Special medical foods flourish in China

Pharmacists compound traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) at a hospital of TCM in Zhangjiajie, central China's Hunan Province, Aug. 11, 2021. (Xinhua/Chen Sihan)

Foods for Special Medical Purpose (FSMPs) refer to formula food specifically processed to meet the special nutritional or dietary needs of people with restricted feeding, digestive and absorption disorders, metabolic disorders, or specific disease states.

China's FSMPs industry started relatively late, but the massive market demand has driven the industry to grow rapidly. In recent years, the compound growth rate of China's FSMPs industry has reached 30%, making it a "blue ocean" in the field of wellness.

JD Health is China's leading online retail channel with the most comprehensive range of FSMPs products. Currently, 59 types of FSMPs are available for online purchase, including 32 types of infant formula food for children under one-year-old and 27 types of products for individuals over one year old. Data shows that JD Health's FSMPs sales in 2022 increased by over 100% compared to the previous year.

According to a representative from the China Nutrition and Health Food Association (CNHFA), FSMPs have been popularized over the past decades overseas, while the industry has recently begun to flourish in China.

Nevertheless, China currently has moved beyond the initial stage of simply imitating developed countries by exploring the nutritional needs of the target audience as well as the formulation, taste, texture, form, and category of FSMPs products.

With the gradual completion of related regulations and standards and the continuous development of the industry, Chinese companies are form their own advantages in research and development.

Source: Economic Information Daily; trans-editing by Guo Yao