From Plant-Based Snacks to Zero Yogurt... Lotte Wellfood Drives 'Health & Wellness'

Introducing Plant-Based Dessert Brand Joee
Expanding Sugar-Free Brand Zero Ear Lineup
Target Expansion with Balanced Products for Low Birthrate

Lotte Wellfood has launched a dessert brand called 'Joee,' made from 100% plant-based ingredients. Following the sugar-free brand 'ZERO,' the company aims to strengthen sales in the 'Health & Wellness' sector, identified as a new growth engine, by expanding its lineup of healthy desserts.

On the 11th, Lotte Wellfood introduced two types of snacks and two types of jelly under the plant-based dessert brand Joee. Joee stands for 'Joy of Green Dessert,' emphasizing the principle of using 100% plant-based ingredients. To break the stereotype that plant-based foods lack flavor, Lotte Central Research Institute utilized its technology and know-how to maximize taste and texture.

First, ▲Joee Oat Crispy Chip and ▲Joee Pea Crispy Chip are made by baking oats and peas in an oven. By reducing the use of oil, they offer a lighter and more savory taste. The Oat Crispy Chip contains 2,000 mg of dietary fiber per pack, and the Pea Crispy Chip includes 3 g of protein. Since no flour is used, they are easy to digest.

Next, ▲Joee Soft Chewy Fruity Shine Muscat and ▲Joee Soft Chewy Fruity Mango are notable for using plant-based ingredients such as pectin, abundant in fruit peels, and carrageenan from seaweed, instead of gelatin typically added when making jelly. The jelly is aged for 48 hours using a long-aging method, enhancing a chewy exterior while maintaining a soft and moist texture inside.

A Lotte Wellfood representative said, “As the trend of Health & Wellness and value-based consumption continues, the demand for plant-based foods is expected to steadily grow. Through the Joee brand, we plan to offer a variety of plant-based desserts to expand consumer choices.”

The launch of the Joee brand is part of Lotte Wellfood’s strategy to strengthen the Health & Wellness category, which it has identified as a future growth driver. Health & Wellness products reduce ingredients like sugar and sodium while enhancing health components such as protein, and use organic and plant-based raw materials. With South Korea, a key market, recording one of the world’s lowest birth rates, Lotte Wellfood anticipates a continuous decline in the main consumer base of people in their teens and twenties, and is releasing Health & Wellness products that reflect the needs of consumers across all age groups.

The ZERO brand, first introduced in 2022, is a representative example. ZERO, a sugar-free dessert brand, uses low-calorie alternative sweeteners such as erythritol and maltitol instead of sugar, and recorded sales of approximately 40 billion KRW last year, growing more than 120% compared to the previous year. It currently offers a diverse lineup including cookies, cakes, jelly, chocolate, ice cream, and candy. Notably, in April, two new bar types, 'ZERO Triple Chocolate Bar' and 'ZERO Cookies & Cream Bar,' as well as two home-type products, 'ZERO Deep Chocolate Pint' and 'ZERO Cookies & Cream Pint,' were added, bringing the total to seven products on sale. Lotte Wellfood plans to launch ZERO yogurt in the second half of the year.

In addition to the ZERO brand, Lotte Wellfood recently launched the 'Mild Uiseong Garlic' ham series with reduced sodium. The Uiseong Garlic Mild series includes ▲Uiseong Garlic Mild Vienna ▲Uiseong Garlic Mild Bacon ▲Uiseong Garlic Mild Grilled Ssambam Ham, characterized by a mild and savory flavor that preserves the original taste of the ingredients.

Lotte Wellfood aims to increase the domestic sales ratio of its Health & Wellness business, which covers senior, bio, and alternative food sectors, from the current 8.1% to up to 25% by 2027.

A Lotte Wellfood representative stated, “Facing the crisis caused by a shrinking main consumer base due to low birth rates, we plan to overcome it by understanding consumer needs throughout their entire life cycle. We will expand consumer choices with products that balance taste and nutrition.”