(Yicai Global) Nov. 4 -- International dairy and food giants will focus on nutritious and healthy products during the China International Import Expo that starts tomorrow, tapping into the trend of better eating habits.

Danone, which displayed 20 nutrition products during last year's CIIE, plans to showcase nearly 100 healthy products during the expo this year, including product lines that cater to the needs of key target groups of the elderly and babies such as the Dare to Stride adult nutrition brand, Yicai Global learned.

Besides Danone, Vevey-based Nestle will also support a big presence of Nestle Health Science, the most active business department of the multinational corporation during the 2021 CIIE with its 86 products under seven sub-brands. Some of the core brands this year is Vitaflo which makes medical foods for people with metabolic disorders.

Japanese dairy company Meiji Group, which will participate in the CIIE for the first time this year, will display sports nutrition products in addition to traditional categories such as milk, yogurt, ice cream and chocolate. The fifth annual trade expo will last till Nov.10.

The special nutrition sector is a new direction for the Chinese dairy and food industry to develop into an elevated value-added market, Song Liang, an independent dairy industry analyst, told Yicai Global.

Industry insiders said the functional food industry has great growth potential. As industrialization, urbanization and population aging accelerate, consumers are showing a large demand for nutritious and healthy foods, said Ren Fazheng, deputy director of the Dairy Association of China.

China's market of medical foods for infants was sized CNY3.5 billion (USD482.6 million) last year, and the market may continue to grow at a compound annual growth rate of over 10 percent in the next five years, according to data from China Insights Consultancy.

The market of medical foods for adults had a scale of about CNY1.2 billion last year, and the compound annual growth rate could exceed 70 percent over the next five years, the consultancy added.

Editors: Shi Yi, Emmi Laine, Xiao Yi