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 the supply of high-quality protein 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 subpar quality” in residents’ protein intake, which significantly restricts high-quality population development. With an aging population, breaking this deadlock and systematically enhancing 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 across demand, supply, and regulatory sides to systematically promote the development of the high-quality protein industry and address the supply-demand imbalance.

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 levels, sources of high-quality protein, and scientific consumption plans, with popular science manuals incorporated into the national health literacy education system. Meanwhile, the State Administration for Market Regulation could revise the general rules for nutrition labeling on prepackaged foods, standardize “high-protein” food labels, and include high-quality proteins like casein into the raw material catalog for health foods, filling 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 and development in the protein industry. This includes providing tax incentives for relevant companies, subsidies for R&D and building autonomous industry chains, and offering innovative financial services. Additionally, platforms could be established to support industry-university-research collaborations and actively cultivate specialized talent. Targeted policies should integrate “investment in goods” and “investment in people” at a high level.

Enhancing Innovation to Break Bottlenecks and Accelerating Upgrades in 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 security of the dairy product supply chain 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. Currently, these core raw materials mainly depend on imports, leaving China’s related industry chains vulnerable from the source. Moreover, high-value-added deep processing products are underdeveloped—liquid milk accounts for 92.7%, while cheese, butter, and other high-value products make up less than 7.3%.

Existing dairy regulations are outdated, with standards and testing technologies lagging, which restricts innovation and industry upgrading. For example, although technological breakthroughs have enabled extraction of protein from skimmed milk powder to increase added value and utilization, the “National Food Safety Standard for Whey Powder and Whey Protein Powder” only permits deep processing using raw milk, preventing the application of these new techniques.

To accelerate the upgrade of dairy deep 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 greater independence of the dairy 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, easing their operational burden.

Second, improve regulations, standards, and testing technologies. Maintain strict supervision over infant formula production while promptly updating relevant laws, evaluation systems, and 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 dairy functional raw materials, and pilot deep processing projects under quality and safety guarantees.

Third, enhance 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 evolution of the dairy industry requires a comprehensive system of frontier research, technological reserves, and commercialization. Leng Youbin emphasized that “focusing on milk proteins and designing nutrition across the entire lifecycle is not only essential for Chinese dairy companies to compete internationally but also a moral obligation to meet the public’s healthy and beautiful life aspirations.”

Writings by Lin Chen

Edited by Xu Nan

Keywords: China Feihe Dairy Industry