The widespread use of Chinese-produced ingredients in frozen and canned foods sold by restaurant chains and supermarkets has expanded through contract processing. It has been suggested that contract processing in China has made a significant contribution to the rapid growth of conveyor-belt sushi chains.
The reality of Chinese-produced ingredients reported by Shukan Shincho is becoming clear: Chinese-produced ingredients account for a high proportion of the frozen and chilled foods, canned goods and other products handled by restaurant chains and supermarkets. This sheds light on the proportion of Chinese-produced materials behind the food business.
The spread of contract processing in China has been cited as a factor behind the rapid growth of conveyor-belt sushi chains. The process of transporting Japanese seafood to Chinese factories for processing and conversion into processed products has expanded, and is said to have helped keep the prices of sushi toppings down.
According to a former employee of a major seafood company, the stronger yen also contributed to a marked increase in outsourcing to factories overseas, including in China, in the first half of the 2000s. The system of routing products through overseas processing facilities then spread rapidly, becoming a key element supporting the procurement systems of Japan's major conveyor-belt sushi chains.