News

Announcement of full-scale entry to the nursing care food business in China

May 22, 2023

Maruha Nichiro Corporation (hereinafter "Maruha Nichiro") has launched a full-scale collaboration with Maruha Nichiro group companies and partner companies in China to produce and sell nursing care food menu items in the country. Maruha Nichiro began producing and selling nursing care food in Japan in 2005 and has been planning to expand the business overseas with a particular focus on developing new markets in Asia.

Example of Hospital menu items: salt-grilled salmon (left), sweet and sour pork (center)
Example of Elderly care facility menu items: rice porridge gelatin and steamed chicken with sesame sauce (right)

The number of people aged 65 and over in China was 256 million at the end of 2021, accounting for 14.2% of the country’s total population (Source: National Bureau of Statistics). In 2035, the number of people aged 60 and over is expected to exceed 400 million. China’s population is already an aging society and as the population continues growing older, demand is expected to continue growing for food products prepared meet the needs of the elderly.
The market in China for nursing care food is expected to expand rapidly as few hospital facilities in China currently provide easy-to-consume meals with varying levels of viscosity and firmness for elderly people who have reduced chewing and swallowing functions. The selection of food products geared to in-home nursing care is also limited.

Maruha Nichiro is aiming to use its expertise gained from producing nursing care food in Japan to deliver the joy of eating to elderly people in China. One of the first Japanese companies to establish a production system inside China, Maruha Nichiro will develop the business mainly in urban areas and focus on the three sales channels of hospitals, elderly care facilities, and home nursing care providers.

Sales to hospitals, centered on city general hospitals, were launched in mid-March 2023. Sales to elderly care facilities will commence in June 2023 followed by trial sales of items for in-home nursing care providers. The company plans to accelerate the development of products and other operations to establish full-fledged business activities and continue expanding the business.

Maruha Nichiro’s medium-term management plan “For the ocean, for life MNV 2024” positions its nursing care food business as a growth driver and calls for enhancing the value its products provide by contributing to health value creation of consumers around the world.

Following the concept of its nursing care food business to “support health through food,” Maruha Nichiro will work closely with both food preparers and consumers to develop new food products and promote rich and varied diets on a global scale.