Last year, regional pre-made food industry alliances emerged in areas such as Hunan, Shandong and Shanxi provinces, and also in Shanghai. In addition, regional regulations and guidelines covering the industry have been issued.

In recent years, pre-cooked food has become a touchstone for catering enterprises and companies in other fields to explore new avenues in the retail industry.

Last month, sportswear brand Guirenniao founded a pre-made food company, while Foshan Haitian Flavoring & Food, which focuses on soybean sauce, recently launched two pre-made fish products.

With competition in this field intensifying, online grocery platforms Freshippo and Dingdong Maicai, which rank 30th and 50th, respectively, on the top-100 list, are expanding their product range with innovation and healthier choices.