[Distribution Hot People] The Secret of Jongga, the No.1 Packaged Kimchi Brand... Thanks to 'Kimchi Lactic Acid Bacteria' That Determines Kimchi Flavor

Seongpil Kim, Team Leader in Charge of Kimchi Research at DaeSang Food Institute, JonggaJip

Kim Seongpil, Team Leader in charge of Jonggajip Kimchi Research at Daesang Food Research Institute.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Seon-ae] As the importance of immune system management has become a hot topic recently, the food industry is in the midst of a "probiotic war." The representative fermented food of Korea, "Kimchi," is no exception. Daesang Jongga Jip, leading the domestic packaged kimchi market, has long focused on the various benefits of probiotics in kimchi and has been concentrating on research and development utilizing them.

Developing "kimchi probiotics" is one of the main tasks of Team Leader Kim Seong-pil, who oversees kimchi research and development at Daesang Jongga Jip. Team Leader Kim explained, "Regular kimchi becomes excessively sour if kept in the refrigerator for more than 14 days," adding, "Kimchi probiotics control the fermentation speed to maintain a crisp and refreshing taste for a longer time, extending the period during which kimchi can be enjoyed deliciously."

Daesang Jongga Jip began research on isolating and culturing kimchi probiotics in 2001 and succeeded in 2005 in culturing "kimchi probiotics (Leuconostoc DRC0211)" that replicate the taste of homemade kimjang kimchi. In 2017, through joint research with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, they developed "kimchi fermentation starter DRC1506," which has excellent taste and fermentation ability, attracting attention. Jongga Jip named it "Leuconostoc mesenteroides Jongga Jip Kimchi Eye," filed a patent, and has applied it as a kimchi production starter culture in kimchi produced since February of the same year.

At that time, the joint research team including Daesang Jongga Jip, Korea Food Research Institute, World Kimchi Research Institute, and Korea University gained attention by being the first to prove the anti-influenza effect of kimchi. In experiments conducted over two weeks on mice infected with the influenza virus, the survival rate of mice administered kimchi extract was more than 30% higher than that of normal mice. Jongga Jip patented and commercialized the probiotic "Lactobacillus plantarum DSR M2" identified through the research. Considering the health of children who are vulnerable to immunity, they developed and sell "Strong Poggi Kimchi" exclusively for school meals, making efforts to improve students' immunity.

Team Leader Kim, who usually focuses most on the "taste of kimchi" during research, is dedicated to maintaining the optimal fermentation pattern to create "delicious kimchi that lasts long." He said, "The reason homemade kimchi tastes different every year is due to differences in microbial strains derived from raw materials," adding, "Because it is difficult to maintain product homeostasis due to the nature of fermented foods, 'kimchi probiotics' that can control fermentation consistently will play an important role in the packaged kimchi market in the future."

These days, his daily life is busier than ever. This is because the demand for packaged kimchi has increased as consumers recently prefer "home-cooked meals" over dining out. In fact, from January to May this year, Jongga Jip's packaged kimchi sales grew by more than 30% compared to the same period last year. Team Leader Kim said, "The number of people purchasing packaged kimchi instead of making kimjang is steadily increasing due to the rise in single-person households and kimjang costs," and added, "Recently, the demand for kimchi as a food that helps boost immunity has overlapped, leading to a surge in packaged kimchi sales."

Team Leader Kim's efforts to provide consumers with trustworthy kimchi continue. Jongga Jip, which uses about 60,000 tons of napa cabbage annually, has maintained the principle of "100% domestic ingredients" since its launch. He said, "You have to touch and inspect napa cabbage and young radish to select high-quality grades," and does not hesitate to travel nationwide every season to choose ingredients suitable for commercial kimchi. Team Leader Kim stated, "Currently, raw material prices and supply volumes are unstable due to shipment volumes from production areas and weather conditions," and added, "We are developing technology to store biological raw materials such as napa cabbage and radish for more than nine months to supply high-quality products to consumers at more affordable prices and in a stable manner."

Team Leader Kim feels rewarded when consumers say, "As expected, Jongga Jip kimchi tastes the best." His ultimate goal is to promote the health functionality and excellence of Jongga Jip kimchi to the global market. He expressed his ambitious aspiration, saying, "To promote the 'localization and globalization' of Jongga Jip kimchi, we will accelerate the development of various kimchi and kimchi-applied menus."