China Economic Herald and China Development Network Report by Pi Zehong: The variety of ingredients on Chinese family dining tables today has undergone a dramatic transformation compared to a decade ago. Imported ingredients like New Zealand Zespri kiwifruit, Italian extra virgin olive oil, and Ecuadorian white shrimp have become essential components of daily meals for Chinese families. This change is driven by the rapid growth of global fresh agricultural trade and the rise of Chinese e-commerce platforms.
Benlai Life was one of the first platforms in China to sell imported fresh foods like cherries and durians online. As a pioneer in direct procurement from production regions, this unique model has also been applied to the construction of its overseas supply chain. Over the past 11 anos, the platform has continuously optimized and integrated its global supply chain, offering domestic consumers a wider variety of imported products. At the same time, it has leveraged its product strength, channel strength, brand strength, and resource strength to empower overseas brands to expand and develop in the Chinese market.
Today, imported goods from more than 50 countries around the world have reached Chinese consumers’ tables through Benlai Life. Products like New Zealand Weebiz pasteurized fresh milk and air-freighted cherries from the United States have become top choices for users seeking a high-quality lifestyle.
Behind the “ultimate freshness” lies the discerning eye and craftsmanship of buyers, as well as the support of a highly efficient “air cold chain.” The international “fresh” chain that stretches from overseas origins to Chinese dining tables ensures that Benlai Life users can enjoy fresh global products with zero time lag.
New Zealand to China: High-Quality Pasteurized Milk’s 72-Hour Cross-Border Journey
The New Zealand pasteurized milk brand Weebiz has been available on Benlai Life for eight years. As one of the earliest imported fresh milk brands to enter China, it has become a quality choice for millions of families.
New Zealand is globally recognized as a premium source of milk, thanks to its unique geographic location, which preserves an unspoiled, pollution-free natural environment and isolates it from common animal diseases found in other regions. Local dairy farmers use traditional grazing methods, allowing cows to naturally feed on lush grass, ensuring the cows’ healthy growth and the purity and safety of the milk.
Milk typically enters the market in two forms: fresh milk and ambient milk. Fresh milk undergoes pasteurization, which retains the maximum nutritional value and natural flavor of the milk but also contains a small amount of harmless or beneficial microorganisms, resulting in a shorter shelf life and the need for refrigeration.
Xing Yan, a senior dairy buyer at Benlai Life, is well-versed in the global dairy supply chain and brands. She carefully selected Weebiz, a premium brand co-produced by New Zealand’s renowned organic dairy farm Marphona and Green Valley Dairies Limited, the country’s second-largest milk processor. This product undergoes pasteurization at the golden standard of 72°C for 15 seconds and continues to be upgraded under natural, additive-free conditions, with a milk protein content of 3.6g/100ml, higher than the EU standard.
With a shelf life of just 15 days, pasteurized milk needs to be stored in a cold chain environment, which imposes high demands on logistics capabilities. Benlai Life’s Weebiz delivery service covers first-tier cities such as Beijing, Xangai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, as well as several other cities. Every bottle of Weebiz pasteurized milk is produced, packaged, sterilized, and tested in New Zealand before being loaded onto a cold chain flight directly to China. It is then delivered to users’ hands only after passing the stringent inspections of the China National Inspection and Quarantine Bureau, customs, and Benlai Life’s rigorous quality control monitoring.
“To improve logistics efficiency, we applied for green channel clearance for Weebiz milk. After production on Sunday at the New Zealand farm, the milk is first sent for local inspection and then flown to China on Monday. Customs officials retain four boxes from each batch for inspection, allowing the rest to clear customs and be stored,” Xing Yan explained.
With the support of Benlai Life’s highly efficient global supply chain system, Weebiz pasteurized milk can be airfreighted from New Zealand to Chinese city dining tables in as little as 72 horas.
United States to China: The Thousand-Mile Freshness Rules for Delicate Cherries
Nos últimos anos, cherries have become the “top trend” in the domestic fruit market. Benlai Life introduced imported cherries as early as 2013.
An interesting product selection story once circulated within the company. When cherries first became popular, a group of discerning long-time Benlai Life users developed a preference for “yellow cherries” (golden cherries) due to their unique taste, despite their higher price compared to the more common “red cherries.” These users also had higher expectations for Benlai Life, demanding that the platform carefully select the origins and brands of the “yellow cherries” while further refining the selection of the best varieties and quality products for the “red cherries” globally.
To meet users’ quality demands for imported cherries, Benlai Life has, since 2016, introduced carefully selected “yellow cherries” and “red cherries” from premium regions in the United States. The company partnered with China Eastern Airlines to launch the industry’s first crowdfunded charter flight model. After being harvested, the cherries are pre-cooled, sorted, and packaged in U.S. orchards, then airfreighted directly to China by China Eastern Airlines, delivering the freshest cherries to domestic users.
To bring these delicate cherries to users, Benlai Life adopted a pre-sale order model, where supply is determined by sales. This sales model may seem simple, but it demands extreme precision in the complex process of importing fresh products.
The first challenge is weather conditions. Usually, Benlai Life receives tens of thousands of cherry orders a week before harvest. No entanto, if it rains during harvest, the cherries cannot be picked because they are prone to mold and rot after picking. If the cherries absorb too much water, they can crack and burst when exposed to sunlight after rain, significantly reducing their quality. This requires the buying team to conduct thorough preliminary work, carefully study the local climate, and closely monitor weather conditions in the growing regions.
Adicionalmente, throughout the airfreight, customs clearance, and transportation to the warehouse, the temperature must be “precisely controlled.” If the temperature fluctuates by more than 5°C, condensation will form on the cherries’ surface, leading to a decline in quality.
The final stage is delivery. Finding the right product is just the first step; completing the delivery process thoroughly is essential. Benlai Life ensures that different specifications of cherries are delivered through different cold chain methods to prevent them from losing freshness. Adicionalmente, to avoid damage or spoilage, Benlai Life strictly prohibits rough handling during the delivery process.
This series of meticulous steps is ultimately rooted in Benlai Life’s commitment to building the shortest international “fresh” chain. “We aim to ensure fresh quality by using the most precise and efficient logistics, delivering the cherries to users with green stems and plump, tender fruit, rather than using other methods to significantly extend their shelf life,” said Maomao, a fruit buyer at Benlai Life.
Today, imported cherries from the United States have become a must-have summer fruit for Benlai Life users. Cherries from other top regions, such as Chile, are also delivered to users at the peak of freshness and efficiency in different seasons through direct charter flights and shipments.
The ideal of “buying globally and selling globally” is becoming a reality once again. More and more “Made for China” delicacies are becoming the new trend, while “Made in China” fresh products are also seeing new opportunities.
Benlai Life’s applet has launched national-themed sections such as the “New Zealand Pavilion,” “Chile Pavilion,” “Thailand Pavilion,” and “Italy Pavilion,” allowing users to experience a variety of international flavors and the diverse cultures of different regions worldwide in one place. As Benlai Life’s international “fresh” chain continues to develop rapidly, with the platform expanding its global “circle of friends” and deepening cooperation with quality partners, more premium products from around the world will reach Chinese city dining tables with better quality and more competitive prices.
