Dongwon F&B is known for "Dongwon Tuna," South Korea's favorite tuna brand. The canned tuna brand is often consumed along with rice and spicy instant noodles known as Ramyeon. According to Dongwon F&B's communications manager Jeon Sae-won, more than seven billion Dongwon Tuna products have been sold since 1982. Jeon said the canned tuna brand with annual sales of 500 billion won ($367.2 million) is also popular among Japanese and Chinese consumers.
On March 7, Dongwon F&B released a plant-based cholesterol-free canned tuna to meet the growing demands of some 2 million vegans in South Korea. The food maker said the vegan brand has more dietary fiber than its original tuna brand while calories were reduced by up to 31 percent.
Dongwon F&B said its plant-based tuna will be showcased at the Anuga 2023. Some 8,000 companies from more than 100 countries will participate in the event. The South Korean company said other home meal replacement (HMR) products such as Korean-style porridge and Tteokbokki, a menu of finger-sized rice cakes simmered in fiery-red spicy chili sauce would be displayed at the food fair. Home meal replacement (HMR) products are a type of meal kit that can be consumed almost instantly after using a microwave oven.
Data released by the Korea Rural Economic Institute showed that the global plant-based food market is projected to reach $17.8 billion by 2025. Vegan meat is also gaining recognition for its low-carbon characteristics. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), greenhouse gases emitted by the livestock industry account for some 15 percent of the world's total greenhouse gas emissions. By reducing the consumption of meat and dairy products, the total amount of emissions from animal-based food can be significantly reduced.
reporter
Kim Joo-heon
jhkim123@ajunews.com
