This Access Asia report covers the market for processed and fresh meat in China. The growth of the meat market is symptomatic of changing consumer patterns. With the growth in living space and supermarkets the use of fresh and processed meats is increasing.
The meat market is the second largest sector of the retail food market in China in value terms, yet is one of the last to be affected by the development of new retail formats in China. Meat sales still tend to be dominated by the free wet markets, most of which take place in open-air market places or streets, where local farmers supply live poultry or freshly slaughtered meat produce direct from the field to the end consumer. The retail meat markets are not only selling to private individuals though, and often supply to institutions and companies such as restaurants. This means that the retail market for fresh meats is often indistinguishable from the wholesale trade, especially when some meat wholesalers also sell retail. This report does not attempt to distinguish between wholesale and retail sales, as this would be an exhaustive process to research, and would make little sense in terms of how the market is structured. Processed meat products tend to be sold mostly through secondary food stores, such as supermarkets and meat traders. Organised supermarket chains are becoming increasingly significant for the sale of processed meats, particularly for frozen and chilled meat and meat products.