Driven by modern fast-paced lifestyles, the pre-made dish sector is experiencing explosive growth. Statistics indicate that China's pre-made dish market is projected to exceed RMB 617.3 billion by 2025, with a year-on-year growth of 27.3%.

In this context, potato whole powder—a raw material that preserves the natural nutrients and functional properties of potatoes—is demonstrating unique value in the pre-made dish industry.

This article delves into the application solutions of potato whole powder in pre-made dishes, analyzes its market prospects, and provides comprehensive industry insights for high-end B2B clients.

01 The Pre-made Dish Industry: Seizing Opportunities in a Trillion-Yuan Market

As a core product of culinary industrialization, pre-made dishes are rapidly penetrating China's food market at an unprecedented pace. Currently, the industry is experiencing rapid growth driven by policy guidance, capital investment, and market demand.

In terms of market scale, the total market value of the pre-made dish segment in China's A-share market has surpassed RMB 500 billion, with 30 listed companies operating in this space.

Amid this growth, national standards are being refined. The draft of the National Food Safety Standard for Pre-made Dishes has passed review and will soon be open for public feedback.

This standard explicitly emphasizes the principle of "no preservative additives" in pre-made dishes, setting clear regulatory boundaries for the industry.

For B2B clients, this signals that future competition will no longer revolve solely around price and taste but will extend to raw material quality, technological capabilities, and supply chain stability.

02 Potato Whole Powder: A Premium Ingredient Solution for Pre-made Dishes

Potato whole powder is a powdered or granular product made from fresh potatoes through processes such as cleaning, peeling, slicing, blanching, cooling, steaming, mixing, conditioning, drying, and sieving.

Unlike regular potato starch, potato whole powder largely retains the integrity of cellular structures, preserving not only the starch but also most other nutritional components.

Key Advantages of Potato Whole Powder:

• Comprehensive Nutrient Retention: Preserves proteins, vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber, aligning with health-conscious trends.

• Versatility in Processing: Suitable for a wide range of pre-made dishes, including baked goods, instant foods, and frozen products.

• Improved Food Texture: Enhances water retention, softness, and stability of the final product.

• Ease of Standardization: Powdered form allows precise formulation and ensures batch-to-batch consistency.

As consumers increasingly prioritize health and nutrition, the application of potato whole powder in pre-made dishes continues to expand. In 2024, China's demand for potato whole powder reached 170,700 tons, a year-on-year increase of 10.27%.

03 Application Solutions of Potato Whole Powder in Pre-made Dishes

1. Applications in Pre-made Staple Foods

Potato whole powder performs exceptionally well in pre-made staple foods. Studies show that partially replacing traditional grain flour with potato whole powder significantly enhances product quality.

For instance, in the production of nutrient-fortified yellow millet bean buns, the optimal formulation includes 10% potato whole powder substitution, 100-mesh flour, 65% water content, and 80°C dough mixing temperature.

Products made with this formulation exhibit excellent shape, bright yellow color, smooth surface, and a sticky, soft texture, achieving a sensory evaluation score of 85 points.

The addition of potato whole powder also improves dough processing performance. Research from Gansu Academy of Agricultural Sciences indicates that incorporating potato whole powder into baked bun technology increases browning and cooking efficiency by over 30%.

2. Applications in Frozen Prepared Foods

In the frozen pre-made dish sector, potato whole powder serves as a natural quality improver. Products like frozen fries and potato patties with added potato whole powder demonstrate better shape retention and reduced breakage during cold chain transportation.

Technological innovations further expand application possibilities. For example, thick-batter coating technology extends the crispiness retention of potato products to 30 minutes, with a breaking force of 8.7N and an 18–30% reduction in oil absorption.

3. Applications in Nutritionally Complete Instant Foods

A 2022 patent for nutritionally complete instant potato-based foods includes 20–30 parts potato whole powder, combined with eggshell powder, 8–15 parts vegetables, and 6–12 parts meat or seafood.

This formulation enhances the nutritional profile of traditional instant foods, effectively retaining the nutrients of raw materials while allowing flavor customization.

04 Technological Innovations and Solutions

1. Processing Advancements

The application of potato whole powder in pre-made dishes relies on technological innovations. Vacuum Low-Temperature Frying Technology reduces acrylamide content in potato chips by 70%, as the lower boiling point of oil in a vacuum minimizes thermal decomposition and nutrient oxidation.

Advances in Steam Peeling Technology have also improved processing efficiency, achieving a peeling rate exceeding 95% with raw material losses as low as 4–7%.

2. Digital Factory Development

China's potato processing industry is undergoing intelligent upgrades. Leading companies, particularly in the frozen French fries sector, have established digital factories by introducing advanced European automated production equipment and smart management systems.

These enterprises deploy intelligent sorting systems, automated production lines, and IoT monitoring platforms, significantly enhancing production efficiency and product qualification rates.

05 Market Prospects and Future Trends

1. Sustained Market Demand

The rise of the "lazy economy" and the trend toward smaller household sizes are driving growing consumer demand for convenient foods. Fast food, delivery services, and ready-to-eat convenience store products have become mainstream choices, creating a vast market for potato whole powder in pre-made dishes.

From a supply chain perspective, China's potato production continues to grow, with 2024 output projected to reach 18.708 million tons, accounting for over 60% of total tuber production. This ensures a steady supply of raw materials for the potato whole powder industry.

2. Product Upgrading and Diversification

The application of potato whole powder in pre-made dishes is expected to become more diverse and premium. Potato processing products have evolved from traditional starch, whole powder, and noodles to include snack foods like chips and fries, with further innovations in flavors and formats.

• Flavor Innovations: Regional flavors like Luosifen (river snail rice noodles) and Old Beijing Sesame Paste, as well as international flavors like Southeast Asian pandan and Mexican chili chocolate.

• Health-Conscious Formulations: Products boasting 0 trans fats, low sodium, and high fiber (e.g., with inulin).

• Customization: Growing demand for personalized and customized products will drive manufacturers to develop more tailored potato whole powder solutions.

06 Strategic Recommendations for B2B Clients

1. Leverage Policy Incentives

Pre-made dishes have been included in China’s Central No. 1 Document for the first time. Local governments are actively establishing industrial parks for pre-made dishes, supporting enterprises through fiscal subsidies and tax incentives.

B2B clients should closely monitor policy developments and capitalize on these incentives to gain a first-mover advantage in this rapidly standardizing industry.

2. Optimize Supply Chain Layout

Given that the quality of potato whole powder heavily depends on raw material quality, B2B clients are advised to establish strategic partnerships with upstream suppliers to ensure consistent quality and stable supply.

Leading Companies in Potato Whole Powder Industry:

• Gansu Avebe Potato Processing Co., Ltd.

• Zhangjiakou Hongji Agricultural Technology Development Co., Ltd.: Annual production capacity of 20,000 tons, processing 120,000 tons of potatoes annually.

• Shanxi Sanlai Foods Co., Ltd.

3. Differentiated Competition Strategies

As competition in the pre-made dish market intensifies, B2B clients can consider the following differentiation strategies:

• Functional Products: Develop potato whole powder-based pre-made dishes targeting health needs such as high dietary fiber and low GI.

• Unique Flavors: Create differentiated products by combining regional ingredients and cultural elements.

• Brand Storytelling: Highlight the natural and nutritional benefits of potato whole powder to enhance product appeal.

Conclusion

With the upcoming release of national standards for pre-made dishes, the industry will transition from "rapid expansion" to a "compliance era." In this process, potato whole powder, with its nutritional advantages and functional properties, is poised to play a critical role in the high-end pre-made dish segment.

For forward-thinking B2B clients, now is the golden opportunity to invest in potato whole powder applications—understanding its properties and innovating with solutions will be key to capturing opportunities in the trillion-yuan pre-made dish market.