CU, Industry-First Full Nutrition Labeling System Implemented "Starting with 'One-Meal Diet Lunchboxes' Reduced in Calories and Sodium"

Three CU One-Meal Menus (Photo by CU).

"Implementation of 'Full Nutrition Labeling System' Enlarging Calories and Sodium Display by 10 Times on Lunchbox Packages"
Introducing 'One-Meal Diet Lunchboxes' Aligned with Nutrient Intake Standards
Calories 800kcal, Sodium Below 650mg

[Asia Economy Reporter Yuri Kim] CU announced on the 20th that it will be the first in the industry to implement a 'Full Nutrition Labeling System' that expands the display of calories and sodium on lunchbox packages.

The Full Nutrition Labeling System CU is implementing this time is designed to make it easier for consumers to check nutrient contents by expanding the display of calories and sodium contained in lunchboxes by more than 10 times compared to before. Since 2016, CU has voluntarily labeled the nutrient contents such as calories, fat, and sodium on all convenience food product packages based on the daily nutrient intake standards (based on 2000kcal) set by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.

In line with the new system, CU launched three types of 'One-Meal Diet Lunchboxes (Spicy Pork, Pork Cutlet, Soy Sauce Braised Chicken)' earlier this month as the first products applying the full nutrition labeling system, reducing calories and sodium.

The One-Meal Diet Lunchboxes are composed with calories between 600 and 800kcal and sodium below 650mg, based on CU’s own convenience food nutrient standards and the calorie and nutrient information presented in the '2020 Korean Nutrient Intake Standards' announced by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. This corresponds to about 30% of the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended daily sodium intake (2000mg) and is about half the average sodium content found in popular dining-out foods such as Tteokbokki (1207mg) and cup rice (1006mg) (according to the Korea Consumer Agency’s 2020 report).

CU explained that sales of these three products have approximately doubled in the past week compared to the initial launch period. All of them ranked within the top 10 in the lunchbox category sales rankings this month. CU stated that they lowered the calorie and sodium content of the products by using sauces and dressings with reduced salt levels and substituting white rice with mixed grains such as black rice and brown rice, while maintaining the same taste level as existing products.

Starting with the One-Meal Diet Lunchboxes, CU plans to apply the full nutrition labeling system to all new lunchbox products going forward and expand it to all lunchboxes currently in operation by the end of this year.

Sungwook Cho, head of the Convenience Food Team at BGF Retail, said, "The Full Nutrition Labeling System and One-Meal Diet Lunchboxes introduced by CU this time are the first step to informing customers about healthier convenience store lunchboxes," adding, "CU will continue to offer a variety of convenient meals that consider not only taste but also nutrition, comparable to home-cooked meals."

Meanwhile, CU is participating in the 'Hope Meal Voucher' project conducted by the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, offering an immediate 10% discount via Zero Pay mobile payment on eligible items including One-Meal Diet Lunchboxes, convenience meals, beverages, and snacks.

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