Safe to Eat... Popularity of Foods Without Artificial Ingredients Increasing

Carefully Examining Ingredients and Harmfulness in Food
Taste as a Priority, Excluding Unnecessary Artificial Ingredients

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Hye-seon] In the wake of COVID-19, as "safety-first" principles become widespread, more consumers are meticulously scrutinizing ingredients and harmfulness when choosing food. According to McKinsey & Company's Asia consumer survey, over 40% of respondents said they would spend more time verifying safety when purchasing groceries after COVID-19. Accordingly, taste is a given, but foods made healthily by excluding unnecessary artificial ingredients are becoming the choice of discerning consumers in the new normal era.

The ice cream brand Ben & Jerry's uses milk from cows raised in Vermont, a representative dairy region in the United States, without recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH) injections, and excludes all synthetic flavorings and artificial colorings. Therefore, the 'Cherry Garcia,' filled with cherry pieces, and the 'Chunky Monkey,' boasting a rich banana flavor, both feature the natural color of the base ice cream rather than artificially created cherry or banana colors.

Ben & Jerry's opposes genetically modified organisms (GMO) and uses only eggs from free-range chickens. It uses only fair-trade certified ingredients in the manufacturing process and is well known as a company that actively pursues social values such as addressing global warming and reducing carbon emissions.

Binggrae recently launched the plain yogurt 'Yoplait Only2,' made with only two healthy ingredients. Yoplait Only2 is a sugar-free plain yogurt fermented with just two ingredients: probiotics for gut health and fresh domestic milk. Made with minimal ingredients, it enhances the clean and healthy flavor inherent to yogurt.

Burger King has newly released the 'Plant Whopper,' which replicates the original taste of the 'Whopper' using a plant-based patty. The Plant Whopper, the first alternative meat menu introduced in Korea, allows customers to enjoy Burger King's signature Whopper with a plant-based patty. The patty, developed after research in collaboration with Australia's leading plant-based meat company 'v2 food,' is primarily made from soy protein and contains no cholesterol, artificial flavorings, or preservatives.

Daesang F&B Bokumjari's 'Jinsim's Apple Mango' is a fruit syrup product containing the flesh of sweet apple mangoes. It contains 65% high-sugar apple mango. Using Bokumjari's unique method, no water is added, and no artificial colorings, flavorings, or preservatives are included, preserving the original taste and texture of the apple mango. Additionally, through special sterilization treatment, the exposure time to heat is significantly reduced to standardize taste and quality, and the shelf life is extended to five months to improve storage convenience.

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