frozen foods

Historically, frozen foods have been restricted by the lack of widespread ownership of freezers, and the common habit of buying fresh produce on a daily basis, rather than buying weekly and storing at home for later use. The arrival of the fast-food chains, western-style supermarkets, greater awareness of frozen foods and the emergence of a generation both willing and able to try new products has meant that the market for frozen foods has made great strides in China. The increasingly busy lifestyles of urban Chinese in particular have led to an increased demand for convenience foods, such as frozen ready meals. Exports are hindered by transportation costs, which erase some of China’s low price advantages. Of the 3.6 million tons of refrigerated vegetables China exported last year, almost all went to Japan and South Korea. But the amount exported to America is increasing rapidly every year. Because of issues such as transportation costs, prime U.S. markets for frozen foods from China are specialty shops targeting people nostalgic for the taste of home – and willing to pay a premium. Meanwhile, there are still government restrictions on the export of meat to Western countries, left over from the days when China had problems feeding its own citizens. China exported about 74 million tons of meat-related products last year. Most of it went to the Middle East and Russia.