With the rapid development of the global food industry, optimization and management of supply chains has become the key to corporate competitiveness for firms as diverse as Starbucks and Haidilao. Supply chain companies across the F&B industry are focused on ensuring their ability to replicate existing successes.

SIAL Shanghai 2024 will take place at the Shanghai New International Expo Center from May 28 to 30, 2024. The exhibition will focus on 14 major themes, including imported foods, snacks, health foods, dairy products, high-end and new tea drinks, grains, oils and flavorings, convenience foods, fresh and frozen meats, aquatic products, pre-prepared foods, frozen ingredients, alcoholic drinks, famous regional foods, and processing, packaging and distribution. SIAL Shanghai 2024 will bring together professional exhibitors specializing in everything from raw material supplying and processing to logistics and distribution, comprehensively covering the F&B industry’s entire supply chain.

China ranks first in the world in terms of consumption of meat products, so meat supply chains will occupy an important position at SIAL Shanghai 2024. From the sourcing of raw materials to the distribution of final products, every aspect of the meat industry will be covered to showcase the latest development and innovative practices.

01. The power of supply chains: From the world to Chinese households

Beef from the United States, Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay. Mutton from Australia. Prawns from Ecuador. These and many other types of imported foods are increasingly finding their way into the Chinese market and onto the tables of Chinese households.

As a large, influential F&B trade show in Asia, SIAL Shanghai provides an international platform for meat companies to showcase their products and services to the world. At SIAL Shanghai 2024, high-quality exhibitors from all over the world—including the United States, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Australia, and elsewhere—with gather at the event with exhibition halls E4 to E7 dedicated to displaying meat products.

Premium grain-fed beef and pork products from the United States, the world’s largest producer and exporter of grain-fed beef, are well received in the Chinese market. In previous years, US exhibitors’ showcased not only various high-quality steaks and American wagyu beef, but also a diverse range of products derived from cattle and pig such as pork ribs and collar butt.

Uruguay participated in SIAL Shanghai as an Honorary Guest Country in 2023, successfully showcasing its meat products and expanding its trade network through this international platform. Uruguay’s Ambassador to China Fernando Lugris said: “SIAL plays a vital role in promoting Uruguay’s food brands and products.”

Uruguay ships 60% of its total beef exports to China, making it a major supplier of beef and mutton to the country. Uruguayan meat products are known for their quality and safety standards: Uruguay’s mandatory traceability system and strict prohibition of antibiotics and hormones ensure that its meat products are natural and good for consumers’ health.

While more and more imported meat products are entering the Chinese market, enterprises such as Grand Farm and Bright Food International Trading (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. in China’s domestic meat processing industry are also going from strength to strength. In terms of resources, Grand Farm not only has special production sites for domestic sheep and cattle in Xilinhot, Inner Mongolia, and Zhaodong, Heilongjiang, but also cooperates with world-renowned beef and mutton export enterprises such as Alliance in New Zealand and JBS in Brazil to ensure a long-term and stable supply of high-quality meat.

With the continuous expansion of the global meat market and growing consumer demand for quality meat products, SIAL Shanghai has become a major platform for the global meat industry to demonstrate innovation, maintain high standards, explore new markets, and promote business cooperation.

02. Connecting meat buyers and brands from across the world

SIAL Shanghai 2024 is not just an international platform for meat companies to showcase their products and services to the world. It’s also a great opportunity for global professional buyers to learn about the Chinese market and enlarge their network of business contacts.

At SIAL Shanghai 2023, 800 major enterprises participated in commercial matching activities, resulting in more than 15,000 online and offline matches—as well as over 5,500 on-site matches. Among them, Brazil’s pork and poultry trade from these successful commercial matches amounted to $48.4 million and is expected to bring in earnings worth around $260 million.

Photo from tuchong.com

This year’s event will attract professional buyers from across the global meat industry, including major supermarket chains, catering groups, food distributors, as well as many independent restaurants, hotels, and online retailers.

As the Asia's largest food & beverage show, SIAL Shanghai 2024 has been attracting global attention. Many international trading companies, including T-Nice and CP Goods, hope to expand their business and explore new market opportunities through this event. 

As the heart of the meat industry, wholesalers and distributors have strict standards for cost performance, quality, and supply chain stability. They can expect to further establish long-term and stable cooperative commercial relationships with suppliers at the event. Professional buyers at SIAL Shanghai 2024 will include well-known Shanghai Ershang Dahongmen Meat Food Co., Ltd., Beijing Erhang Muxiangyuan Halal Meat Food Co., Ltd., and China Resources Wufeng Meat Food (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.

E-commerce platforms and professional buyers in the catering industry also expect high quality and stable supply of ingredients. Tmall, Jingdong, Suning, Meituan Maicai, Douyin E-commerce, Xinxuan Group, and other e-commerce live-streaming giants, as well as Haidilao, Long Time Ago, Liao Ji Food Chain, Bu Shi Ji Catering (Jiushi Barbecue), and other catering brands, will seek long-term cooperation with outstanding meat suppliers at SIAL Shanghai 2024.

Meanwhile, retailers also hope to gain insights concerning the latest market trends and discover new meat products that can attract consumers at SIAL Shanghai. Thus, well-known retail brands such as Walmart, Wumart, Fudi, and Qian Dama will all participate in the event.

Photo from tuchong.com

SIAL Shanghai 2024 not only brings together the world’s leading exhibitors and buyers in the meat industry, but also promotes the latest industry developments. The SIAL Global Food Industry Summit will be held at the same time, and includes special forums such as the International Meat Forum and Food Supply Chain Forum. The summit will also feature a brand-new steak competition—the SIAL Steak Award—to further promote innovation and exchanges in the industry. Major commercial enterprises such as Cargill and Lawson as well as meat industry experts from New Zealand, Spain, Brazil, the Netherlands, and other countries will share market trends and business opportunities, thus providing participants with abundant opportunities to learn and exchange experiences.

While global demand for meat products continues to grow, SIAL Shanghai has also been driving innovation and progress in the industry.

At present, booths at SIAL Shanghai are almost fully booked. If you concerned you have missed this opportunity, don’t worry just yet! You also have a chance to attend SIAL Shenzhen!

SIAL Shenzhen will take place from September 2 to 4, 2024, at the Shenzhen Convention & Exhibition Center. This high-quality exhibition has a specific focus on the development of the F&B market in the Greater Bay Area and Southeast Asia. For more details, please visit SIAL’s official website.