China F&B market trends summary: What is ‘conscious indulgence’?
- The Chinese market is highly competitive, with both local and international brands competing for attention and differentiation.
- ‘Conscious indulgence’ is a dominant trend, meaning consumers want both health benefits and enjoyable taste or texture without compromise.
- Clean label has become a baseline expectation, with 53.2% willing to pay more for recognisable ingredients and 66% for natural claims.
- Texture is critical for repeat purchases, with 56% valuing it highly and 70% highly sensitive to mouthfeel and sensory experience.
- Value for money is essential amid rising prices, as 46% of consumers notice cost increases and seek a balance of affordability, taste, and health.
Despite having been overtaken by India in terms of total population size, China’s consumer base is still the largest in the world and its middle-class population alone makes up over 900 million individuals.
This represents significant spending power, including to make food and beverage purchases, and this has led the market to become flooded with a plethora of not only international but also local players.
With so many options available to them, Chinese consumers are spoilt for choice and this has made it ever more important for brands to find ways to stand out and appeal to local consumers, particularly in terms of innovating based on current trends — the most dominant one currently being guilt-free, conscious indulgence.
“The food and beverage market in China is entering a phase of conscious indulgence, where consumers seek total satisfaction without compromise,” Ingredion General Manager, Texture and Healthful Solutions China and Healthful Solutions Lead, Asia Pacific Guo Lai said.
Here are four crucial areas that food companies need to focus on in China in order to capitalise on local consumer demand for products feeding into this ‘conscious indulgence’ trend.
1) Focus on health, and especially clean label
According to Lai, Ingredion’s research has shown that over half (51.4%) of Chinese consumers have ranked ingredient claims for nutritional or health benefits to be among their top three purchase drivers, showing an increasing prioritisation for health when making choices at the supermarket shelf.
“We are seeing this shift fuel demand for products focused on reduced sugar, increased fibre, and low-glycaemic index (GI) options,” he added.
“The beverage category in particular, is seeing rapid growth through continuous innovation in both format and formulation, specifically as consumers seek low-sugar, zero-sugar, or even fibre-fortified options.”
That said, health alone is no longer enough — it has become crucial for brands to ensure that products retain an element of indulgence even if these have become healthier, otherwise it is a likely no-go in this market anyway.
“Current industry trends have significantly increased demand for food products that offer a combination of indulgence and health, so brands should be aiming for ‘better-for-you’ or simpler labels while still delivering the creamy, stable, and smooth textures that define a premium eating and drinking experience,” Lai said.
“We have seen this demand lead to notable growth in food ingredient solutions that bridge the gap between nutritional value and sensory appeal. Sugar reduction solutions have also become a major focus as manufacturers reformulate products to meet health-conscious demands.”
As part of this, clean label demands have become integrated in consumer expectations, added Ingredion Manager, Category Marketing China and Regional Category Beverage Lynn Lu.
“In China, demand for clean label is no longer a preference; it has become a baseline expectation,” she said.
“Ingredion’s 2025 global consumer research reveals that 53.2% of Chinese consumers are willing to pay more for products with only recognisable ingredients. Meanwhile, 66% are willing to pay more for products with natural / all natural claims.”
This has driven the rise of increasingly simple, easily readable and understandable ingredient lists in the market.
“Consequently, brands are moving beyond simply creating healthy products but rather meeting the demand for simpler and recognisable ingredients,” Lu said.
“While manufacturers do still face challenges in cost-efficiency and shelf-life stability, the push for clean label is driving the industry toward a new standard of innovation.”
2) Focus on texture, as this is a major cornerstone of indulgence
At the heart of the conscious indulgence trend is the experience of enjoyment when eating or drinking, and for this texture is one of if not the most important factors to consider.
“Texture experiences definitely remain the primary driver of consumer satisfaction — Our texture research study has shown that 56% of Chinese consumers believe texture is important for the overall enjoyment of food,” Lai added.
“Additionally, 70% exhibit high sensitivity to texture, emphasising ‘deliciousness and indulgence’ as essential for repeat purchases.”
This also links closely back to the clean label trend, as texture innovation can easily come from using various chemical additives, but this is not what Chinese consumers want.
“There is a growing focus on products made with simple and recognisable ingredients, a trend driven by a heightened emphasis on texture experience, where the enjoyment of textures and health benefits are increasingly intertwined,” Lu said.
“Consumers now seek assurance that products can have the same indulgent textures they love while offering clear health claims and simple labelling.”
3) Focus on affordability and value, as intense competition means consumers can afford to jump ship
Although many new product innovations are marketed as premium items, in China the prices of even new launches tend to be well below the upper limit of ‘premium’ pricing in order to prevent alienating consumers, many of whom are in the middle-class.
At the same time, the value and quality of these products need to be up to the standards and expectations of consumers — so a delicate balance needs to be struck.
“Consumers have become more value-conscious, seeking cost-effective options that provide the holistic value they desire without sacrificing taste. They are no longer just seeking the lowest price, but rather a balance of value: affordability, indulgence, and health benefits,” Lu said.
“With 46% of Chinese consumers having noticed rising food and beverage prices over the past year, ‘good value for money’ remains a critical regional focus.”
4) Never assume brand power alone is good enough
A critical mistake that many international brands make is to assume that the brand power they wield outside of China will automatically transfer into this market, when in fact it is a very different beast locally.
This concept is gaining gradual awareness, and even big brands such as Kraft Heinz have stated that brand loyalty should ‘never be assumed’, especially in a market as diverse and unique as China.
What will be key is to maintain a balance between all the factors mentioned above when innovating and marketing new products, as there is no way to skimp on any aspect without affecting credibility in the minds of Chinese consumers — and once this trust is broken, it may well be impossible to get them back given the many other choices they have.
“As we move through 2026, health, affordability, and texture will continue to dominate consumer mindshare,” Guo concluded.
“We foresee the market evolving around the intersection of these factors [to form the larger concept of conscious] indulgence across all categories.”
