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[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Seon-ae] As the consumer trend of ‘Check+Consumer’ (Check+Consumer), which involves meticulously checking ingredients, raw materials, and content to find safe and healthy food, spreads, food companies are busy trying to catch up.

Shinsegae Food announced on the 2nd that it will officially introduce the UK premium organic food brand ‘Waitrose DUCHY’ products to the domestic market. Waitrose DUCHY is a brand established by Prince Charles of the UK in 1990 and acquired by Waitrose in 2010. It is characterized by producing products using an eco-friendly method that does not use any chemical fertilizers, antibiotics, or pesticides. In addition, its main products undergo strict screening by the UK Soil Association, a representative organic certification body in the UK, making them even more trustworthy. Currently, it is sold in 30 countries worldwide and is a premium organic brand with annual sales of about 400 billion KRW.

Shinsegae Food’s move to import and sell Waitrose DUCHY products focuses on the rapid increase in interest in safe and healthy food, which has led to significant growth in the organic food market. According to the Korea Rural Economic Institute, the domestic eco-friendly organic agricultural products and food market was estimated at 1.8354 trillion KRW in 2019, an increase of about 35% compared to 2017. It is expected to reach 2.136 trillion KRW by 2025. Accordingly, Shinsegae Food anticipates further growth in the domestic organic food market and aims to target domestic consumers through the import and sale of Waitrose DUCHY, the organic line of the UK premium supermarket Waitrose.

The products imported and sold by Shinsegae Food include seven types such as organic sauces, pasta noodles, and jams. The pasta noodles use 100% organic durum wheat from Italy, making them chewy and well-matched with sauces. The chopped tomato and plum tomato sauces are made from organic tomatoes grown in Italy and can be used in various dishes such as pasta, stews, pizza, and fried rice. Other products suitable for healthy eating include organic red kidney beans for salads, baked beans that go well with Western meals or Korean-style army stew (budae jjigae), and strawberry jam with a clean sweetness and intact fruit texture.

The products are sold at 31 Emart Nature’s Way stores and Shinsegae’s online mall SSG.com. Prices are 3,280 KRW for ‘Waitrose DUCHY Organic Spaghetti (500g)’, 3,480 KRW for ‘Organic Chopped Tomato (400g)’, and 10,980 KRW for ‘Organic Strawberry Preserve (340g)’.

A Shinsegae Food official said, “We decided to import and sell ‘Waitrose DUCHY’ in response to the ongoing health-oriented consumer trend and continuous concerns about food safety. We will continue to introduce competitive overseas food products to the domestic market.”

Among the main ingredients, there is also an increasing number of consumers looking for premium meat products produced healthily without antibiotics or hormones. Accordingly, Harim sells two types of animal welfare brand ‘Greeners’ IFF chicken (breast and tenderloin). The chicken, certified for animal welfare and antibiotic-free, is individually quick-frozen by part, making it convenient to separate and use the required amount according to the purpose. IFF (Individual Fresh Frozen) is a technique that individually quick-freezes freshly slaughtered chicken at below minus 35 degrees Celsius, preserving the fresh texture, nutrition, and taste of the chicken.

In the home meal replacement (HMR) market, where products can be served immediately after heating, products made with healthy ingredients are also popular. Pulmuone affiliate Orga Holfood introduced ‘Orga Rich and Savory Mung Bean Samgyetang,’ made by simmering whole antibiotic-free young chicken in a traditional home-style method. It is a health food filled with domestic antibiotic-free young chicken, domestic mung beans, and organic glutinous rice, enhanced with beneficial Korean herbal ingredients such as domestic ginseng, jujube, and astragalus to strengthen nutritional balance.

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