FBIF2025 Recap: Exploring Future Growth of Global F＆B Industry!

Food & Beverage Innovation Forum 2025 (FBIF2025) and FBlF Food Innovation Expo took place 8-10 May 2025 in the National Convention and Exhibition Centre (Shanghai).

On its opening day, FBIF2025 launches eight sub-forums alongside the exhibition. Over the three-day event, FBIF2025 will feature more than 200 speakers, host over 300 brand and channel guests at the Channel Gala, bring together 600+ exhibitors, and showcase 2,000+ innovative products, attracting an expected 47,000 attendees.

Under the theme of “Nurture the Present, Venture Forward,” FBIF2025 aims to explore how food and beverage companies can seize growth opportunities with a global perspective.

China's food industry has forged an irreplaceable position on the global food and beverage stage—an unmistakable “China coordinate.” While the country continues its evolution from a manufacturing powerhouse to a brand-driven leader, the rapidly shifting consumer landscape presents mounting challenges for business growth.

In an environment of category saturation and increasingly segmented consumer demands, how can brands create the next breakthrough product? As expansion pressure rises, how can companies optimize supply chains and reduce costs? With ongoing shifts in retail and distribution channels, how can brands swiftly respond to change? Amid uncertainty, how do high-growth brands stay ahead and remain resilient through cycles?

Where is the “antidote” to these growth dilemmas? The answer may lie in innovation.

This year’s forum will explore key industry trends and innovative practices across product categories such as dairy, snacks, bakery, and beverages, and will dive deep into topics including corporate strategy, functional ingredients, marketing, distribution, packaging, and product development.

Additionally, we proudly present the newly upgraded FBIF Wow Food Awards 2025 and a sprawling 62,000+ square meter FBIF Food Innovation Expo, bringing together the industry to exchange insights and advance innovation.

Let’s now take a look back at the highlights from Day 1 of FBIF2025!

一、Dairy Talks: Hit New Category

Tao Wang, Greater China FSQR and H&S of Fonterra, delivered a speech titled "Fonterra: Dairy Nutrition and Locally Driven Innovation."

According to Tao Wang, Fonterra’s innovation progresses through four distinct stages: Global for Global, Global for Local, Local for Local, and ultimately, Local for Global.

Tao Wang, Greater China FSQR and H&S, Fonterra

He emphasized that China is Fonterra’s largest and most important market—without exception. The company’s local innovation efforts in China focus on three main areas:

1. Chinese consumers are increasingly drawn to products that integrate local flavors and traditional Chinese culture, often referred to as the "Guochao" (national trend).

2. Aging population have created a strong demand for nutrition tailored to older adults.

3. Exploring more diverse consumption occasions for dairy beyond drinking milk.

In response, Fonterra has developed Chinese-flavored cheese slices, low-salt cheese, and products targeting weight management needs. It has also pursued innovations in collaboration with Chinese tea brands.

Tao Wang noted that under the current backdrop of profound global supply chain shifts, Fonterra will continue to draw from its global innovation expertise while deepening its focus on local demand—believing that only by combining both can truly excellent products be created.

In another presentation titled "Factory Technology Innovation: The Fundamental Driver of Product Development," Fabio Wang, Founder & CEO of Handan Coiner Food Co. Ltd. & ÖarmiLk, shared insights on how ÖarmiLk built its factory and how its facilities drive product innovation.

Fabio Wang, Founder & CEO, Handan Coiner Food Co. Ltd. & Öar

He stated that from the beginning, his goal was to build a “factory for the future”—with modular design at its core to enable the production of differentiated products within the industry.

Focusing on the Greek yogurt category, ÖarmiLk’s factory began construction in 2017 and commenced production in 2025. From 2025 to 2024, the company continued to invest more than 400 million RMB into the facility. As of May 2024, the factory reached a production capacity of over 500 tons, making ÖarmiLk the leading brand in actual production and sales in China’s chilled Greek yogurt market. Reports indicate that ÖarmiLk’s sales reached 500 million RMB in 2024, with even higher targets set for the year ahead.

Thanks to its self-owned factory, ÖarmiLk has also realized “co-creation” with consumers. Fabio Wang shared that even minor consumer feedback can trigger significant production investments. For instance, after online users complained about the difficulty of locating expiration dates on yogurt cups, the company initiated a solution: precise date printing on the cup surface, which will be implemented before the end of the year.

二、Drink Talks: Wow, Drink It Up!

Founded in 2022, LIGHTUP has achieved impressive growth with online sales exceeding 1.6 billion RMB within just two years. According to General Manager Zhang Xiaolin, LIGHTUP’s rapid rise can be attributed to three key factors.

Xiaolin Zhang, General Manager, LIGHTUP

1. Product Innovation with Health at the Core

Xiaolin Zhang explained that products must be both healthy and innovative, while also being compelling enough for consumers to share voluntarily on social media. With this in mind, LIGHTUP prioritizes the use of natural ingredients in product development. The company also designs products tailored to different consumption scenarios, aiming to accompany consumers throughout their day.

2. Co-Creation with Users to Solve Real Needs

LIGHTUP actively engages with consumers through Xiaohongshu (RED NOTE) posts, fan groups, and live-streaming rooms, gaining insights into their preferences and pain points. This co-creation approach helps refine products to better meet market demands. Xiaolin Zhang mentioned that the brand has collaborated with over 60,000 influencers, each matched with different products based on their audience type to enable precise consumer targeting.

The company also frequently launches new product sampling campaigns on social and e-commerce platforms to minimize risk and collect feedback before full-scale rollouts.

3. Channel Strategy: Deep Engagement + Omnichannel Layout

LIGHTUP mainly promotes through high-engagement platforms like Douyin (TikTok China) and Xiaohongshu, focusing on vertical marketing strategies. In the second half of 2024, the brand began its offline expansion, aiming to create a closed-loop between online and offline operations. Under this omnichannel strategy, LIGHTUP will continue to launch new products online while focusing on hero SKUs offline.

In a conversation titled “Returning to the Essence of Tea: Decoding Flavor Transformation,” Dr. David Zhang, Basic Research Director of Master Kong Holding Corp., and Kevin Xiong, CEO of Vantage Marketing & Research Consultants, explored the development of sugar-free tea beverages in China.

Left: Kevin Xiong, CEO, Vantage Marketing & Research Consult

Dr. David Zhang believes that while sugar-free tea may not replace sweetened tea in the next 4–5 years, it will continue to grow steadily and is likely to become the dominant category in the tea beverage market within 10–20 years. With its natural health benefits and advancements in technology and raw materials, sugar-free tea is becoming more flavorful. Moreover, due to its convenience, it has the potential to attract traditional loose-leaf tea drinkers.

However, despite market growth, the sugar-free tea segment is facing intense internal competition. Kevin Xiong raised a key question: How can brands create a distinctive flavor narrative that resonates with consumers, rather than relying on generic new flavors to disrupt the market?

Dr. David Zhang responded that brands should rely on consumer insights to uncover real needs and then leverage their strengths to develop unique products that serve as tools for deeper consumer communication.

He cited the 2024 launch of “Descendants of the tea”, Master Kong’s new sugar-free tea, as an example. The product was developed after conducting interviews and research to understand upstream and downstream industry needs. For raw materials, they partnered with long-time tea farmers. The production process incorporates advanced extraction, sterilization, and aseptic bottling techniques. The packaging features a “hammer texture” design, symbolizing craftsmanship and refinement.

Dr. David Zhang emphasized that by building a multi-dimensional product narrative, brands can foster stronger emotional connections with consumers, leading to higher acceptance and longer product lifecycles.

三、Snack & Baking Talks: Make Snack Delicious And Fun

Felix Xu, Vice President of R&D of Baixiang Food Group, shared some of the company's latest achievements, highlighting a 1.48% increase in category market share (according to MaShangYing data). Against the backdrop of an industry where a 0.5% increase is already challenging, Baixiang Food Group has achieved steady growth in recent years through product innovation and channel expansion. Felix Xu noted that Baixiang Food Group's revenue has surpassed 10 billion RMB in recent years—an achievement made possible by the combined efforts in innovation, channel building, and a strong sales team.

Felix Xu, Vice President of R&D, Baixiang Food Group

Felix Xu emphasized, "At the core of product innovation lie four key pillars:"

1. Product Development: Centered on the consumer, aimed at driving brand and category growth. Baixiang Food Group launches more than 100 new products each year, using high-frequency innovation to stimulate demand—while ensuring both quantity and quality.

2. Innovation Culture: Promoting open innovation through external collaboration with institutions, universities, and associations, while strengthening internal innovation and building a creative atmosphere.

3. Talent Development: Recruiting a diverse team, establishing two major R&D centers, and investing continuously in talent and infrastructure to ensure long-term sustainability.

4. Technology Research: Focusing on health and food safety to build core technical capabilities and meet multiple demands—such as being healthy, safe, and delicious all at once.

In recent years, baked goods have taken center stage in retail supermarkets. What structural changes is the bakery sector undergoing? Why has supermarket bakery become so popular? Beyond affordability and health, what emerging consumer trends are shaping bakery sales?

These questions were explored by Edison Zhang, Founder of New Species Institute; Natalie Zhao, Marketing Director of China Oils, Ag & Trading of Cargill; Peng Yuan, Innovation and Baking Center Director of Lesaffre Group Greater China; and Jacky Chen, General Manager of Guangzhou Liuhe Foods.

Natalie Zhao remarked that bakery differs from many other food sectors in that it is shifting from artisan craftsmanship to industrialization. He stressed that the industry needs new frameworks and methodologies for innovation. While industrial professionals focus on product shelf life and line feasibility, artisan bakers may create great-tasting samples that fail at scale due to issues like texture or shelf stability.

Zhao emphasized Cargill’s ability to help clients navigate these technical hurdles:

"We aim to provide clients with an industrial innovation framework. In bakery product innovation, early consideration should be given to line feasibility, ingredient interactions, moisture and oil migration during shelf life, and mold risks. These elements are key from the very beginning."

Lesaffre Group brought four sample breads to the FBIF panel discussion. According to Peng Yuan, the most popular bread in their on-site testing was not the high-fat, high-sugar brioche, but rather a multigrain sourdough, indicating a consumer shift toward low-fat, low-sugar options. Consumers are increasingly seeking clean label products, and Lesaffre has responded with a full range of clean-label improvers. Lesaffre, the only domestic company with a live sourdough starter, also offers inactive sourdoughs derived from durum wheat and rye, which enrich the flavor profiles of healthier bakery products.

Peng Yuan noted that while bread in China is still largely seen as a snack, it is gradually moving toward becoming a staple food. Lesaffre will continue to promote the industry's progress through sustained innovation.

Jacky Chen, General Manager of Guangzhou Liuhe Foods, shared insights into the Chinese bakery market:

• The market size is steadily growing, with the frozen bakery segment already reaching tens of billions of RMB in value and expected to grow further.As the market expands, competition is intensifying, with multiple players coexisting in China, now the largest single market globally.

He observed four key trends shaping China’s bakery sector:

1. Accelerated Product Innovation: Diversification is evident, with baked goods increasingly linked to emotional value.

2. Health-Oriented Development: Some brands are incorporating locally sourced, nutritious ingredients into product development.

3. Cross-Category Integration: Successful examples of bakery + coffee and bakery + tea illustrate this trend.

4. Market Segmentation: Differentiated demands from various consumer groups are driving customized products and services.

From left to right: Edison Zhang, Founder, New Species Insti

四、Functional Ingredient Talks: Explore The Next Star Ingredient

Tong Gao, Director of Marketing Management Division of Beijing Tong Ren Tang Health-Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd (TRT-HEALTH GROUP), delivered a presentation titled "Delayed Retirement: Professionals Urgently Need Eastern Herbal Remedies"

She noted that in 2024, “food-medicine homology” ranked among the top ten nutrition buzzwords, and Chinese authorities are actively updating the list of food-medicine homologous ingredients. Globally, the proportion of products containing herbal ingredients continues to rise year by year. Consumer research across multiple countries indicates that natural herbal ingredients with perceived health benefits tend to earn greater trust from consumers.

In recent years, China's food-medicine homology industry has continued to expand in scale, accompanied by growing search volumes and online discussions. Industry reports show that functions such as immune enhancement, digestive support, and blood and energy replenishment are of high interest to both general consumers and working professionals. Consumer demands for healthy diets are also evolving, with increased attention to tonic foods. According to e-commerce data, products like bird's nest, goji berries, and healthy teas remain popular, while ingredients such as honeysuckle, yam, and poria are gaining traction.

TRT-HEALTH GROUP has been deeply engaged in the health and wellness sector for many years. In 2024, it established the Food-Medicine Homology Research Institute, focusing on “efficacious and palatable” formulas and exploring trendy wellness products rooted in traditional Chinese medicine. The company is developing ready-to-eat and snack-like health foods, such as herbal wellness coffee and baked goods using herbal extracts and honey as sugar alternatives.

Meanwhile, TRT-HEALTH is also upgrading traditional products like herbal pastes, soups, and herbal teas, reimagining them in new dosage forms that are portable, scenario-specific, and trendier. In the field of dietary supplements, the company has launched several flagship products. One standout is the TONG REN TANG PAI FENG JIAO HUANG QI RUAN JIAO NANG, which supports gastric mucosa health and won the FBIF Wow Food Award.

Tong Gao, Director of Marketing Management Division, Beijing

The National Center of Technology Innovation for Dairy (NCTID), approved by the Ministry of Science and Technology and led by China's dairy giant Yili Group, is the only national-level innovation center in China’s dairy industry. The center has achieved major breakthroughs in areas such as sexed semen technology, lactoferrin extraction, and probiotic encapsulation, and in some fields has reached global leadership or introduced world-first innovations.

Jian He, General Manager, National Center of Technology Inno

Jian He, General Manager of the National Center of Technology Innovation for Dairy (NCTID), began his talk by outlining twelve innovation hotspots in China’s dairy science. He emphasized that driven by expanding market demand, supportive government policies, and advancements in domestic technologies, deep processing of dairy products will be a core path for the high-quality development of China’s dairy sector. He stated, “From a consumption trend perspective, we believe we are at a turning point.”

Jian He introduced the NCTID’s work in protein separation, enzymatic hydrolysis, protein structure and functional optimization, and encapsulation technologies, highlighting practical achievements in developing high-value functional dairy ingredients through advanced processing.

In protein separation, Jian He detailed the NCTID’s collaboration with Yili on lactoferrin extraction, where they pioneered a targeted extraction and aseptic reintegration technology. This innovation increased the retention rate of lactoferrin in ambient milk from 10% to over 90%, already applied in commercial products. By optimizing the separation of α-lactalbumin, β-casein, and osteopontin, while balancing purity, technical precision, and cost, the NCTID has reduced reliance on imported raw materials and elevated China’s competitiveness in dairy processing. These technologies are now used in infant formula and are expected to extend to more product categories in the future.

Lastly, Jian He addressed the critical issue of how to preserve activity and functional stability of dairy components during digestion and absorption. The NCTID has developed cutting-edge encapsulation technology with independent intellectual property rights, enabling the embedding of ingredients like calcium and probiotics to improve bioavailability and stability, solving challenges such as probiotic survivability in ambient dairy products.

五、Marketing Talks: Growth And Beyond Growth

At the Marketing Talks of FBIF2025, Eason Li, Chief Editor and Social Media Office & Brand Content of McDonald's China, delivered a keynote speech.

According to Eason Li, McDonald's China currently publishes daily content across seven core social platforms. The brand generates over 100 pieces of content each month on these platforms—ranging from images and articles to videos and creative campaigns—reaching over 160 million followers. McDonald’s China has also established two long-standing fan-centered social media campaigns: Pie Day and Large Fries Day, both of which have been running for 11 years.

Eason Li, Chief Editor, Social Media Office & Brand Content,

Eason Li outlined three key reasons why McDonald's has committed over a decade to cultivating these campaigns.

• First, long-termism: McDonald’s has numerous products that have remained on sale for over 50 years, which is a testament to the brand’s belief in sustained, long-term efforts.Second, the goal of building strong fan communities: fans are one of the brand’s most valuable assets.Third, the brand uses these fan holidays to maintain continuous engagement with consumers through classic products.

In addition to these core campaigns, McDonald’s also launches new creative themes every year, introduces seasonal product promotions, and curates unique fan experiences.

Eason Li also referenced the classic “campfire and fireworks” theory in marketing: the ongoing, steady stream of social content acts as a campfire, drawing consumers closer and building lasting relationships. Fireworks, on the other hand, are those high-impact, short-duration campaigns that ignite mass attention and discussion.

Li further shared McDonald's internal framework for crafting compelling "Fan Truths" moments—the 3S theory.

• The first “S” stands for Specific: the brand story must be tangible, not vague.The second is Shared Resonance: for instance, the McDonald’s logo often evokes a sense of comfort, representing consistent quality and great taste.The third is Sincerity or Singularity: brands don’t need to appear perfect; leaving room for authenticity allows consumers to feel a deeper, more human connection.

Rafael Pitanguy, Deputy Global Chief Creative Officer & Coca-Cola Creative Lead of VML, joined the session remotely to share his creative insights. He emphasized the often-overlooked power of familiarity in creativity. According to Rafael, the secret to powerful creative work lies in combining originality with familiarity—this blend creates resonance and impact.

“If you only focus on originality without familiarity, people struggle to relate, and your message loses effectiveness. Everything feels alien. But if your content is only familiar with no originality, it becomes generic and uninteresting,” Rafael explained. “Creativity thrives when these two forces are combined.”

Rafael Pitanguy, Deputy Global Chief Creative Officer & Coca

Rafael Pitanguy, the global Deputy Chief Creative Officer of VML and the creative head of Coca-Cola, shared his creative secrets remotely. He found that when people were thinking about creativity, they did not pay enough attention to the sense of familiarity, which is also a common point with consumers. Rafael believes that the most important aspect of creativity is to combine originality with a sense of familiarity, so that the creativity can have greater power to produce concrete effects.

He shared that if there is only originality but no sense of familiarity, people will have no empathy and will not be able to resonate. Consumers will feel strange about things they don't understand. Everything is too strange. But if there is only familiarity but no originality, what is done will be monotonous, and others will have no interest or patience to learn about it. So this is Rafael's formula. These two need to be combined to achieve creative success.

Rafael Pitanguy disclosed more details of the Coke-creating project in his sharing. This event was led by VML and won three gold MEDALS at the 2024 Cannes Lions International Creative Festival. And it helped Coca-Cola win the Creative Brand of the Year for the first time, becoming the marketing campaign with the most awards in the brand's history.

Because Small shops are one of Coca-Cola's largest sales channel, he believes that the people behind these small shops can also become brand ambassadors for Coca-Cola. He chooses to listen to their voices and help them make their voices heard.

The more crucial aspect of this project lies in listening to their originality and giving full play to it. We merely added a spotlight to their original content. It is precisely because we are open enough to listen to them that we can discover more and learn more. Rafael also said, “agencies and marketing departments should always remember to place culture at a higher level, rather than our design guiding principles.” Letting consumers see our brand design can also be very democratic, making the industry remember that even if our brand has grown very big, people are still more important.

六、Pack Talks: From Appealing To Branding

Xin Huang, Head of Design Department of Baixiang Food, shared the brand’s youth-oriented design strategy by deconstructing what he calls the “design formula.”

Xin Huang, Head of Design Department, Baixiang Food

According to Xin Huang, design can be defined as the sum of product language, emotional language, and social language. He further elaborated on each of these components.

Product language refers to the alignment of packaging and design with consumer needs and user scenarios. It includes whether the product matches the consumption context, aligns with decision-maker expectations, and meets diverse user demands. Beyond conventional product language, Baixiang Food has explored regional marketing elements in its packaging. For example, it has integrated playful, locally resonant expressions like “Love to eat zheergen (fish mint)” and “Good at chatting in dialect” to enhance engagement.

Emotional language represents an elevation from transactional interactions to relational connections. For instance, to promote its zheergen-flavored noodles, Baixiang launched a humorous short video titled “Spicy—Just ZHE ME BAN?” (ZHE, which refers zheergen) with an exaggerated, “crazy office” tone. The campaign produced 30 creative materials and garnered over 7 million views across platforms. Xin Huang noted that such emotional communication gives the brand a more human, relatable image in the eyes of consumers.

Finally, social language is the combination of topic virality, user co-creation, and emotional resonance. Huang summed it up as:Social Language = Viral Topics + User Co-Creation + Emotional Depth.

Xin Huang explained, “Consumers hear countless messages every day, but traditional marketing language often struggles to break into young people’s daily lives. Social language, on the other hand, is the kind that actually resonates and sticks with them.”

七、Channel Talks: Laying a Solid Groundwork

George Zheng, Asia Pacific Director of NACS, delivered deep insights into the global convenience store industry, outlining five key trends that are reshaping convenience retail worldwide.

George Zheng, Asia Pacific Director, NACS

Speaking from the perspective of the largest retail convenience channel in the U.S., George Zheng shared a wealth of global case studies, offering attendees a thought-provoking overview of emerging directions in the convenience sector. These five major trends include:

1. The rise of foodservice in convenience stores, particularly the differentiated development of coffee, fresh food, and ready-to-eat offerings;

2. Brand-centric store design, with increasing emphasis on spatial layout and in-store atmosphere;

3. Demand for new product categories, such as pet snacks and new services like EV charging;

4. Technology-driven transformation, including the integration of AI, big data, unmanned stores, autonomous delivery, and self-checkout systems;

5. Enhanced customer experiences, with a focus on emotional value and seamless, frictionless shopping designed to attract younger consumers.

Felix Lin, Global Selling POP Category Merchant Operations Lead of TikTok Shop, shared updates on trending consumption patterns emerging from TikTok content. He noted that TikTok has over 170 million monthly active users in the U.S., representing a substantial portion of the American population.

Felix Lin, Global Selling POP Category Merchant Operations L

From popular content trends on TikTok, several rising food and beverage trends in the U.S. market have emerged:

1. A deeper pursuit of health – Consumers are looking beyond just “zero sugar” or “low calorie,” viewing health as part of a broader lifestyle;

2. DIY & Mixing culture – Customization and creative mix-and-match formats are on the rise, offering users greater enjoyment and engagement in consumption;

3. Coffee innovations – Freeze-dried and functional coffees are gaining traction and attracting significant traffic on the platform;

4. Chinese flavors and cultural export – With many Chinese immigrants settled in the U.S., various regional Chinese cuisines have been successfully localized and are now integrated into mainstream consumption habits;

5. Spice trend goes global – U.S. consumers tend to prefer bold flavors, with rising interest in spicy snacks such as chili chips, jerky, spicy noodles, and gluten-based treats.

八、Product Development Talks

At the Product Development Talks, Innova Market Insight released its report “Flavor × Category × Occasion: 2025 Daily Consumption Map.” For the first time, Innova systematically deconstructed consumer behavior across different eating scenarios, drawing on insights from industry leaders including Glico, Baixiang Food, and Givaudan.

The session featured a panel discussion with Jing Yu, R&D Associate Director of Glico China; Kelly Liew, Marketing Director of Givaudan Greater China; and Lixia Li, R&D Center Japan & Korea Research Institute Director of Baixiang Food.

From Left to Right: Lixia Li, R&D Center Japan & Korea Resea

Xihan Ma, Global Consumer Insights Analyst of Innova Market Insights, began by sharing macro-level trends. According to Innova, Chinese consumers are most concerned with public health and also rate wealth inequality and financial uncertainty as top global issues. These concerns reflect a strong desire for a stable life—leading consumers to choose healthier food options and embrace rational, moderate consumption patterns.

When it comes to consumption timing, Chinese consumers still concentrate their eating around main meals. However, the frequency of snacking in the morning, afternoon, and evening is increasing, indicating that traditional boundaries between meals are blurring. In terms of dining occasions, breakfast, lunch, and dinner are usually shared with family or friends. Morning and afternoon snacks are split between social and solo consumption, while late-night snacking tends to be solitary.

Taste is a high priority for Chinese consumers, with surveys indicating that “healthier/more beneficial flavors” are now most valued. This highlights the importance of exploring and innovating around taste preferences in product development.

As the panel discussion deepened, speakers examined the nuances of different consumption scenarios—namely "three main meals," "snacking moments," and "beverage occasions"—with rich case studies. Innova also offered a forward-looking perspective on future opportunities in China’s food and beverage market. A full report analyzing the “Flavor × Category × Occasion: 2025 Daily Consumption Map” will be released by FBIF post-event.

Shirley Wang, Head of Marketing & Western Sauce Away-From-Home of Kraft Heinz, shared insights on enhancing the culinary experience for consumers.

Shirley Wang, Head of Marketing, Western Sauce Away-From-Hom

Founded in 1869, Heinz (merged with Kraft in 2015 to become Kraft Heinz) now operates in nearly 200 countries and regions worldwide. At the forum, Shirley Wang highlighted the brand’s perspective on Western dining trends and consumer preferences, as well as how Kraft Heinz leverages big data to empower the foodservice sector.

She explained that Kraft Heinz has a robust data platform that integrates multiple data sources, including restaurant reviews and trending topics across major social platforms. These data points are used to predict future best-selling menu items and provide customized culinary recommendations, helping restaurants offer differentiated dishes to meet evolving consumer expectations.

Using this data, Shirley Wang outlined four major flavor trends in Western foodservice:

1. Sweet & sour fruit flavors

2. Regional tastes

3. Passion fruit-infused dishes

4. Savory umami profiles

She also shared four key ingredient trends:

1. Fresh seafood

2. Crisp textures

3.Dishes enhanced with spices

4. “Dopamine foods” that spark joy and emotional satisfaction

Since its 2022 launch in China, Kraft Heinz’s foodservice sub-brand “Heinz Selection” has partnered with over 50 local restaurant brands, reaching more than 200 million exposures. By leading flavor innovation and upgrading the dining experience, Heinz Selection is redefining how Chinese consumers enjoy Western cuisine and injecting fresh energy into the foodservice industry.

九、FBIF Food Innovation Expo (FBIF Super Picks)

This year, the FBIF Food Innovation Expo continued its “FBIF Super Picks” series, further empowering brands and channels through a comprehensive suite of activities. Highlights included the Brand Pavilion, featuring 300+ global breakout and innovative brands; the Channel Gala, which saw in-depth participation from over 300 channel leaders and senior executives from top brands; and the FBiF Channels & Brands Matchmaking event, comprising 11 themed matchmaking sessions and a negotiation zone with 100+ global channel partners present on-site. Attendees also had access to printed copies of the FBIF Little Blue Book (Global and China editions, showcasing trending products) and the FBIF Procurement Handbook (a comprehensive supply chain procurement guide).

The exhibition brought together leading and emerging players across key food and beverage categories including dairy, beverages, snacks, alcohol, convenience foods, condiments, and functional foods. Over 300 brands such as Yili, Want Want, Haihe Dairy, OATLY, Haoxiangni, TIGER BANG, and Haohuanluo showcased a wide array of innovative products and interactive experiences, with many booths drawing significant engagement from professional visitors. At the same time, supply chain innovators such as Givaudan, Tetra Pak, Bilibili, and NPGS also participated, offering forward-thinking solutions for the industry. In total, the FBIF Food Innovation Expo hosted over 600 exhibitors.

In 2025, The FBiF Channels & Brands Matchmaking event has expanded fourfold to 1000 square meters, comprising two strategically designed sections: the Channel Partnership Negotiation Zone and the Channel-Focused Presentation Area. The Channel Partnership Negotiation Zone has been meticulously organized into three specialized areas: Top 100 National Chain Supermarkets & Convenience Stores, Leading E-commerce Platforms & Influencers, and Food Export Distributors & Supply Chain Solutions Providers. The Channel-Focused Presentation Area are designed to connect global retail and distribution channels with China’s most outstanding food brands and manufacturers. FBIF2025 has invited 11 groups of leading domestic and international retailers and distributors to co-create 11 themed matchmaking sessions.

The Channel-Focused Presentation Area has continued the format of "theme-based sharing + product selection matchmaking". May 8, six themed sessions—including Aldi, Guohuo Yanxuan Matchmaking(TAOBAO& TMALL GROUP), Meituan Instashopping, Catering Channel-Focused Matchmaking(Hexian), BUSSAN /7-Eleven, and CVS ODM—were successfully held, facilitating connections between over 1,000 brands and retail channels. At Aldi Matchmaking, a large number of high-caliber suppliers from across the country gathered on site to explore new opportunities for category co-creation and collaboration.

In the past FBIF Food Innovation Expo, 4 Special Events were widely praised. The FBiF Global New Food Collection, FBiF Global Creative Packaging Design Gallery, Foodtalks Salon, and FBiF Channels & Brands Matchmaking each offered a unique platform for idea exchange and creative inspiration.

In 2025, FBiF Global New Food Collection will feature 650+ SKUs of the latest global food products, categorized into five zones based on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs: Basic Foods, Safe Foods, Social Foods, Premium Taste Foods, and Personalized Foods. Visitors are invited to experience the latest trends in the food industry.

The FBIF Global Creative Packaging Design Gallery (formerly known as the MA Art Gallery) is one of our special events, dedicated to showcasing the world's most innovative and aesthetically pleasing food and beverage packaging designs. In 2025, the exhibition will feature 160 selected works from over 20 countries,offering a global tour of packaging design excellence.

Foodtalks 2025 has specially planned the "Voices of the Boundary Breakers" salon, inviting 20 practitioners from different generations and sectors within the food and beverage industry to share their career stories.

FBiF 2025 Channel Gala Dinner was successfully held last night, bringing together 150 senior representatives from food brands and domestic channels, covering supermarkets, convenience stores, snack discount stores, catering channels, regional distributors, group buying platforms, e-commerce platforms, influencers, community leaders, also prominent brands and OEM manufacturers from renowned channels.

十、FBIF Wow Food Awards

FBIF Wow Food Awards (referred to as Wow Food) is a global, comprehensive award focused on innovation in the food and beverage industry. With three main tracks—Product, Packaging, and Marketing—it is widely regarded as the “Oscars” of the food world.

The FBIF Wow Food Awards 2025 Ceremony broke through the traditional award show format, integrating with forums and exhibition areas to create a three-dimensional innovation matrix. At the FBiF Global New Food Collection and FBiF Global Creative Packaging Design Gallery, live award ceremonies were held for the Product and Packaging tracks. Over 10 guests placed special award stickers on the winning entries, with industry professionals both online and onsite witnessing the unveiling of the year’s most innovative products. In addition, winners of FBIF Wow Food Awards enthusiastically shared the creative ideas and strategies behind their innovations.

At the Marketing Talks, three judges unveiled the winners of the Marketing Innovation Award on site. The award recipients joined the audience to share insights into the creation of their campaigns, sparking vibrant exchanges of ideas. In the food innovation track, FBIF Wow Food Awards 2025 once again showcased immense potential and promise. We look forward to seeing these brilliant ideas inspire even more innovation and continuously drive the growth of the industry.

十一、About FBIF2025

Under the theme Nurture the Present, Venture Forward, the Food & Beverage Innovation Forum 2025 (FBIF2025) and FBIF Food Innovation Expo takes place from 8-10 May 2025 at the National Convention and Exhibition Centre (Shanghai). In the forums, industry trends and innovation cases are explored for diverse F&B product categories, and in multiple perspectives, i.e., strategy, function & ingredients, marketing, channels, packaging, product development and etc. FBIF Wow Food Awards Ceremony and FBIF Food Innovation Expo, an exhibition of food innovations that covers over 62,000 square meters, brings a splash of inspirations. Over 47,000 attendees are expected to visit.