Core Insights - The nutritional functional food industry is experiencing significant growth driven by national policies, increased health awareness, and rising living standards. The market is projected to reach 288 billion yuan by 2025 and 328 billion yuan by 2026 [1][5]. Industry Overview - Nutritional functional foods are defined as foods that contain ingredients beneficial to human health, excluding health foods that require special approval. This category includes special dietary foods and regular packaged foods [2][3]. - The industry is characterized by a diverse range of products and applications, with health snacks being the largest segment, followed by gut health, beauty nutrition, weight management, and sports nutrition [1][5]. Market Size and Growth - The market size for nutritional functional foods in China is expected to grow from 144 billion yuan in 2019 to 288 billion yuan in 2025, with a further increase to 328 billion yuan by 2026 [5][6]. - Specific market segments for 2025 include health snacks at 103 billion yuan (35.76%), gut health at 65 billion yuan (22.57%), beauty nutrition at 39 billion yuan (13.54%), weight management at 36 billion yuan (12.50%), and sports nutrition at 22 billion yuan (7.64%) [1][5]. Industry Structure - The industry operates on a contract manufacturing model, where one party (the client) outsources production to another party (the contractor). This model allows for specialization in production while the client focuses on marketing and brand management [3][4]. - The supply chain includes upstream raw materials such as vitamins, proteins, and minerals, while the midstream involves research, production, and marketing [6]. Competitive Landscape - The competitive landscape is fragmented, with a few leading companies dominating the market. The top five companies accounted for 17.3% of the market share in 2023, up from 13.9% in 2022 [8]. - Major players in the industry include Hengmei Health, Xianle Health, Dajiang Biotechnology, and others, each with unique advantages [7][8]. Regulatory Environment - Recent government policies, such as the "National Food and Nutrition Development Outline (2025-2030)," aim to promote the nutritional functional food industry by emphasizing innovation and quality in food production [7]. Future Trends - The demand for health-oriented products is expected to grow due to rising income levels and an aging population, creating a favorable environment for the nutritional functional food industry [8].

Core Viewpoint - New consumption categories, represented by health food, are identified as a core investment theme for the food and beverage sector in 2025, with expectations for continuity into 2026 and beyond. The focus will be on health food as a key investment direction due to its rich SKU variety and long-tail structure, similar to the snack sector investment logic [1] Industry Overview - The health food market, including natural and nutritional health foods, has a combined market size of approximately 600 billion yuan. Since 2025, there have been profound changes in external demand and distribution channels, driven by a shift in consumer demographics from the elderly to younger groups and an expansion of consumption scenarios from disease prevention to personalized needs such as emotional relief and weight management. Additionally, the rise of interest e-commerce, cross-border e-commerce, and membership supermarkets has addressed issues of consumer trust and category recognition [1] Category Insights - The investment logic for health food is similar to that of the snack sector, focusing on selecting listed companies that are well-positioned in key categories. The "function-scenario-price" triangle is crucial for identifying potential best-selling products. Recommended categories include: - Oats: Market size of 10 billion yuan, low GI characteristics, and versatile usage in breakfast and snacks [2] - Corn: Market size of approximately 200 billion yuan, low GI, and broad acceptance as both a staple and snack [2] - Walnuts: Market size of 80 billion yuan, beneficial for heart and brain health, with a competitive price among tree nuts [2] - Black sesame: Beneficial for hair nourishment, priced around 1 yuan per bag, with applications in traditional and baking scenarios [2] - Sports health: Market size of approximately 6 billion yuan, expected to grow with the increasing number of fitness enthusiasts [2] - Gut health: Online market size estimated at 4 billion yuan, with probiotics accounting for over 75% [2] Key Companies - Companies that are strategically positioned in potential categories are expected to achieve rapid growth: - Ximai Food: Leading in the domestic cereal industry with a revenue CAGR of approximately 18% over the past three years [3] - October Rice Field: A new consumption brand with a revenue CAGR of about 17% over the past three years [3] - Wugu Mofang: Leading in walnut and sesame powder, recovering from a low point with a revenue CAGR of around 9% [3] - Xianle Health: A leading CDMO in China with a revenue CAGR of approximately 21% over the past three years [3] - Junyao Health: A pioneer in probiotic foods with a revenue CAGR of about 17% over the past three years [3]