Lotte Super Launches 'Naeil Nongjang', the First Smart Farm Brand by a Domestic Retailer

'Naeil Farm' Launches First Product: 'My First Antibiotic-Free Eggs'
Collaboration with Smart Farm 'Ganong Bio' with Fully Automated Process... Securing Products
First Distributor to Apply Egg Freshness Verification Standard 'How Unit (HU)'

At Lotte Premium Food Market Jamsil Branch in Songpa-gu, Seoul,
(from left) a model and Lee Dong-eun, a product planner (MD) of the Lotte Super Vegetable Team, are introducing Naeil Farm's 'My First Handpicked Antibiotic-Free Eggs.'

[Asia Economy Reporter Yuri Kim] Lotte Super is launching the smart farm brand 'Naeil Nongjang,' becoming the first domestic retailer to do so, aiming to differentiate fresh food products.

A smart farm is a farm that automatically controls the growth environment of agricultural, fishery, and livestock products by applying the Internet of Things and big data. Recently, as fears of a 'food crisis' have intensified, interest in stable food ingredient production has increased, and demand for 'healthy food' has also grown due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. With the government focusing on smart farms as a core future agricultural business, both retailers and consumers are showing increased interest in smart farm agricultural products.

On the 11th, Lotte Super announced that starting on the 13th, it will introduce the smart farm specialized brand 'Naeil Nongjang' beginning with 'My First Antibiotic-Free Eggs.' Naeil Nongjang carries the slogan, "Produced in smart farms, cleaner and fresher," aiming to provide consumers with fresh and safe food. Merchandisers (MDs) will verify smart farm facilities, systems, and products to ensure quality, hygiene, and freshness, and will supply superior smart farm products to consumers in a stable manner.

The first product of Naeil Nongjang is eggs, which have the highest purchase frequency among customers. This is because many consumers buy eggs at supermarkets located in nearby commercial areas. The newly launched 'My First Antibiotic-Free Eggs' (15 eggs, large size) is produced in collaboration with the cutting-edge smart farm 'Ganong Bio.' Ganong Bio uses big data to create an optimized breeding environment by controlling temperature and humidity to support hens' laying. The entire process from laying to packaging is automated through a 'full cold chain system,' ensuring that no human hands touch the product until just before the consumer selects it. This thoroughly blocks external contaminants to produce safe and fresh products.

'My First Antibiotic-Free Eggs' have a Haugh Unit (HU) test index of 72 or higher, which is used as an indicator of egg freshness, qualifying them as the highest freshness grade 1+ eggs. Lotte Super is the first retailer to apply the 'Haugh Unit' inspection standard, currently used for egg inspection, to all general egg products, and only products that receive the highest grade in the Haugh Unit test will be released under the 'Naeil Nongjang' brand. Also launching under Naeil Nongjang is the 'Antibiotic-Free Omega Eggs' (15 eggs, large size), which contain more than 290% DHA compared to regular eggs, making them very rich in omega content.

Mushrooms, leafy vegetables for wraps, cherry tomatoes, and other products will also be released under the 'Naeil Nongjang' brand consecutively. Lotte Super plans to expand the variety and number of Naeil Nongjang products.

To celebrate the launch of the Naeil Nongjang brand, both online and offline events will be held. From the 15th to the 17th, customers who purchase Naeil Nongjang products at Lotte Super directly operated stores will earn LPOINT rewards up to 50 times depending on their membership level. Naeil Nongjang products will also be sold on the Lotte Super online mall 'Lotte Super Fresh' on Lotte ON, with reward benefits provided. On the 15th, a live broadcast will be held to offer discounts on Naeil Nongjang 'My First Antibiotic-Free Eggs' and 'Antibiotic-Free Omega Roasted Eggs,' and during the broadcast, customers will receive up to an additional 10% discount based on purchase amount and free shipping services.

Along with the launch of the Naeil Nongjang brand, Lotte Super will operate the 'Naeil Nongjang Honest Review Group,' where consumers can participate and experience the products directly. Applications can be made through 'Lotte Super Fresh' on Lotte ON, and the program will be conducted monthly.

Ki Hyun-kyung, team leader of Lotte Super's Data Marketing Team, said, "We launched the smart farm brand 'Naeil Nongjang' to meet consumers' demands for safe and fresh food," adding, "We hope consumers will experience a variety of high-quality smart farm fresh foods such as fruits and vegetables through Naeil Nongjang."