A Super-Aged Society Approaches... Food Companies Launch 'Care Food' Business in Full Swing

Entering a Super-Aged Society in 2025
Care Food Market to Grow to 2 Trillion Won This Year
Shinsegae and Ourhome Launch Soft and Easy-to-Chew Food Brands This Month

Shinsegae Food 'Easy Balance' Table Setting

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Sunghye] As South Korea approaches a super-aged society, domestic food companies are increasingly declaring their entry into the next-generation food market known as 'care food.' Care food refers to next-generation food products designed for those who have difficulty eating, such as the elderly and patients. Industry experts estimate that the domestic care food market will grow to around 2 trillion KRW this year, driven by the rapid increase in the population aged 65 and older.

On the 7th, Shinsegae Food launched the care food specialized brand 'Easy Balance' and introduced five newly developed dysphagia-friendly food products. Unlike other domestic companies that have already entered the care food business with 'softened food (yeonhwa-sik, 軟化食),' Shinsegae Food differentiated itself by introducing 'dysphagia food (yeonha-sik, 嚥下食).' Softened food is designed to compensate for decreased chewing function, whereas dysphagia food is intended for those who have difficulty swallowing due to weakened pharyngeal and esophageal muscles. Dysphagia food mainly consists of products with adjusted viscosity and supplementary items to ensure smooth hydration.

Shinsegae Food, Easy Balance 5 Types of Soft Foods for Swallowing

The five Easy Balance products launched this time?'Beef Bulgogi Mousse,' 'Chicken Mousse,' 'Grilled Flounder Mousse,' 'Dongpa-yuk Mousse,' and 'Stir-fried Zucchini Mousse'?are care foods that replicate the original taste of the dishes while adjusting hardness, viscosity, and adhesiveness to make swallowing easy and allow consumption by lightly mashing with the tongue. They can be consumed after heating in a container via bain-marie or combi oven without any additional cooking process. Shinsegae Food plans to develop more products in the future, targeting the B2B market such as nursing homes and large hospitals, and eventually expand into the B2C market.

Ourhome is also scheduled to launch softened food products in the B2C market within this month. Since 2017, Ourhome has supplied tender seasoned meat using enzyme penetration technology?the first of its kind in Korea?to nursing homes and hospitals. Reflecting accumulated know-how and customer feedback, they will release new seasoned meat products that enhance not only taste but also texture and nutrition.

Hyundai Green Food Soft Meal 'Greeting Soft'

The first company in Korea to develop softened food and enter the B2C market was Hyundai Green Food, a comprehensive food company affiliated with Hyundai Department Store Group. Hyundai Green Food succeeded in developing softened food in 2017 and launched the country's first B2C softened food product line, 'Greeting Soft,' with eight varieties in August 2018. The products are characterized by maintaining the shape of the food while making it as soft as possible. Using high-temperature, high-pressure saturated steam technology for short-time cooking, they minimize juice loss and ensure easy separation of meat from bones. Currently, they offer 15 varieties including 'Melting Dongpa-yuk,' 'Softer Braised Pork Ribs,' and 'Softer LA Galbi,' covering meats, fish, and nuts. Developed as fully cooked home meal replacements (HMR), they can be eaten immediately after heating in a microwave for 5 to 6 minutes.

Greeting Soft is produced through a pilot production facility and sold at four Hyundai Department Store food halls and the online mall 'The Hyundai.com.' According to Hyundai Green Food, the products have a monthly sell-through rate exceeding 90%. Hyundai Green Food plans to establish a specialized softened food production line at the 'Smart Food Center (tentative name)' scheduled to operate in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, in the first half of this year and begin full-scale production of softened food.

CJ Freshway launched the senior-specialized food ingredient brand 'Healthy Nuri' in 2015. It is characterized by providing diets that help not only with nutrition supply but also with immune enhancement and prevention of chronic diseases. Pulmuone-affiliated food ingredient distribution company Foodmers introduced the senior-specialized brand 'Softmade' in 2015. They classified elderly chewing ability into four stages and offered customized products and dietary therapy items exclusively for seniors.

Meanwhile, according to the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade, as of last year, the proportion of elderly aged 65 and over in South Korea reached 14.9%, and it is expected to enter a super-aged society exceeding 20% by 2025. The government's Low Fertility and Aging Society Committee estimated that the elderly food industry market, which was around 6 trillion KRW in 2012, will grow annually to reach 17.63 trillion KRW this year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.