Pre-made meals drive rural jobs growth

Pre-made meals, a convenient dining option widely accepted in many Western countries, have sparked heated debate on China's social media in recent years over concerns about safety, hygiene, and nutrition. Experts attribute the disparity in acceptance to differing levels of industry development and public understanding.

China's pre-made meal industry, which experienced a boom during the COVID-19 pandemic, is still in its infancy compared to its Western counterparts, according to Zou Jian, an executive expert with China's Pre-Made Meal Professional Committee. Zou noted that similar concerns were voiced in Europe and the United States decades ago when the industry was developing in those regions.

"Western consumers have a higher level of understanding of premade meals thanks to decades of industry development and robust information disclosure," Zou said. "In China, however, the industry is new, and public awareness is still growing."