Protein plans: CP Foods to focus on supply stability, meeting various generational needs

CP Foods has highlighted plans to focus on the areas of improving supply stability and innovating new products for different generations of consumers.

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Thai protein heavyweight CP Foods wants to focus on maintaining and improving supply stability as well as creating products for new generations of consumers.According to CPF Food Network’s Ekpiya Ua-wutthikrerk, the firm has a major focus on its supply chain, and traceability in particular, in order meet protein demands.

“We are a big company and need to guarantee we have sufficient supply from upstream to downstream of our supply chain in order to ensure we can manufacture our products – and there is also the added need to make sure the supplied ingredients meet our standards and conditions,” he told FoodNavigator-Asia.

“As such, we believe that traceability is very important in what we do so we can ensure the quality and safety throughout the whole supply chain, and in turn guarantee the best and safest protein products reach the consumers.

“This has become even more important as food security and availability has generally been low worldwide [after the pandemic], and we need to bring more of these products to more markets and feed more consumers.

“Having a stable supply will ensure we can cater to consumers at all levels of the pyramid with products ranging from standard to super premium, such that there is something for everyone.”

In addition to products for different household budgets, CP Foods is also focusing its innovation on creating products for different generations of consumers.

“Different generations have different demands when it comes to their food – where a product may have done well for many years and can be considered to taste just fine by Gen X consumers, millennials and Gen Y can have very different tastes and demands,” he said.

“We are also increasingly seeing a shift in priorities where now the top three important factors driving their purchasing decisions are individual expression, product taste and sustainability.

“These are the areas we plan to focus on and work hard on for at least the coming 10 to 20 years to ensure we are aligned with what consumers are looking for.”

Healthier focusInnovation will also be focused on healthier products developed from the very beginning of the supply chain.

Examples include its antibiotic-free Benja Chicken which is fed with brown rice rich in GABA, antioxidants and vitamin B; Cheeva Pork which is fed with flaxseed, fish oil and deep-sea seaweed rich in omega-3 to improve its fatty acid profile; and CP Selection chicken and pork which are fed with probiotics.

“The idea is to still have the meat taste normal, but better – and this is done by changing the feed of the animals so that the taste and nutritional profile are both improved naturally,” Ua-wutthikrerk added.

“This means there is no need for the consumer to sacrifice taste, but can pragmatically and realistically enjoy a healthier diet and lifestyle.”