Lotte Food to Export 'Can Ham' to Singapore for the First Time in Korea

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Saeng-hye] Lotte Foods announced on the 25th that it will begin exporting ‘canned ham’ similar to luncheon meat to Singapore for the first time in Korea on the 30th.

The volume of canned ham that Lotte Foods will export to Singapore this time is expected to reach about 1 million units annually. Currently exporting canned ham to the Philippines, Taiwan, and other countries, Lotte Foods anticipates that its canned ham export performance will increase by more than 200% compared to the previous year through exports to Singapore this year. The exported canned ham will be sold throughout Singapore through the local importer and distributor KCF.

Singapore strictly regulates the import of overseas processed meat products, and until now, the import of Korean pork products had been prohibited. However, thanks to the proactive administration of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, which stepped up to support the growth of the meat processing industry and smooth exports by companies, the door has recently opened.

To export processed meat products to Singapore, it is necessary to undergo an evaluation of Korea’s hygiene and safety system by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) and to register domestic production plants. Because the SFA must directly visit Korea to conduct factory inspections, the complicated procedures had previously prevented progress.

Accordingly, in August last year, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry conducted a preliminary review and supplemented the HACCP operation system of the ‘Lotte Foods Gimcheon Plant’ and persuaded the Singapore Food Agency to conduct an on-site inspection in Korea. As a result, in the same month, the Singapore Food Agency visited Korea to inspect the plant, and in May 2020, final approval was granted, making it possible for the first time to export canned ham from Korea to Singapore.

Recognized for its safety, the Lotte Foods Gimcheon Plant, registered as the first canned ham exporter to Singapore, is a production base for various processed meat products such as ham and sausage. The export item was decided to be the canned ham product ‘Lotte Foods Luncheon Meat,’ which is easy to store and transport, and exports will begin this month. Lotte Foods plans to expand the range of products sold in Singapore in the future with products such as ‘Lospam Ennature,’ which are currently exported to Malaysia and other countries.

An official from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said, “This achievement was made possible through close cooperation between the government and companies,” and added, “We will continue to actively support the operation of safety management systems so that domestic food products can enter overseas markets through public-private cooperation.”

A Lotte Foods official said, “Thanks to the proactive administration of government ministries, we have been able to export canned ham to the Singapore market, which had not been open until now,” and added, “Since this is a hard-earned opportunity, we will expand exports with better processed meat products in the future.”

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