Jeonggwanjang GL Pro Surpasses 10,000 Sets in 15 Days
Increased Demand for Preventive Products Due to Rise in Chronic Diseases Like Diabetes
With the increase in chronic diseases such as diabetes, awareness about sugar intake is growing, leading to heightened interest in blood sugar management products. The food industry anticipates the spread of trends including blood sugar control, low sugar, and sugar-free products, and is continuously launching related items.
According to KGC Ginseng Corporation on the 23rd, Jeonggwanjang's blood sugar care specialized brand 'GLPro,' launched last month, surpassed 10,000 sets sold within just two weeks of release. This figure is about nine times higher than the initial sales volume of the best-seller 'Hong Sam Jeong Everytime,' which has annual sales of approximately 140 billion KRW, and the company described it as the fastest pace in Jeonggwanjang's history. GLPro is a product primarily made from Jeonggwanjang red ginseng, which has been recognized by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety for its functionality in 'helping to regulate blood sugar.'
hy, which has been consecutively launching low-sugar designed products this year, is also smiling as its related products perform well. Starting with 'Dang Balance' in March, hy introduced 'Will Dang Balance' in April and 'Haruyachae Light' in May, all with reduced sugar content. These three products have sold an average of 2.7 million units per month since their release, with cumulative sales reaching 19.1 million units as of the end of October.
Along with taste and price, health has become a major factor in food selection, leading to the expansion of so-called 'Low Spec Food,' which reduces sugar, calories, and chemical additives while maintaining taste, across the food industry. Dongwon Home Food has been actively expanding its lineup this month by launching three types of low-sugar chicken breast burritos and low-sugar ssamjang sauce through its sauce and convenience food specialized brand 'Vivid Kitchen.' Lotte Wellfood also launched the industry's first sugar-free and no-sugar chocolate pie product, 'Zero Choco Pie,' last month.
Additionally, products that compose entire diets with low-sugar foods to enhance the efficiency of blood sugar management and promote improved eating habits are being released. Hyundai Green Food, which introduced Korea's first care food specialized brand Greeting in 2020, offers various meal plans tailored to different health management purposes such as protein, low sugar, and low calorie 'healthy diets,' as well as 'senior diets' for the elderly.
The recent surge in the release and strong market response to blood sugar management products is due to the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases such as diabetes and obesity, which has heightened awareness about sugar intake. Elevated blood sugar levels can lead to chronic diseases like obesity and metabolic syndrome; in particular, obesity increases insulin resistance, which can cause diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Diabetes is a metabolic disorder characterized by insufficient or dysfunctional insulin that regulates blood sugar, resulting in elevated blood glucose levels and various symptoms.
In fact, the number of diabetes patients worldwide is continuously increasing. According to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington, the global number of diabetes patients in 2021 was estimated at 529 million, accounting for 6% of the world population. The number of diabetes patients is expected to steadily rise to 1.3 billion by 2050. In Korea as well, the number of diabetes patients continues to increase. According to the Korean Diabetes Association, the prevalence of diabetes among the population aged 30 and over was 13.8% in 2018, rising to 14.5% in 2019 and 16.7% in 2020.
hy's blood sugar reduction products. (From left) 'Will Dang Balance', 'Dang Balance', 'Haruyachae Light'.
A notable feature of recent blood sugar management product consumption is its expansion beyond the middle-aged and older adults, traditionally considered the main consumers of health functional foods, to younger generations in their 20s and 30s. This is due to a broad increase in health interest across all age groups. Jeonggwanjang also attributed the early success of GLPro to the high interest among younger consumers. A Jeonggwanjang representative explained, "The 20s and 30s generation, who regularly exercise and manage their diets, are driving the health-digging trend," adding, "In fact, purchases are centered on products that manage both blood sugar and body fat for people in their 20s and 30s." Hyundai Green Food also reported that as interest in blood sugar management grows among the 20s and 30s generation beyond middle-aged and older adults, the proportion of customers in their 20s and 30s accounted for 42% of Greeting's low-sugar diet sales as of October this year, up 12 percentage points from 30% in the same period last year.
As Korean consumers' food consumption behavior shifts from simply restricting calorie intake to enjoying healthy foods with consideration for low sugar, the related market is expected to continue growing. According to the '2024 Health Functional Food Market Status and Consumer Survey' by the Korea Health Functional Food Association, the purchase amount of body fat reduction health functional foods increased by about 40%, from 167.9 billion KRW in 2020 to 234.5 billion KRW this year. Choi Young-taek, head of hy's marketing team, said, "Blood sugar management is not a mere fad but a continuous trend," adding, "We will continue to enhance brand competitiveness by launching products that meet consumer needs."
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