Production of high-protein products was up 24 per cent to KRW568.8bn (US$420.17m), and sugar-free products have increased 20.1 per cent year-on-year last year to KRW572.6bn (US$422.9m).
This is according to new data from South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) on food, livestock, and health functional foods production trends in the country last year.
In total, the country’s total food, livestock, and health functional foods production was worth KRW114tr (US$84.2bn), up 5.8 per cent year-on-year.
The greater production of sugar-free and high protein products signals the prevailing trends of “healthy pleasure” and “well-ageing”, said the MFDS.
“In 2024, the development and production of products reflected health-related trends such as Healthy-Pleasure and Well-Ageing increased due to the spread of values that pursue both health and pleasure.
“This is interpreted as reflecting the increase in consumer interest in health and quality of life and changes in consumption trends throughout the food industry in Korea,” said the MFDS.
Healthy pleasure, in particular, refers to “a lifestyle that seeks both pleasure and satisfaction in eating and activities while maintaining health,” the MFDS explained.
Well-ageing, on the other hand, is the attitude that accepts ageing naturally and to continue a healthy and meaningful life.
Sugar-free: from beverages to bread and sauces
Sugar-free options are usually concentrated in the beverage category, but has since expanded to include bread and sauces.
“Sugar zero products, whose production volume was mainly focused on beverages, gradually expanded to various food groups such as bread and sauces, greatly expanding consumers’ choices.
“In particular, the increase in the production of sugar zero products other than beverages, such as bread and sauces, was notable, with the production amount reaching KRW59.2bn (US$43.7m), up 109.7 per cent from the previous year.”
To combine pleasure with health, sugar-free products are usually made using sugar substitutes such as the low-calorie sweetener allulose and sugar alcohols.
Weight management drives demand for high protein
High protein foods, on the other hand, have been driven by growing interest in body shape and weight management.
In this case, the manufacturing of products containing “enhanced” protein ingredients was up 24 per cent year-on-year.
“Enhanced” protein ingredients include soy protein and whey protein.
“In line with the increase in the number of people exercising and the growing interest in body shape management, the production performance of products with enhanced protein ingredients also increased by 24.0 per cent year-on-year to KRW568.8 billion (US$420.17m),” said the MFDS.
Social media drives healthy foods consumption trend
Social media is another platform that is behind the country’s interest in healthy foods consumption, such as apple cider vinegar and lemon juice.
Last year, the production of plant-based products was up five times to KRW69.1bn (US$51.04m) as compared to year 2023.
“As the culture of healthy food consumption spreads through social media such as SNS (social networking service), the production of food based on plant-based ingredients such as peanut butter, lemon juice, and apple cider vinegar increased by about five times compared to the previous year to KRW 69.1 billion,” said the MFDS.
A breakdown shows that the value of apple cider vinegar manufacturing last year was worth seven billion won (US$5.17m), while that of lemon juice was KRW39.7bn (US$29.3m).
