Consumption upgrade gives food retail sector fresh hopes for future

BEIJING - The ongoing consumption upgrade in China's catering or food retail sector is accelerating as more catering services and management businesses go online, creating fresh opportunities for domestic and overseas market players.

China's food production industry is becoming increasingly digitalized as technology involves the whole industrial chain, according to a white paper co-released by US health and hygiene giant Ecolab and Yicai Media Group with support from global auditing and consulting firm Deloitte.

China is now the world's second-largest catering market after the United States, with total revenue topping 4.2 trillion yuan ($626.5 billion) last year.