China has become a battleground for plant meat companies hoping to enter the world's largest meat consumption market, foreign media said.

Hong Kong, Sept. 11 (AP) -- U.S. plant-meat company Impossible Foods Inc. said Monday it is waiting for regulatory approval to enter the Chinese market, while rivals like Beyond Meat are pushing ahead with plans to set up production bases in The country. Targeting 1.4 billion Chinese consumers, the two companies hope to join their western counterparts in finding alternatives to traditional meat fakes, which already cover everything from artificial crab to duck breast to steak.

Impossible Foods needs special permission from regulators because its plant-based products contain genetically modified substances such as heme, a molecule that releases the smell of meat, and soy protein. Pat Brown, chief executive of Impossible Foods, said: "We're going through the regulatory process and it's going to take time. All I can say is, it's going well."

The company, which announced last week that it would open a factory in an industrial park near Shanghai, said it would not use any GENETICALLY modified materials, the report said.

Nestle said it will increase its investment in the Tianjin plant to build a plant and meat production line.

The report notes that local Chinese companies such as Precious Meat and Sunday Zero are also expanding their operations, partnering with restaurants across the country and even offering vegetarian seafood.

Impossible Foods announced Monday it is launching a sausage product in Hong Kong in the form of a menu item from the Starbucks coffee chain and some other restaurants. Impossible Foods' products include vegetable beef, pork and sausage.

Mr. Brown said the company plans to build factories in China and build a supply chain of raw materials within the country so that it can produce its products entirely in China.

Matilda Huo, founder of Core Capital, China's first food technology venture capital group, said the COVID-19 outbreak was a good opportunity to introduce plant-based meat alternatives to consumers, as some feared the disease could be transmitted through meat -- although there was no evidence of such cases. "While people are starting to return to normality now, consumers are concerned that a meat product may be related to a novel Coronavirus," said Haw. Some people are cutting back on meat as a result."

However, as most plant and meat products tend to be more expensive, breaking into the Chinese market can be a challenge.

"The China market is challenging because the food culture and consumer base in China is very diverse and the market is very price sensitive," said Kathy Siu, Asia Pacific managing director of the Gourmet Association. However, it is important not to lose sight of the basic factors that make food popular in the marketplace -- perceived taste, price and convenience."

Meat consumption in China has reportedly been growing steadily since 1990, more than doubling over the past decade, although the rate of growth has slowed. China consumes more meat nationwide than any other country.