COVID-19 pandemic drives “the pursuit of healthy lifestyles,” in South Korea, says Samyang

23 Jul 2020 --- Pursuing a healthy lifestyle has been underscored as one of the key trends in the South Korean market as the COVID-19 pandemic pushes health to the fore. Samyang Corporation reflects on the current state of the market by spotlighting the most pervasive consumer trends. At the same time, Innova Market Insights flags some of the top trends in South Korea, including online shopping, spicy flavors and late-night snacks.

Speaking with FoodIngredientsFirst, Sehui Jeon, Global Specialty Ingredient Marketing Manager of Samyang, explains how the desire for minimally-processed foods, functional snacks, gut health products and customized nutrition foods are proliferating in South Korea. Jeon also spotlights the growing importance of specialty ingredients, such as allulose and indigestible dextrin, which are “significant this year.”

“People are now pursuing healthy lifestyles not only through the consumption of supplements but also in everyday foods,” he says. 

The 2020 Top Trend pegged by Innova Market Insights in South Korea is “Product Design for an Online Market.” The online market of F&B in the region is snowballing. Manufacturers need to design new products for online sales and delivery. As a result, retailers in South Korea are suffering from competition with online malls. Online malls are available 24 hours and seven days a week.

This type of constant availability offers easy access to many Korean consumers. The online F&B market is convenient for shopping and mobile apps are leading the online shopping sector. 

Korean flavor trends
In flavors, exotic taste and textures are coming to the fore. “Most Koreans are open-minded about trying food for the first time, they rather embrace the unknown taste to see if it fits their palate. Recently, South Korea seems to be in the grip of Mara, one of the most used spices in Chinese cuisine, a spicy flavor from Sichuan Province.”

Innova Market Insights backs this flavor trend as being prominent in the nation. According to the market researcher, “Mara is steadily gaining popularity in all food categories in South Korea.” Product examples include Cj CheilJedang Beksul Mara Noodle Soup Cooking Sauce, Lotte Frito Lay Doritos Mara Spicy Hot Pot Flavored Nachos, and Nongshim Mara Noodle Soup Flavored Instant Ramen. 

Snacking but healthy
Innovative shapes, colors and textures appeal to many Korean consumers. Additionally, new products have been released, such as “shaking pudding” with konjac and pectin, and “chewy cookies” with modified starch, notes Jeon.

Innovative shapes, colors and textures of long-established brands are being launched for consumers in South Korea. Colors, in particular, resonate well with the “adventurous consumer.”

Snacking is also dominating Korea food trends. “Drinking yogurts and cereal bars are the most popular snacks these days. When consumers choose a cereal bar product, they take into account the raw materials, total sugar content, protein content and whether it contains dietary fiber or not,” explains Jeon. 

Snacks are no longer simple or convenient, more people are thinking about their overall health, she asserts. “In addition, the main consumers of snacks are often people who are sensitive to calories and nutrient claims, so it’s essential to reduce sugar content.”

Innova Market Insights’ Number Seven Trend for South Korea is “Reward for Me.” The trend recognizes busy daily life and offers enjoyment. Many consumers believe a late night snack will help them forget the fatigue of the day. The key drivers are convenience, flavor and texture, notes the market researcher. 

A sweet outlook
Meanwhile, in South Korea, the need for low sugar content or/and low-calorie food is popular and gaining interest. 

“One of the biggest dairy producers has been running a sugar reduction campaign since 2014 in South Korea. They replaced their main sweetener from sucrose to allulose and natural high-intensity sweetener such as stevia. If they use only high-intensity sweeteners, the original taste can be changed, causing a decrease in sales. Maintaining its original taste without sugar content and calories is the biggest challenge to all the producers who want to reduce sugar,” Jeon continues. “In this respect, blending allulose with stevia is the best solution to keep with the original taste.”Samyang’s allulose was launched in South Korea in 2017. It is made from non-GMO raw material and non-GMO enzymes.

Even though prices might rise slightly using healthier sweeteners, there’s no other way to adjust for consumer demands for healthier products. Eventually, the food and beverage industry will give in to their needs, she explains. 

“More consumers are looking for sugar substitute sweeteners while they cook at home,” adds Jeon, noting that allulose has been spotlighted as a key sugar substitute. “Allulose is a nearly ‘zero-calorie’ sweetener with 70 percent sweetness of sucrose. Owing to its similar characteristics to sucrose and harmonizing nature with other caloric and non-caloric sweeteners, it can be applied to a wide range of food and beverage products exempted from ‘total sugar’ and ‘added sugar’ in nutrition labels.”

Samyang’s allulose was launched in South Korea in 2017. It is made from non-GMO raw material and non-GMO enzymes. “New products using allulose are increasing from start-ups that are ahead of the trend to main products of large companies including carbonated beverages, drinkable yogurts, ice cream, cereal bars, sauces, plant-based beverages, cookies and supplements, to name a few.”

Moreover, blended sucrose with xylose is also a popular sugar substitute, details Joen. “Xylose is a digestive enzyme of sucrose called sucrase inhibitor, which inhibits sucrose absorption in the body. Those are used as a substitute for sucrose and high fructose corn syrup in various kinds of food and beverage products,” she comments. 

Vegan and vegetarian claims rise
According to Jeon, vegan claims are rapidly spreading as consumer interest in animal protection, eco-friendly and ethical consumption, grow in South Korea. “Two to 3 percent of the population is vegetarian and the number is small itself but has increased tenfold over a decade,” she says. 

In the domestic food market, start-ups are focusing on vegan food, but research and product launches by large food companies are also making an impact. “Plant-based beverages, plant milk, and plant-based ice cream are gaining traction,” adds Jeon. 

South Koreans consume probiotics through traditional fermented foods such as kimchi.Many people think that South Korean food is vegetarian-oriented and with low sweetness or/and low saltiness (except for the spicy flavor) compared to Western foods. “South Koreans routinely consume probiotics through traditional fermented foods like kimchi based on vegetables.” According to Innova Market Insights, kimchi is one of the representative filling ingredients in South Korean Mandu (dumplings). Current NPD is focused on thinner skin and more delicious fillings, notes the market researcher. Thinner skin shows the inner filling and stimulates appetite and lightness. 

Additionally, the obesity rate is relatively lower than in Western countries. These kinds of food cultures and lifestyles can raise the world's interest and seem to increase popularity in Korean diets and food, she details. 

Moreover, Samyang’s indigestible dextrin made from plant sources not only contains dietary fiber content but also has advantages in terms of physical properties, improvement of body mouthfeel, increase the emulsion stability in beverages and dairy applications, and improved crispness in cereal and snacks, flags Jeon. 

Dietary fiber(s) included in the functional ingredients’ list results in many F&B manufacturers considering more dietary fiber usage in their products.

“South Koreans are also very interested in gut health,” Jeon highlights. “The consumption of dairy products and dietary supplements have been in demand, while supplements related to gut health including probiotics, prebiotics are the second most purchased supplements today,” she concludes.

By Elizabeth Green