The Challenges and Opportunities of Nutraceutical and Health Food Industry in China

The nutraceutical and health food industry in China, rooted in a 5000-year tradition of medicinal foods, has yet to reach its trillion-dollar potential due to a limited consumer group (mainly the elderly) and a failure to attract younger people. Currently, China’s nutraceutical and health food sector remains fragmented, constrained by regulatory barriers, lack of industrialization, and with limited product innovation. This opinion paper discusses the history, status, challenges, and opportunities of the nutraceutical and health food industry in China. Through analyzing three successful industrial cases, we propose several strategies for the transformation of this industry to reach a more sustainable development.