Anuga 2025 live: Daesang brings K-food kimchi fusions to Europe

Daesang is showcasing its international food brand O’food and kimchi brand Jongga at the Anuga 2025 trade show in Cologne, Germany (October 4–8). The Korean food manufacturer has plans to expand its European presence by pursuing new growth opportunities and strengthening distribution networks.

Korea has been selected as Anuga’s official Partner Country for the first time amid the rising global profile of K-food. This year’s event is expected to be the biggest yet, with over 8,000 companies from 118 countries.

Daesang adapts product formulations to meet European regulatory requirements and introduces lineups tailored to European tastes, which helped its European subsidiary record a 35% year-on-year sales increase in 2024.

Food Ingredients First speaks to Grace Eunhae Kim, marketing team leader at Daesang, on the show floor.

“Jongga is the number one Korean kimchi brand, holding more than 30% of the kimchi domestic market share in South Korea. O’food is an authentic Korean food brand that we want to harmonize with international cuisines, for example, our new kimchi mayo and kimchi ketchup. We want to enter the European sauce market together with our authentic, traditional sauces.”

K-food kimchi in Europe

Daesang is promoting its latest kimchi product in Cologne: kimchi in a glass jar. Kim tells us that the product’s packaging is intended to appeal to the increasingly eco-conscious European consumer.

“Europeans think a lot about plastics, so we offer a reusable glass jar, and we also have two options: vegan and original.”

“The special thing about this product is the packaging, because even though the fermentation continues, the package is not damaged. Usually, when the fermentation happens, the gas gets out, so sometimes the package is damaged.”

“We use our cutting-edge technology so it smells like kimchi, but the package is not damaged.”

Daesang is constructing Europe’s first large-scale kimchi plant, which is expected to produce over 3,000 tons of kimchi annually by 2030, to meet surging kimchi demand.Daesang showcases its O’food and Jongga brands at Anuga 2025 in Cologne, highlighting kimchi fusions and glass jar packaging.

Daesang at Anuga 2025

Daesang is presenting its heritage as a global leader in fermentation within the K-Food Partner Country Pavilion, organized by the Korea Food Industry Association.

In the O’food and Jongga zones, visitors can experience Europe-produced Jongga Mat Kimchi, gochujang, and gochujang sauces, presented alongside traditional Korean minhwa artwork that reflects the competitiveness of K-food and the beauty of Korean culture.

Meanwhile, Michelin-starred chef Fabrizio Ferrari is hosting live cooking shows featuring kimchi-infused European cuisine.

Jeong-bae Lim, Daesang’s CEO, says: “This exhibition is a golden opportunity for Daesang to strengthen its competitiveness as a global brand and expand its presence in Europe. Through continuous innovation and a rigorous localization strategy, we will elevate the value of K-food and position the company at the forefront of the European market.”

With additional reporting by Milana Nikolova, live at Anuga 2025 in Cologne, GermanyDaesang distributes portfolio books introducing O’food and Jongga products localized by country, together with AI-powered video content.