Fonterra’s dairy innovation on display at giant China expo
Fonterra has turned up in force for the world’s largest expo for importers held annually in Shanghai, bringing the story of New Zealand grass-fed dairy to life with a vibrant booth featuring cakes, cheese, UHT whipping cream — and even a replica milk tanker.
The China International Import Expo held each year from 5-10 November, sees about 4 million visitors through its doors and attracts more 23,000 exhibitors.
President Global Foodservice and CEO Greater China, Teh-han Chow, says CIIE is a unique event that allows the Co-op to showcase its offerings to a range of stakeholders.
“CIIE is an important platform for us to showcase our leadership in dairy nutrition, develop and strengthen partnerships and stay ahead of the market trends.”
On display at the Fonterra booth are foodservice products tailored specifically to the Chinese market, including milk tea cream cake and cheese shrimp dumplings.
Also on show is Fonterra’s first cheese guidebook in Chinese which highlights the nutritional value of cheese, how it is produced and what applications it can be used in.
Cheese consumption in China is growing rapidly, driven by the popularity of Western-style quick-service restaurants and creative fusion dishes like cheese-filled dumplings.
“Chinese customers and consumers are looking to switch from plant-based ingredients like margarine and vegetable oils to butter and cheese,” says Mr Chow.
“The guidebook helps customers and consumers incorporate our high-quality dairy cheese into recipes. It enhances collaboration and supports innovation across the Chinese dairy market.”
CIIE is an important platform for us to showcase our leadership in dairy nutrition, develop and strengthen partnerships and stay ahead of the market trends.
Fonterra opened its sixth application centre in China last year. Spread across the country, these centres play an important role in driving innovation and tailoring the Co-op's Foodservice offerings to the tastes, culture and trends of the areas they are located.
“Our application centres bring the Co-op closer to the local market enabling us to quickly create new products and recipes that meet local customer needs.”
The ingredients section of the booth features a range of dairy nutrition solutions developed in collaboration with customers. Fonterra’s dairy ingredients are used in many products sold in China from ready-to-drink beverages in convenience stores to special dietary and medical nutrition applications.
“China is entering a new phase of high-quality development, and its goals in nutritional health and sustainability align closely with Fonterra's strategic priorities.”
“Moving forward, we will continue to focus on our Ingredients and Foodservice channels to deliver high-quality, nutritious, and grass-fed dairy products to the Chinese market,” Mr Chow adds.