National People's Congress Deputy Leng Youbin: Suggests standardizing the labeling of "high-protein" foods and launching a pilot program for deep processing of dairy products

From balancing the supply and demand of high-quality national protein nutrition to breakthroughs in industry chain independence in deep dairy processing, the dairy industry, as a fundamental sector safeguarding public health, is standing at a critical point to support high-quality population development.

This year, National People’s Congress deputy and China Feihe Chairman Leng Youbin proposed two suggestions focused on promoting high-quality protein supply and strengthening deep dairy processing, envisioning new practical pathways for high-quality dairy development.

Addressing Shortcomings to Improve Supply and Promoting the Development of the High-Quality Protein Industry

According to Leng Youbin, protein is the cornerstone of human health, and its intake level directly relates to the population’s physical fitness, health literacy, and development quality. Currently, China still faces structural issues of “insufficient quantity and poor quality” in residents’ protein intake, which significantly restricts high-quality population development. With an aging population accelerating, breaking this deadlock and systematically improving the supply and awareness of high-quality protein has become an urgent issue concerning national health and long-term development.

In response, Leng Youbin suggests a coordinated effort from demand, supply, and regulatory sides to systematically promote the development of the high-quality protein industry and address supply-demand imbalances.

On the demand side, led by the National Health Commission, multiple departments could jointly develop the “National High-Quality Protein Intake Guidelines” for groups such as adolescents, the elderly, and chronic disease patients. These guidelines would specify recommended intake amounts, sources of high-quality protein, and scientific consumption plans, with a popular science manual incorporated into the national health literacy education system. Meanwhile, the State Administration for Market Regulation could revise the general rules for nutrition labeling of prepackaged foods, standardize “high-protein” food labels, and include high-quality proteins like casein into the health food raw material catalog to fill gaps in public understanding of protein nutrition.

On the supply side, it is recommended that the government introduce encouraging policies to increase support and guidance for domestic innovation in the protein industry. This includes providing tax incentives for relevant companies, subsidies for R&D and building autonomous industry chains, and innovative financial services. Additionally, platforms could be established to support industry-university-research collaboration and actively cultivate specialized talent. Targeted policies should integrate “investment in physical assets” with “investment in people” at a high level.

Enhancing Innovation to Break Bottlenecks and Accelerate Upgrading of Deep Dairy Processing

Regarding longstanding issues in China’s dairy industry—such as shallow processing levels, structural imbalances, and reliance on imported core raw materials—Leng Youbin analyzed that the supply chain security of the current dairy industry is facing severe challenges.

He cited examples like functional raw materials such as whey protein, lactoferrin, and α-lactalbumin, which are essential for infant formula and functional foods. However, these core raw materials are mostly imported, leaving the industry vulnerable at the source. Moreover, the development of high-value-added deep processing products is relatively lagging—liquid milk accounts for 92.7%, while high-value products like cheese and butter make up less than 7.3%.

Existing dairy regulations also lag behind, with standards that are insufficiently adapted and outdated testing technologies, restricting innovation and industry upgrading. For instance, when companies have achieved breakthroughs in extracting protein from defatted powder to increase added value and utilization of raw milk, they are hindered because the “National Food Safety Standard for Whey Powder and Whey Protein Powder” only permits deep processing using raw milk as raw material, preventing the application of these new technologies.

To accelerate the upgrade of deep dairy processing and overcome industry bottlenecks, Leng Youbin proposed three targeted suggestions:

First, strengthen policy support by setting a goal for domestic production of core raw materials like whey protein to exceed 60%, ensuring the autonomy and controllability of the dairy industry supply chain. Support companies building raw material production bases with land and funding, and provide tax reductions or incentives for enterprises engaged in R&D and production of key functional raw materials using domestic milk sources, enabling companies to operate more efficiently.

Second, improve regulatory standards and testing technologies. While maintaining strict supervision over infant formula production, promptly revise relevant laws, regulations, and assessment systems, and enhance testing methods. Adjust industry standards based on domestic industry development, encourage enterprises to register and apply raw materials, and accelerate approval processes. Establish specialized evaluation methods for new technologies, processes, and products in functional dairy raw materials. Under the premise of ensuring quality and safety, pilot projects for deep dairy processing should be carried out.

Third, strengthen professional talent cultivation through interdisciplinary training and curriculum innovation. Systematically develop over a thousand core R&D and engineering talents with international competitiveness, building a solid talent support system.

The iteration and renewal of the dairy industry chain require a complete system of frontier research, technological reserves, and commercialization. Regarding this, Leng Youbin stated, “Focusing on milk proteins and planning for nutrition across the entire lifecycle is not only an essential path for Chinese dairy companies to participate in international competition but also a duty to meet the people’s pursuit of a healthy and better life.”

Writings by Lin Chen

Edited by Xu Nan

Keywords: China Feihe Dairy Industry