Silla University Selected Consecutively for Research and Development Projects on Convenient Ready-to-Eat Foods in the 'COVID-19 Era'

Busan City’s ‘Ready-to-Eat Seafood Processed Products Development Support Project’

Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs’ ‘High Value-Added Food Technology Development Project’ Also

Research scene of Professor Son Jae-hak at Silla University.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-woo] Silla University (President Kim Chung-seok) is attracting attention by consecutively winning research and development projects related to convenient meal products from the government and local governments.

Silla University announced on the 30th that Professor Son Jae-hak of the Department of Biofood Engineering was recently finally selected for the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs' "High Value-added Food Technology Development Project" (participating company: BI Biophotonics Co., Ltd.) and will receive 1.1 billion KRW in support over the next three years.

Recently, due to COVID-19, opportunities to eat at home have increased, leading to a rise in sales of fresh convenience foods and meal kits through online shopping malls and convenience stores, thereby increasing the need for research and development on Home Meal Replacement (HMR).

Silla University has been focusing on improving the quality and ensuring the safety of fresh convenience foods and meal kits, and this time, together with BI Biophotonics Co., Ltd., will carry out the development of processing and packaging technologies applying photodynamic technology.

Silla University expects that this project selection will contribute to securing safe food.

The Silla University Comprehensive Fisheries Research Center (Director Professor Son Jae-hak) was selected in early March as the entrusted institution for the "Home Meal Replacement Seafood Processed Products Development Support Project" promoted by Busan City (responsible person: Professor Choi Jae-seok of Silla University's Department of Biofood Engineering).

The Comprehensive Fisheries Research Center plans to support the development of online sales products for home meal replacement, packaging materials, and design improvements for resident companies in the "Seafood Processing Advancement Complex" located at Gamcheon Port in Busan. The project period is five years, with a budget of approximately 4 billion KRW.

Professor Son Jae-hak said, "This project is expected to contribute not only to increasing sales of companies participating in the Seafood Processing Advancement Complex but also to job creation and revitalization of the local seafood food industry."

Silla University has been operating the "Marine and Fisheries Convergence High Value-added Safe Food Development Talent Training Project Group" for four years through the BB21 Plus (Brain Busan 21+) project supported by Busan City.

In February this year, it achieved results in research related to convenient meal products by conducting joint research on excellent microorganism discovery with the Eco-friendly Microbial Fermentation Research Foundation in Sacheon City, Gyeongnam Province.

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