"Finding Comfort in Food" The Comfort Food Trend Sweeping the Food Industry

65% of Consumers Link Food to Emotional Well-being
Functional Products with Mental Stability and Other Benefits Continue to Launch
Tigen and Maeil Dairy Compete in Kombucha Market
Products Containing Calming 'L-Theanine' and Sleep-Promoting 'Melatonin' Also Available

Tizen Kombucha

[Asia Economy Reporter Eunmo Koo] As consumers who have experienced 'pandemic fatigue' after COVID-19 show increased interest in comfort foods that provide not only physical health but also emotional stability, related product launches are continuing.

According to a consumer survey conducted by global market research firm Mintel on the 8th, 65% of respondents answered that food and emotional well-being are closely related.

Comfort food refers to food eaten to gain psychological comfort and stability when feeling negative emotions such as stress and depression or emotional voids like loneliness and emptiness. It expands on the concept of 'soul food,' which refers to familiar foods eaten over a long time, encompassing not only foods that bring pleasure to the palate but also those or diets that pursue physical satisfaction and emotional stability. Recently, as the importance of mental health is regarded as equally important as physical health, consumer demand to enhance both physical and mental health through easily accessible foods in daily life is increasing.

As demand for comfort food grows, functional products with various benefits such as mental stability, stress relief, and improved sleep quality are also being launched. Within the category of general foods, the diversity of comfort foods is expanding as food and beverages or health functional foods containing ingredients that directly improve bodily functions such as hormone regulation and homeostasis maintenance are being released, going beyond just mental comfort through taste, texture, and unique concepts.

Maeil Dairies 'The Great Tea Kombucha'

Recently, as more consumers drink tea for mental and physical relaxation and calming effects, functional tea beverages that help with gut health and stress relief are being launched continuously. Kombucha, which began gaining popularity last year and is being released competitively by companies, is a representative example. Kombucha is a fermented beverage made by adding the beneficial bacteria 'SCOBY' to brewed black or green tea, producing carbonation and probiotics during fermentation that aid digestion and stomach health when consumed.

Currently, the most notable company in the kombucha market is Tizen, which focuses its marketing on actress Kim Tae-ri as a model. Tizen, led by kombucha products, recorded sales of 40.7 billion KRW last year, nearly doubling compared to the previous year. Maeil Dairies also entered the market by launching 'The Great Tea Kombucha' in May.

A Maeil Dairies representative explained, "Recently, the healthy pleasure trend has spread mainly among younger generations, so we launched a fermented carbonated beverage that can be enjoyed healthily." In addition, Ediya, Fresh Easy, and O'Sulloc are also introducing related products and competing in the market.

Products containing the calming ingredient 'L-theanine' or those containing 'melatonin,' which promotes sleep to improve sleep quality, are also being released. Woongjin Foods launched a product with enhanced ingredients such as L-theanine under its carbonated water brand 'Victoria,' and Dongwon F&B's health functional food brand 'Olinic' released a candy-type product 'Olinic Night Night' containing plant-based melatonin.

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