Introduction
Introduction
Background
This study was initiated by the Department of Primary Industries, Queensland, to identify developments in Asian markets and opportunities in those markets for Australian-supplied processed food ingredients, i.e. processed or manufactured food products that require further processing prior to human consumption.
This study examines specialised food ingredients for application in the food processing and food manufacturing industries. These include bakery ingredients such as cereals, starches, enzymes and bleaching agents; dairy ingredients such as milk powder, whey and casein; and food additives (including chemical-based ingredients) with broad application possibilities such as flavours, colours, sweeteners, emulsifiers, preservatives and thickeners.
While the main focus of the study is not on the less specialised bulk commodity food ingredients such as grain and sugar, production and trade in these products are discussed for comparative purposes. It should also be noted that this report does not deal with food ‘condiments’ including sauces or jams, which are not generally perceived by industry to be food ‘ingredients’.
Recent reports have indicated that there is an increased demand for food ingredients in Asian markets. This is due to a number of factors: rapid growth in food processing; higher incomes (which have lead to increased consumption of traditional as well as non-traditional foods); and an increasing diversification of diet.
Demand for Western branded food products is constrained by cultural attachments to traditional cuisine, and by usually significant barriers to the import of consumer food products. Since Asian and Western-style foods use many identical ingredients, this leads to increased import demand for food ingredients rather than consumer food products.
Objectives
The Market for Food Ingredients in China and Hong Kong was prepared under the RIRDC commissioned study 'An Examination of Existing and Potential Markets for Food Ingredients in Asia'. The aim of this study is firstly to identify existing markets for Australian-produced food ingredients in East Asia and, secondly, to examine closely developments, future directions and opportunities for food ingredients in two Asian markets.
The two markets chosen for closer examination, mainland China and Hong Kong, were determined primarily on the basis of results from an industry survey. Presented in this report are analyses of current production and trade in both food ingredients and consumer-ready products in both these markets.
Industry Survey
At the outset of this project, senior executives from 55 Australian manufacturers and exporters of processed food ingredients were surveyed. In order to ensure that the research was market-driven and of relevance to Australian companies, they were asked to identify the Asian markets they viewed as being priority markets for research. In addition, survey participants were asked to prioritise product markets for research and to identify their market information requirements.
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