This photo provided by Shinsegae Food Inc. shows the company’s No-chicken Nuggets.
SEOUL, May 8 (Korea Bizwire) — So-called ‘meatless meat’ that is made from plant-based ingredients without animal products is gaining popularity among consumers.
Shinsegae Food Inc., the food unit of of South Korean retail giant Shinsegae, reported that sales of its ‘No-chicken Nuggets’, released last month, were three times higher than the company’s sales projections.
The company initially set a goal of selling 100,000 in three months. Now, more than 3,000 are being sold every day.
The company believes that the heightened interest in meat analogues, driven by the increasing number of ‘meaning out’ consumers, has resulted in the product’s massive popularity.
‘Meaning out’ refers to the various means of expression, including the act of consumption, of one’s political, social beliefs and values.
This photo provided by Shinsegae Food Inc. shows one of its No Brand Burger outlets in Seoul.
Rumors on social media that the No-chicken Nuggets taste very much like the ‘authentic’ ones, too, have contributed to the meat analogue’s popularity.
In the alternative meat market, where alternative beef currently takes the absolute majority, alternative chicken meat is now seen as a ‘blue ocean’.
No-chicken Nuggets, available at Shinsegae Food’s fast food hamburger chain No Brand Burger, are made with mycoprotein, a meat analogue produced by Quorn, a British alternative meat producer.
Mycoprotein is extracted from microorganisms, and is composed of thread-like structures similarly to chicken breasts.
When chewed, it gives off a taste that is very much like actual chicken meat, and is used in Europe as the primary ingredient for chicken meat analogues.
This photo provided by Pulmuone Co. shows the company’s Tofu Tenders.
The overall food industry, too, is speeding the development of products made with plant-based ingredients.
As it is becoming a worldwide trend in which consumers are increasingly preferring plant-based food for various reasons such as health, animal welfare, and environmental protection, the food industry is trying to address this demand by diversifying product offerings.
South Korean food producer Pulmuone Co.’s plant-based protein division aims to design a three-phase long-term business roadmap by 2023 to release a series of innovative plant-based products phase-by-phase.
As the company’s newest release, Pulmuone introduced Tofu Tenders, a meat analogue made with protein-rich tofu.
Starting with Tofu Tenders, Pulmuone aims to release a series of new plant-based meat to compete in both domestic and international markets.
Previously, Pulmuone released a Tofu Noodles Kit composed of tofu noodles mixed with plant-based sauce. The company also released a protein-rich Tofu Bar, which was a big hit in Japan.
This photo provided by CJ Cheiljedang Corp. shows the company’s lactic acid powder.
This year, major food company Nongshim Group has also embarked on the promotion of Veggie Garden, the company’s meat analogue brand.
Veggie Garden is a brand that uses Nongshim’s unique meat analogue production technology to create ready-to-go meal kits.
Veggie Garden offers a line-up of 18 products, including alternative meat, refrigerated products and meal kits, sauce, seasoning, and plant-based cheese.
Nonghim was the first South Korean company to produce plant-based cheese made without dairy products.
The company aims to compete in the market with its unique High Moisture Meat Analogue (HMMA) technology.
South Korea’s leading food manufacturer CJ Cheiljedang Corp.’s yogurt drink brand BYO released BYO plant origin lactic acid powder.
Lactic acid made with plant-based ingredients is known to withstand stomach acid with extreme acidity of Ph 1.5 to 3.5, with stronger adhesive qualities to stick to the intestines.
UnivDatos Market Insights (UMI), a global research agency, projected that the global plant-based food market will grow from US$21.2 billion in 2020 to $38.4 billion by 2025.
H. M. Kang (hmkang@koreabizwire.com)
