CU, Paldo Hankki Meal Kit... "Vegetable Specialist Company Handles Meticulous Cleaning and Packaging" [The World of Convenience Foods]

Yoon Soyeon BGF Retail HMR Team MD
Implementing the Original Taste of Food and Ingredients
Launching 4 Types Including Budae and Sundubu Jjigae

On the 23rd, Yoon So-yeon, a merchandise planner (MD) of the Home Meal Replacement (HMR) team at BGF Retail, is introducing the Paldo Hankki refrigerated meal kit.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chunhan] "When making sundubu jjigae, I used to go to Gangneung Chodang Sundubu. To replicate the original taste of food and ingredients in meal kits, I visit many local restaurants."

Yoon Soyeon, a product planner (MD) for the Home Meal Replacement (HMR) team at BGF Retail, said in an interview with Asia Economy on the 23rd, "With the increase in single-person households and the growth of the meal kit market, I thought about creating products suitable for convenience stores. We are composing menus with dishes that usually require two or more people to eat outside. By incorporating a regional-friendly concept, the Paldo Han-kki refrigerated meal kits were launched."

CU released four meal kit products last month: Uijeongbu-style Budae Jjigae, Gangneung-style Sundubu Jjigae, Jongno-style Doenjang Jjigae, and Busan-style Banban Sundaeguk, receiving positive responses from consumers. MD Yoon analyzed, "Fresh vegetables like mushrooms, carrots, and potatoes are well-prepared, reducing cooking time at home and generating no food waste, which makes them very convenient and popular."

The key to commercializing meal kits is maintaining freshness. MD Yoon explained, "Convenience store meal kits must be mass-produced and safely delivered to stores. We also conduct tests to observe changes up to about 2-3 days before the product is released." In particular, CU maximizes freshness by having vegetable specialist companies handle product packaging. MD Yoon introduced, "Since strict quality and freshness management of vegetables is most important for meal kits, packaging is done immediately after vegetable preparation. Other ingredients with longer shelf lives, such as ramen noodles and sauces, are received from the vegetable company and finally combined before delivery."

MD Yoon expressed, "Meal kits are slightly more expensive than other convenience foods, but if the taste is good, I believe customers will continue to seek them. Although this area is still somewhat unfamiliar in convenience stores, the goal is to establish meal kits as one of the main products within this year."