Zhang Jianqiu, CEO of Yili Group, speaks at the Food & Beverage Innovation Forum 2018 (FBIF2018) in Shanghai, on April 18. [Photo/yili.com.cn]

Chinese dairy giant, Yili Group won the Hello Foods Prize at the Food & Beverage Innovation Forum 2018 (FBIF2018) in Shanghai, on April 18.

Yili's new dairy lines, Changqing and Joyday yoghurt went down well with consumers thanks to their delicious flavor and attractive packaging, helping the company win the award.

FBIF is one of the most influential food industrial summits in the Asia Pacific region. This year's theme is "Global Innovation, Powering the Future".

Zhang Jianqiu, CEO of Yili Group delivered a keynote speech at the forum. He introduced Yili's new products and analyzed the future trends of the food and drink industry.

According to Zhang, Yili has done a lot of work on innovation to bring new dairy products to market, appealing to the different needs of consumers.

To cater to people who are lactose intolerant, for example, Yili has produced the first lactose-free dairy product in China through thousands of simulated experiments, winning it new customers.

Yili established the first big data platform in 2016 to track consumers' needs in real time. After several years' innovative development, the platform now covers 420 source databases, collecting the information of more than 840 million consumers.

Based on the statistics, Yili developed a new oat yoghurt weight loss drink aimed at female consumers, after finding that consumers preferred health products with a certain taste.

Chinese consumers now value the quality of products more than anything else, presenting the country's dairy industry with both challenges and opportunities, said one expert at the event.

As it goes forward, Yili intends to remain committed to innovation, not just for its new products, but throughout its manufacturing chain.

One of Yili's dairy products, Changqing yogurt on display [Photo/yili.com.cn]

Participants visit the Yili exhibition booth at FBIF2018 in Shanghai, April 18. [Photo/yili.com.cn]