[K-Food Hidden Hero] "Soup That Tastes Good Even When Stored at Room Temperature, Achieved Through Separation Sterilization"

① Interview with Kim Munyeon, Researcher at CJ CheilJedang Food Research Institute
Persistence in Developing Room Temperature Products, 100 Million Bottles Sold Last Year,
Surpassing Domestic Market Share No.1 and Exporting Soup Dishes to Over 40 Countries

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Hye-seon] Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the home meal replacement (HMR) market has rapidly grown, bringing global attention to K-Food. Asia Economy visited researchers and research centers of major domestic food companies that are stepping into the global market by combining convenience and familiarity with the introduction of new technologies, meeting the unsung heroes behind the scenes. We hear the stories and achievements from these hidden figures of K-Food about the process of creating their products.

CJ CheilJedang's Bibigo soup dishes sold over 100 million packs last year. This means that every Korean ate more than two bowls on average. According to CJ CheilJedang's survey, the penetration rate of national dishes (the proportion of households purchasing at least once a year) was 51.8% in the past year, up 5.6 percentage points compared to the same period last year. It has established itself as a ‘home meal replacement’ essential for Korean dining tables, where rice and soup are basic.

Insisting on Room Temperature Storage for the Globalization of Korean Food

Kim Mu-nyeon, a researcher at CJ CheilJedang Food Research Institute (photo, 41), said on the 10th, "Among CJ’s home meal replacement product lines, products with annual sales exceeding 200 billion KRW are Hetbahn, Bibigo dumplings, and soup dishes, which is the third," adding, "Consumers who have tried Bibigo soup meal kits are satisfied with the taste, quality, and cooking convenience, leading to continuous purchases." Kim, who was a hotel chef, joined CJ CheilJedang as a professional chef in 2010 and moved to the research institute in 2017, where he has been developing HMR products as a researcher ever since.

The R&D for Bibigo soup dishes officially began in January 2016 with the formation of a task force (TF). Experts and chefs from various fields such as meat processing, kimchi, and seasoning participated. The core R&D strategy for Bibigo soup dishes is ‘differentiated taste that faithfully replicates home-cooked meals.’ CJ CheilJedang focused on securing ‘Korean-style home meal replacement room temperature technology.’ Especially for the globalization of Korean food and targeting the global market, room temperature products that are easy to cook and have long shelf life are necessary, so they insisted on developing room temperature products.

Kim explained, "In the past, all ingredients such as sauce, solids, and broth were packaged together and sterilized at the same temperature, but for Bibigo soup dishes, a separated sterilization method was applied to enhance the flavor of broth and solids and the texture of raw materials," adding, "We repeatedly tested by changing temperature and sterilization conditions countless times." After many trials and errors, they secured technology that avoids the harsh sterilization conditions of existing room temperature products and ensures shelf life and taste even at lower temperatures.

The Secret is the Carefully Made Broth

Kim said, "The representative product ‘Bibigo Yukgaejang’ focused on replicating the same taste and quality as homemade Yukgaejang," introducing, "We chose a differentiated method of preparing the raw meat by removing blood, simmering it for a long time to extract the broth, and shredding the boiled meat to add it." He added, "The broth needs to be boiled for several hours to produce a deep and rich flavor, and we confirmed that brisket meat maximizes a tender texture."

Bibigo soup dishes also played a role in expanding the soup category within the home meal replacement market. As competitors launched numerous new products, the market grew larger and consumer choices expanded. Last year, the room temperature soup, stew, and jjigae (Korean stew) HMR market grew by nearly 20% compared to the previous year. Bibigo soup dishes hold the top market share at over 40%. They are also receiving positive responses overseas. The products are exported to over 40 countries including the United States, Japan, China, Taiwan, India, and Paraguay.

Kim said, "Compared to 2017, last year’s overseas sales of Bibigo soup dishes tripled, centered on products like sagol gomtang (beef bone soup), samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup), and yukgaejang, and in the U.S., where Bibigo samgyetang was launched in earnest, sales grew by double digits compared to the previous year." He added, "This year, we plan to expand the launch of dedicated products tailored to export standards by country and broaden distribution channels to increase global sales by more than 30% compared to last year."