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MeatConsumptionTrendsinAsiaPacific,andWhatTheyMean
ForFoodserviceStrategy
Opinion|18Aug2015
AsiaPacificisthelargestfoodserviceregionintheworld,andunderstandablyoneofthemost
appealingexpansiontargetsforinternationaloperators.However,theregionisalsohighlydiverse,
encompassingcountriesthatvarywidelyinincomelevel,marketmaturity,demographics,foodservice
spending,anddietarypreferences.Inparticular,meat,fish,andseafoodconsumptionhabitsarevery
differentfrommarkettomarket,rangingfromIndiawheremanyconsumersarevegetarians,toHong
Kong,whichhasthehighestpercapitacombinedmeatandseafoodconsumptionintheworldin
volumeterms.Consumptionhabitsarealsochangingquickly,meaningoperatorsnotonlyneedtotailor
theirstrategiesspecificallytoeachlocalmarketspreferences,buttheymustalsotobereadytoadapt
quicklyasnewpreferencesemerge.
Proteinconsumptionhabitsvarybymarket
PerCapitaMeat,Fish,andSeafoodConsumptionbyMarketin2014(TotalVolume)

Source:EuromonitorInternational

Alookatpercapitameat,fish,andseafoodconsumptionbymarkethighlightsjusthowwidethis
spectrumis,rangingfrom11kgpercapitaperyearinIndiatoover144inHongKong.Someofthis
variationisduetoincomedifferencestobesure(HongKonghas23timesthepercapitaannual
disposableincomeofIndia),butitisalsoduetouniqueculturalpreferences.Adecadeago,theUNs
FoodandAgriculturalOrganisation(FAO)estimatedvegetariansmakeupasmuchas3040%of
Indiaspopulation,withamuchlargerpercentagechoosingtofollowavegetariandietatleastpartof
thetime.Evenfurther,manyIndians,vegetarianorotherwise,choosenottoeatbeefforreligious
reasons,posingaparticularchallengeformanyleadingfastfoodoperators.
ItsalsonotablethatInsomemarketsmeatandseafoodconsumptionbarelyseemstocorrelatewith
incomeatall,suchasinMalaysiaandChina,wheremeatconsumptionpunchessignificantlyabove
bothcountriesweightinincome.Whilebothhaveannualpercapitadisposableincomesoflessthan
US$8,000,percapitaconsumptionisinlinewiththatofGermanyandDenmark,bothofwhichhave
averageincomesofbetweenUS$28,000andUS$30,000.Ontheotherendofthespectrum,Japans
totalproteinconsumptionislowrelativetootherAsianmarketswithsimilarincomelevels,duetobotha

generalpreferenceforfishandseafoodandtraditionallylowproteinconsumptionaspartofthe
Japanesediet.
Meatconsumptionbytypelendsfurtherinsight
PerCapitaMeat,Fish,andSeafoodConsumptionbyTypein2014(TotalVolume)

Source:EuromonitorInternational

Alookatconsumptionbytypeoffersadditionalinsightoneatinghabitsandtheirimplicationsfor
chainedfoodservicestrategy.Fishisthemostpopularproteinregionwide,claiminga31%shareofthe
totalcombinedconsumptionofmeat,fishandseafood.Thisfactalonepresentsachallengefor
internationaloperatorslookingtoentertheregion,manyofwhichoperateconceptsthatdontcentrally
featureseafooddishes.ThepreferenceforfishisparticularlyapparentinmanySoutheastAsian
marketsmostofwhichareconsideredkeylongtermgrowthtargetsincludingIndonesiaat65%of
totalconsumption,thePhilippinesat53%,andMalaysiaat46%.
Eveninmeatcategorieshowever,preferencesvaryheavilybetweenmarkets.Malaysianconsumers
showastrongpreferencetowardchickenoverothermeats,whileChina,SouthKorea,thePhilippines,
Vietnam,Singapore,andTaiwanallcreditporkforatleasthalfoftotalpercapitameatconsumption.
Butmostimportantly,preferencesarechanging
Addingafinalandparticularlyimportantstrategicchallenge,theseconsumptionhabitsarechanging
quickly,onceagainonahighlyspecificandlocalisedlevel.InChina,thepopularityofporkisfalling
amidstanumberofporksuppliersafetyscandalsandpublichealthcampaignsdesignedtoencourage
theconsumptionoflowerfatproteinoptions,evenwhilepoultryisfacingsimilarissuesdueto
heightenedregulationsrelatingtorecentbirdfluepidemics.Thesefactorscombinedhavemadebeef
andvealthefastestgrowingmeatcategoryinvolumetermsinChina,growingatapercapitarateof5%
in2014.FishconsumptionisalsogrowinginChinaasaresultofsimilarhealthtrends,althoughthe
premiumseafoodsegmenthaslostconsiderablemomentumduetothecountrysantiindulgence
movement.
MeanwhileinIndia,totalpercapitameatconsumptionremainsverylow,butitisgrowingquickly,at9%
volumegrowthpercapitain2014.Thestrongestgrowthwasagaininbeefandveal,dueinpartto
growingfromaverysmallbase,butalsotomoresignificantchangesinconsumerlifestylesparticularly
urbanareas.Manyyoungpeopleareoptingoutofvegetarianismentirelyorexperimentingwithmeat
consumptionwhendiningout,developingmoreinternationalculinarypreferenceswiththehelpof
rapidlyexpandingWesternchains.
Offeringacountertrend,percapitaconsumptionoffishandseafoodofalltypesisdeclininginJapan,
theresultofhighpricesandsomelingeringconcernsregardingcontaminationfollowingthe2011
Fukushimadisaster.AsinIndia,youngconsumersarealsoexperimentingmorefreelywithnon
traditionalcuisines,developingmoreinternationalpalatesandstrongerpreferencesforpoultry,beef,
andveal.PoultrysawthestrongestpercapitaconsumptionincreaseinIndiain2014,at4%.
Keytakeawaysforchainedoperators

AlloftheseinsightshighlighttheneedforlocalisedstrategiesinAsiaPacific,whichmaybeevenmore
importantinthisregionthaninotherglobalmarkets.Consumerpreferencesvarysignificantlyacross
countries,andtheyareevolvingrapidlyinuniqueandspecificdirections.Operatorsmusttakeinto
accountnotjusthowconsumerscurrentlyeat,aswellasanydietarylimitationsthatcouldrequire
significantchangestolocalmenus,butalsohowconsumersmaybeeatingineachofthesemarkets
overthelongterm.Thisiscompoundedbythefactthatmanyoftheconsumersegmentsdrivingthese
changesarealsothosethataretheheaviestusersofchainedfoodservice,suchashigherincome
youngpeopleinurbanareas.
Despiteallofthisvariationhowever,theonefactthatremainsconsistentacrosseachofthesemarkets,
isthatcompetitionisgrowingrapidly,andthesemoreadventurousconsumersnowhavemany,many
optionstochoosefromforeachoftheirdiningoccasions.Athoroughunderstandingoflocalconsumer
preferences,atthemarket,city,andevenoutletlevel,willbemoreimportantthaneveraseachofthese
marketscontinuestoevolve.
Forfurtherinsight,pleasecontactElizabethFriend,SeniorFoodserviceAnalystatEuromonitor
International:Elizabeth.Friend@euromonitor.com.

EuromonitorInternational2016