As the aroma of festive foods fills the air during celebrations, one Chinese New Year staple that never fails to delight is the beloved Chinese sausage. However, in today’s health-conscious world, there’s a growing demand for a modern twist on this traditional favourite. With the modern urban lifestyle and increased demand for convenience food, it’s time to rethink how we enjoy these savoury treats.
While Chinese sausage remains a popular ingredient for indulgent festival seasons, its calorie-dense content presents nutritional challenges, especially when consumed excessively. Despite their mouth-watering appeal, these sausages lack fibre, and are high in fat, sodium, and sugar, highlighting the need for healthier alternatives that meet consumer demands. This has sparked a culinary revolution, with chefs and food innovators crafting healthier alternatives that don’t compromise on flavour.
According to Dataintelo, the global sausage market is witnessing significant growth, reaching US$ 85 billion in 2024. With a projected CAGR of 4.7% from 2024 to 2032, potentially reaching an estimated US$ 130 billion by 2032. This growth in the global market is driven by the modern urban lifestyle, and increased demand for convenience food, and ready meals4.
Chinese sausage, known as Lap Cheong (臘腸), is a traditional delicacy that has been a staple in Chinese households for centuries. This deep red, cured, pork-based sausage is renowned for its unique balance of salty, sweet, and smoky flavours3,4,5,8. Lap Cheong was a method of preserving meat by curing it with salt and spices to extend the shelf life of meat during the winter months5.
Over time, this distinctive ingredient has become a key feature in Chinese seasonal and festive dishes, particularly during Chinese New Year. In recent years, the global reach of Chinese sausage has grown significantly. In 2023, Chinese sausage exports amounted to US$137 million, a 10% increase from the previous year12. Major export markets include Southeast Asia, North America, and Europe, with Southeast Asia accounting for the largest share at 40%1.
The following graph shows the export quantity of Chinese sausage from China from 2021 to 2023:
Nutritional Challenges of Chinese Sausage:
Chinese sausage is inevitable in most of the Chinese New Year dishes. However, nutritional issues such as high fat, sodium and sugar levels make it off-putting for health-conscious consumers4,6. During the indulgent festival season, this calorie-dense ingredient makes it easy to consume more than intended, potentially impeding healthy eating habits and contributing to high cholesterol, high blood pressure, weight gain, and diabetes6. In addition to their high-calorie content, they are also low in fibre leading to lower satiety and overeating of other unhealthy food7.
A comprehensive examination by the Consumer Council Hong Kong of 30 Chinese sausage samples from Hong Kong, the Mainland, Singapore, and Canada revealed that the sodium content in all samples was 1 to 2.3 times higher than the Centre for Food Safety’s 600 mg standard for high-sodium foods. Over 80% of the sample results revealed high sugar content with more than 15g/100g of sugar which is higher than the sugar benchmark3.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), adults with a daily energy intake of 2,000 kcal should limit their free sugar consumption to not more than 50g of free sugars per day, equivalent to a maximum intake of about 16.7g per meal3,9. The fast-growing demand for healthier food especially among millennials and young professionals4, who constantly seek nutritious, yet convenient food options, necessitates Chinese sausage reformulations to meet the demands without compromising the taste and texture.
Potential Solutions to the Nutritional Challenges of Chinese Sausage:
Baoding Weijia Food Ingredients Co., Ltd. is a technology-driven enterprise recognised for developing, manufacturing and supplying food ingredients for product performance enhancement. Weijia Food’s Soy sauce powder FSP Series is a versatile and popular Asian flavour seasoning, processed through spray drying. They are made from natural brewing soy sauce, the rich flavour components and aroma of liquid soy sauce are retained with their cutting-edge technology. Soy sauce powder FSP Series offers umami, saltiness, and flavour enhancement. Incorporating it into meat products helps to coat the meat evenly, improving the colour and contributing to meat tenderness which further brings the culinary experience to the next level.
BENEO is a global manufacturer of functional ingredients, dedicated to offering sustainable solutions that holistically promote a healthy lifestyle and cater to customer preferences. Orafti® Oligofructose from BENEO is an excellent natural source of fibre derived from chicory root, known for enhancing the texture and fibre content in the products while providing a mildly pleasant sweetness. This Orafti® Oligofructose also served as an ideal fat replacer, mimicking the creamy mouthfeel of fat while enhancing the texture and fibre content. It also stimulates the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which support healthy gut microbiota and promote overall well-being.
Kerry’s expertise in flavourings is pivotal in creating delicious and flavourful products. They constantly innovate in response to market trends, providing cutting-edge solutions that enhance product taste and appeal. With their Tastesense™ Salt technology, effectively reduces sodium content while retaining essential flavour replicates salt and umami taste perceptions at all levels and satisfies consumer preferences while delivering a consistently enjoyable sensory experience.
DPO International, a full-suite market enabler, collaborates with the world’s premier specialised food ingredient producers, including Baoding Weijia Food Ingredients Co., Ltd, Beneo, and Kerry. Equipped to help you transform these trends into innovative brand concepts, we support you from ideation to the manufacturing stage, providing solutions and support throughout each phase.
