledges that there are both nutrient and non-nutrient substances in food which might affect the body. Unripe guava may cause constipation and this may be explained by contemporary food chemistry in terms of tannic acid; this phenomenon is regarded as re in TCM nutrition. Ripened guava does not have the same effect and therefore is not considered as re.

Research has been made in China to link modern food science with TCM concepts. It has been argued that food which contains more or less cation than anion can create a situation of either han or re, although such a generalization is still difficult to accept at a point in nutrition science where the effects of any one cation or anion are recognized as complex. Most fruit and vegetables are considered as han which means that food high in dietary fiber belongs to the han category. That both han food and foods containing dietary fiber can cause ’emptying of the bowels’ is a proximation of the two streams of thought.

Water can be both han or re, depending on the mineral composition of the water, having different biological consequences. E.g., water which contained a lot of magnesium has been considered as han.

Neutral (温 wen) and supplementing (补 bu)

Food that is in-between han and re is considered neutral (wen) (literally meaning ‘warm’). Rice is an example of a neutral food. Wen food is usually compensated for by bu (literally meaning ‘to supplement’), to avoid nutrient insufficiency. According to TMC, wheats are slightly han, beans are neutral, most fish are neutral as well. Beef is wen, mutton is very re and pork is slightly han. Usually han food is cooked with some re food to neutralize it. For example, vegetables (a han food) are usually cooked with ginger or pepper (re foods) to neutralize them.

It is tempting to compare these TCM observations with modern food research. E.g., existing research shows that a given amount of carbohydrate or carbohydrate containing food can cause very different glycemic responses. Such contemporary nutrition science concepts may be regarded as analogous of traditional Chinese food concepts. However, this is a bridge too far for this report.

Staple vs non-staple

A traditional Chinese meal contains two parts – 饭 fan the staple food, i.e. a cereal, and the rest of the meal, referred to as ‘dishes’, 菜 cai. Cereal is the staple food in the Chinese diet and this may include rice, wheat, corn sorghum and millet, but tubers like (sweet) potatoes, taro, etc. and beans are also regarded as staples. The word cai in everyday Chinese is the same as that for vegetables, because Chinese dishes mostly contain vegetables, with other kinds of food added as supplementary ingredients. It also means ‘accompanying food’ which indicates that ‘dishes’ is only a side dish to accompany the main course – rice (in Southern China) and wheat products like noodles in the North.

Medicine and food come from the same origin

Chinese herbal medicines are part of the normal diet. Chinese scholars believe that what we eat and drink should provide all the nutrients that the body needs. Some medicinal plants may be used as part of a normal diet to maintain a healthy life.

Certain foods have preventive effects. For example, the lingzhi or reiki (the Japanese pronunciation of the same characters), a kind of mushroom and is believed to contain substances prolonging life expectancy. Liver it believed to cure night blindness, seaweeds goiter, and that black beans anaemia. However, as there was no knowledge of vitamins or minerals, the reason behind these assumptions could not be given.

Herbal medicines which were used as medicine were sometimes also cooked as food in a combined dish. They were used as bu. Ginseng and dates are popular examples. These foods or medicines used to be prescribed according to the needs of the patient or healthy person. However, in modern times some have become so popular that they are part of a regular diet. Linked to the current nationalist trend (国潮 guochao) in China, there is a noticeable increase in interest in TCM-based supplements among young affluent Chinese consumers. I will revert to that later in this report.

The Chinese authorities are regulating this use of TCM herbs as food ingredients. There is an official list of herbs and their extracts that are allowed to be used as food ingredients. TCM materials not listed are prohibited in regular foods and beverages.

Low sugar

Chinese have a sweet tooth. We all have, of course, but my first impression of Chinese food products, when I studied in China for a year in the mid-1970s, compared with their counterparts that I was used to Europe, was that they tasted significantly sweeter.

The reason for this is not much different from that in the Western nations. Sweet is an attractive flavour and sugar used to be a luxury item, so a high sugar content marked a high standard of living.

The ultimate sweet food is candy. The Chinese word tang refers to both sugar and the generic category of candy. This poses an interesting linguistic problem when you seriously start thinking about reducing sugar in food. Candy should then be an important focus product, but how do you express ‘sugar-free candy’ in Chinese? It would be something like ‘coffee-free coffee’. However, these expressions are regularly used in professional and commercial literature, so apparently Chinese can distinguish between tang = sugar and tang = candy.

Obesity

The inevitable effect of consuming sugar-heavy foods and drinks, obesity, has also become a problem in China. Among Chinese adults aged 18-69 in 2018, there were about 85 million obese people, of which 48 million were men and 37 million were women. There were 11 million more men than women. In 2004, there were only 28 million obese people in China. In other words, in just 14 years, the obesity rate in China has risen from 3.1% to 8.1%. A report from 2021 estimates that the number of obese people at 230 million, a year-on-year increase of 4.5%.

Children are also affected. The latest research shows that the incidence of childhood obesity in China has reached 20%. Data from the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention shows that there are more than 550,000 obese people under the age of 17, and 12% of children are overweight. Apart from consuming too much sugar, part of the childhood obesity is caused by parents who still adhere to the traditional Chinese belief that a fat body is a sign of health and therefore give their children too much food, including modern manufactured foods and drinks.

Concerned consumers

This is a good point to mention that modern Chinese consumers are possibly the most ingredient conscious people in the world. Many Chinese do read ingredients lists of the foods they buy (or before they buy them) and discuss their concerns on social media and other Internet platforms. One reason for this is the experience with a number of serious food safety issues during the past decade, which has made Chinese consumers suspicious of statements about food quality from the manufacturers of those foods.

Chinese tend to take statements like ‘sugar-free’ literally. Moreover, the Chinese food industry has recently started using the term ‘zero sugar’(0 tang 0糖) to indicate sugar-free, which conveys an even more absolute feeling that the product does not contain any sugar. Many people doubt whether they can believe such a statement. The government met this suspicion with clear specifications.

Item	denomination	specification
Sugar	sugar free	<= 0.5g/100 g/ml
	low sugar	<= 5g/100 g/ml

Related to this problem is the statement ‘zero calories’ (0ka 0卡) that often follows the indication ‘zero sugar’. This is even more tricky, because the energy in a food product does not only come from sugar. Articles informing consumers that sugar replacers are just that, replacing sugar, but do not mean that a food does not provide calories appear regularly in the Chinese press. Interestingly, no party in China has so far proposed to prohibit using the term ‘zero calories’ on food packaging.

Chinese doctors also point out in such publications that the use of artificial sweeteners also does not affect the chance of developing diabetes. Diabetes is big problem in China. One study states that the number of new patients increases with approximately 12.7 million p.a. The total number inf 2021 was 140 million. Another doctor points out that marketing a food like steamed bun (mantou 馒头) would be useless, because eating it would still increase the glycaemic index. We knew this already, but I am adding this to show that topics like this are discussed in the Chinese media in much more detail than in similar Western media geared to consumers.

Communities

Chinese culture is high communitarian. Chinese prefer to do whatever they do in groups of linked minded people. Many consumers concerned with the state of their own health and that of their loved ones form groups seeking to reduce sugar intake. On Xiaohongshu, an app popular with users mostly between 18 and 34, searches for phrases such as “quitting sugar (jietang戒糖),” “sugar control (kongtang控糖),” and “sugar reduction (jiantang减糖),” show tens to hundreds of thousands of results. On social media platform Douban (also known as Tik Tok), also popular among the under-35 population, forums for users wanting to quit sugar can host thousands of members. One, the “Quit Sugar Commune” established in July 2018, has over 5,000 members who “check in” each day to record their low-sugar milestones and progress toward health goals.

Celebrities have also taken up the craze. In April 2018, singer and actress Zhang Shaohan told her over 15 million followers on Weibo, a Chinese platform that can be best described as a combination of LinkedIn and Twitter, that her “secret” to staying young is a zero-sugar diet: “Highly processed sugar … is probably one of the most harmful inventions in human history,” she wrote, earning 190,000 likes and 50,000 forwards on the platform.

The National Health Commission (the former Ministry of Public Health) has also announced a goal of getting consumers to cut down their sugar intake to below 25 grams as part of the “Healthy China Initiative,” as well as updating standards for labeling sugar content on food products and restricting the sale of high-sugar foods.

Less knowledgeable manufacturers

While the large Chinese food manufacturers will have sufficiently knowledge in-house, quite a number of smaller local producers lack such knowledge. This can lead to interesting discussions on Chinese food industry online platforms. E.g., a local manufacturer of pastries (he does not provide much personal information on his personal home page, but he seems to be an elderly baker in Henan province) inquires if someone in the discussion group is familiar with sugar-free biscuits or pastries. In particular, he asks people to ‘introduce raw materials that can be used’ in such products. The first reply comes from a man with a university background (Master degree) and working in a food research institute. He answers that there are no real sugar-free biscuits or pastries, as the starch in the products are transformed into sugar by the human body. Another person (hiding his background, except for working in cereal processing) adds that you should distinguish between ‘sugar-free’ (wutang 无糖) and ‘no sucrose’ (wuzhetang 无蔗糖). The discussion continues for some time, but the above suffices to show the level of knowledge among manufacturers in China.

Sugar substitutes

A new problem is that sugar substitutes come with their own problems. Almost all substitutes are produced in China, and the country is a major producer of some. However, food additives in general have a bad name in China. China used to be food additives heaven. Ingredients lists on food packaging (if provided at all) could be quite long. I remember reading an article in Chinese newspaper entitled: ‘does ice cream really need 12 types of additives?’. This is the Chinese consumer again (see above) who actually reads such lists. Even the more natural sugar substitutes like stevia, are regarded as unnatural and therefore something you would rather not have in your food. Some of the older ones like aspartame or acesulfame-K, are linked to cancer in many publications in popular media. A report from Chinese news outlet The Paper of November 2021 warned that consumers of sugar substitutes are 14 percent more likely to experience depression. It also noted that consumption of aspartame on an empty stomach may cause a blood sugar imbalance, and erythritol can lead to gastrointestinal troubles. An article by the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission of August 2021 warned about the risks of excessive consumption of sweeteners. It suggests that low-calorie sugar substitutes don’t satisfy the brain’s sense of hunger, leading people to eat more food, which in turn increases their risk of weight gain and diabetes.

Then there is the issue of price. Using sugar substitutes come at a cost. Established in 2018, Nice Cream uses natural sugar substitutes like erythritol (rather than artificial sweeteners like aspartame), but this is expensive, and it is a part of the reason why Nice Cream products retail for up to 10 times the price of other ice creams. There is a market segment for expensive but healthy leisure foods like this, but it is relatively small.

Low fat

Unlike sugar, fat is a macro-ingredient indispensable in the human diet. In processed foods, fat adds to the flavour and texture and contributes to the satisfactory feeling consumption. We love fat, but not as a part of ourselves. While body fat is not only produced from consumed fats, consumers in more advanced markets, who start caring about their weight and health in general, first of all blame the fat in their foods.

A concurrent problem in China in this respect is the rapidly increasing ratio of meat in the Chinese diet. With the increasing spendable income, consumers can and want to buy foods that until then were regarded as luxury. Meat, in particular beef is one of such foods. The ratio of meat in the Chinese diet has almost doubled in a couple of decades. As even lean meat contains fat, this has increased the fat intake of Chinese people considerably.

Low(er) fat

Low fat as a marketing issue therefore started in China considerable earlier than the current Light Eating vogue. However, it was mainly literally lowering fat in the formulation and compensating its effect on the texture by adding additives like modified starch, emulsifiers, etc. When the Western food industry launched that ‘low sugar, low fat, low salt’ slogan, it was readily taken over by the Chinese government and therefore also by the Chinese food industry. Lowering fat was then approached in a much broader way, including e.g. substituting fat with other, more natural, ingredients.

In restaurants and home cooking, Chinese started eating more Western style salads. One of the eating habits Westerners brought to China when they started living there was eating mixed chopped raw vegetables as meals. Chinese observing this described those Westerners as ‘eating grass (chicao 吃草)’. This expression is quite flattering, as it implies eating animal feed. This attitude has changed considerably.

Zero fat (?)

After lowering fat in food was aligned with low sugar and salt, the designation zero fat (0zhifang ) also appeared on food packaging and marketing campaigns. However, as is the case with sugar, 100% fat-free is a  close to impossible to reach. The Chinese government has therefore promulgated the following specifications.

Item	denomination	specification
Fat	fat free	<= 0.5g/100 g/ml
	low fat	<= 3g/100 g/ml

Fat in food formulations cannot be simply replaced by ‘artificial fats’ as is the case with artificial sweeteners. I already mentioned additives like modified starch or emulsifiers to mimic the effect of fat on textures. This is technically a good solution, but adds additives, often several, to the ingredients lists on the packaging and Chinese consumers like to study those lists.

Fibre

Chinese food technologists are therefore focusing on adding more texture to foods in the shape of dietary fiber. It does not deliver the same texture, but it can replace the bulkiness of food that is delivered by fat. This has also a psychological aspect. If a food company would directly advertise with replacing meat with vegetables or coarse grains, a considerable segment of Chinese consumers would object, as it sounds like giving up on a luxury food that they now can afford. On the other hand, adding ‘dietary fibre’ (shanshi xianwei 膳食纤维) sounds fancy and modern and therefore gives a luxury feeling.

Candy

Low fat obviously is less important for manufactures of candy. One related issue linked to candy is fruit jelly made from konjac. Fruit jelly are extremely popular among Chinese children, and female consumers of all ages. They can be a source of calories, but those made from konjac are relatively better in this respect. Manufacturers of konjac-based fruit jellies therefore make sure that consumers get the message by printing it on the packaging in huge characters.

Bakery

Fat replacement is more important for producers of bakery products. Bread is an interesting item in this product group. White refined flour and food made from it were until recently regarded as a luxury products and with the increase of spending power, Chinese consumers bought more and more of it to enjoy the same delicate foods, e.g immaculately white steamed bread, like the rich. That has changed very quickly in recent years. Whole meal flower and bread, pastry, biscuits, etc., made from it are now the thing to buy by the health conscious young urban professionals.

Other, coarser, cereals than wheat or rice have also become popular (again). An example is millet (xiaomi 小米). Millet was the sustenance that Chairman Mao and the Red Army relied on to sustain them during the arduous campaigns against the Kuomintang and the invading Japanese. Millet has some of the properties we might associate with the soldiers who relied on it back in 30s and 40s. While it prefers a warm climate, it possesses the ability to adapt to other environments, as well as being remarkably drought resistant and able to survive in poor, heavily acidic or alkaline soils. The nutrients millet contains are hard to digest. However, it is rich in calcium, phosphorous, iron, carotene, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, niacin, zinc, manganese, selenium and oestrogen, amongst other things.

The Chinese food industry has also discovered chia seeds as a source of fibre that also provides protein. Other sources of fibre incorporate in bakery products are vegetables, fruits and TCM herbs. The also provide functionality. Water chestnuts, dates (jujubes) and goji berries are examples of plants that also have medicinal functionality according to TCM and are nowadays widely used to enhance food and beverage recipes.

Modernization

The most essential aspect of the production of Babao Porridge is the combination of emulsifiers and thickeners. Babao Porridge consists of a viscous liquid part and solid parts. Manufacturers need to formulate the product in such a way, that the solid parts are more or less evenly distributed over the liquid part upon opening of the can. A number of Chinese manufacturers of emulsifiers and thickeners supply products specially formulated for Babao Porridge. Industrial recipes for so called ‘low calorie Babao Porridge,’ proposed by manufacturers of ingredients use sticky rice as the macro-ingredient, where part of the rice can be replaced with pumpkin. Various combinations of fruits (dates are most popular) and nuts (including peanuts) are added. Frequently suggested micro-ingredients and additives: pumpkin powder, xylitol, oligoxylose, CMC, konjac powder, and EDTA.

Low salt

Salt is the most generally used flavoring ingredient in food all over the world. It is currently one of most dangerous food ingredients in terms of food borne diseases. Until purified salt was only available in small volumes and therefore relatively expensive, the latter was not an issue. Now that salt is available in abundance excessive use has become a global problem as well.

High intake

In China, salt intake has consistently been very high and is believed to account for 40% of all deaths. Despite various governmental campaigns since 2007, the latest estimates show that salt intake in adults still averages at 11 g/day,6 making it one of the highest intake levels in the world. Importantly, the slow progress made so far in salt reduction could be offset by the rapid increase in the consumption of processed and out-of-home foods that comes with urbanisation.

The Chinese authorities had already started a salt reduction program, when the Western ‘low sugar, low fat, low salt’ campaign reached China too. This seems to help. In the beginning, Chinese consumers were reluctant to reduce salt in home cooking (a major contribution to salt intake in China) or restaurants. Salty snacks also remained popular. In the context of Light Eating, the affluent health conscious have not at least taken the lead in salt reduction.

Regulation

As is the case with sugar and fat, zero salt (0 yan 0盐) is not really attainable. The Chinese authorities have therefore also set a number of specifications.

Item	denomination	specification
Salt	salt free	<= 5mg/100 g/ml
	low salt	120mg/100 g/ml

Easier

Low salt is harder to accept by consumers, but easier to accomplish than low sugar or fat, as salt has less influence on the products texture. Chinese publications suggest a series of ways to adapt formulations to a lower salt content.

• Use vegetables and fruits with stronger flavours (peppers, onions, lemons, etc);
• Use spices or strong flavoured animal products like dried fish;
• Use TCM herbs. These usually also have strong flavours and you can advertise with the herb’s functionality (date, cinnamon, etc);
• Add ingredients with a high potassium content (black mouse ear fungus (mu’er 木耳), laver, banana, potato, etc.).

The main challenge for the authorities is the same as in most other parts of world: how to gradually wean consumers of the salty taste they are so addicted to.

Soy sauce

A special ingredient that needs highlighting here is China’s favourite savoury ingredient: soy sauce. Already in 2017, Sichuan-based Cuiwei Food launched a low salt soy sauce, produced by natural fermentation. While salt reduction is a positive development, soy sauce has always been a typical savoury seasoning product, so completely salt-free soy sauce can only succeed when marketed as general flavouring ingredient.

End note: Light Eating, fad or there to stay?

Light Eating is certainly not a fad of the day, but something that will have a long term influence on the Chinese food market in the broadest sense. As a concept has been launched a few years ago, first of all among patrons of fitness centres, who became more conscious about the long term effects of eating too much. Their income increased rapidly, but not so much their traditional eating habits. This resulted in a rapid increase of obese people in China. However, that additional income allowed them to start exercising ‘like the Westerners do’, which introduced them to regard eating salads as complete meals. Western was (and still is, although it is fading) synonymous with modern.

The movement grew with the increasing number of people who started exercising regularly and caught the attention of entrepreneurs who set up shops offering healthy (light) foods. When the Western low salt – sugar – fat concept entered China, it was linked to the Light Eating concept almost immediately, which drew the food and beverage industry into the movement as well. The academic world (medical science, food science) followed soon.

While writing this end note, I made search in the Chinese search engine Baidu with the longer term qingshizhuyi (light-eating-ism). Baidu came up with 9,170,000 web pages including this term. This indicates that the concept is a real ism, a world outlook. It will be influential for some time to come.

What could the next step be? One possibility could be ‘clean label’. The concept has caught attention in China. I indicated above that China used to be food additive heaven, but that Chinese consumers have become wary those long lists of additives. However, you can still see such lists on products marketed as ‘light’. I expect that this will become an issue of debate within the light eating movement in China soon.

This post is a summary of our continuous research of the developments in the Chinese food and beverage industries. Contact us for a larger, if needed tailor made, study, including concrete examples of Chinese products that are already on the market.

Peter Peverelli is active in and with China since 1975 and regularly travels to the remotest corners of that vast nation.