The world’s biggest pork eaters are developing a palate for beef and other substitutes
- China’s pork consumption peaked in 2014 at 42.5 million tonnes
- Chinese customers’ spending on healthy meals rose 158 per cent last year, according to data from online delivery provider Meituan Dianping
China’s pork consumption has probably peaked, as consumers are opting for a healthier and a more varied diet.
Some 41.4 million tonnes of pork was consumed by the nation’s 1.4 billion people last year, according to market research provider Euromonitor. Although slightly higher than 41 million tonnes in 2017, it was 4.7 per cent lower than the historical peak of 42.5 million tonnes in 2014.
On a per capita basis, last year’s consumption of 29.8kg was also 4.5 per cent lower than in 2014.
Darin Friedrichs, a Shanghai-based analyst at commodities brokerage INTL FCStone, said there was a myth that the Chinese meat consumption would keep rising as they got wealthier.
“We have sort of gone past that point, as last year’s consumption per person was basically at the same level as any other rich nation, so there isn’t much room for growth anyway.”