China is the world's largest consumer of fast food. And it's causing major damage
Spend a few days in any Chinese city, and you’ll notice the vast number of scooter-straddling couriers weaving through streets, alleys, and sidewalks, delivering an endless stream of food to homes and offices. Some are loaded with cups of bubble tea; others are weighed down with sandwiches and salads; some even balance teetering tubs of spicy hot pot, complete with seasoning, vegetables, and raw meat, all packed up with a cooking pot, bowls, and utensils.
China is the world’s largest consumer of takeout food. According to a reportreleased by the Qianzhan Industry Research Institute, in 2016, China’s online food and beverage delivery market was valued at 166 billion yuan ($25 billion), an almost eightfold increase from 2011. The same report estimates that Chinese online food delivery platforms have some 256 million registered users. Almost 40 percent of cellphone owners have used their devices to order food, and the nation’s meal delivery companies process almost 400 million orders every week.
photo credit: tubblesnap