Global Popularity of Rice Snacks 'New Nurungji' and 'An'
Orion to Expand Production Lines for 'New Nurungji' and 'An'
Accelerating Efforts to Capture the Global Rice Snack Market
Orion announced on the 19th that it will expand its production lines due to the high popularity of its rice-based products 'New Nurungji' and 'An'.
New Nurungji, launched domestically in July last year, achieved cumulative sales of 6 million packs within six months. It also surpassed the monthly sales of 1 billion KRW, which is considered a hit product benchmark in the confectionery industry. The company plans to complete the line expansion within the first half of the year while also targeting overseas markets.
Launched in Vietnam in April 2019, An quickly rose to become the second-largest player in the local rice snack market, gaining great popularity. With double-digit growth rates every year, its cumulative sales have exceeded 230 billion KRW, making it a key driver of high growth for the Vietnam subsidiary. The gap in market share with the leading local rice snack company is gradually narrowing, and it is expected to secure the number one market share in the rice snack segment this year, following pie and potato snacks.
An is also sold in Mongolia, India, Indonesia, Cambodia, the Philippines, and South Africa. This year, as exports expand to Middle Eastern countries such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Kuwait, Orion is also pushing to expand production lines in Vietnam.
Orion has devoted significant effort to developing rice snacks for several years in line with health trends. Unlike typical snacks, New Nurungji is baked in an oven rather than fried, and it uses 100% domestically produced rice instead of imported rice, making it popular among consumers seeking safe ingredients.
An uses carefully selected Japonica rice with a soft texture and employs a unique method of baking directly in a kiln to maximize a crispy texture and savory rice aroma, making it a nutritious snack enjoyed by the whole family regardless of age or gender. Six varieties are sold, including the original sweet flavor and seaweed and katsuobushi flavors tailored to local tastes that prefer seafood.
An Orion official stated, "Global interest in rice-based snacks is increasing amid health trends," adding, "Based on the know-how accumulated over decades at Orion’s global research center, we plan to develop various products utilizing rice."
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