hy Central Research Institute Designated as Outstanding Corporate Research Institute for the First Half of the Year

Development of Functional Probiotics Based on a Library of Over 5,000 Strain Species

hy Central Research Institute announced on the 27th that it has been designated as an 'Excellent Corporate Research Institute for the First Half of 2023.'

The Excellent Corporate Research Institute is a system hosted by the Ministry of Science and ICT and organized by the Korea Industrial Technology Association to discover and designate corporate-affiliated research institutes with outstanding research and development capabilities. Selection is made through a total of three stages of evaluation. Excellent research institutes receive a certificate and a plaque, and are granted various benefits such as government awards and additional points when participating in national research and development projects. The designation period is three years.

Founded in 1976, the Central Research Institute is the first corporate-affiliated research institute in the food industry. In 1995, it succeeded in domestic commercialization of lactic acid bacteria for the first time in Korea, providing an alternative to the probiotic market that had relied on imports. In the early 2000s, it contributed to market expansion and activation through the development of functional fermented milk. Recently, it has expanded its business area by selling probiotics and natural raw materials between companies.

The core competitiveness of the Central Research Institute is its library of over 5,000 strains. These were collected and isolated from newborn feces, kimchi, and jang (fermented sauces). The larger the library, the shorter the process of verifying strain functionality and the higher the probability of successful development.

The Central Research Institute currently holds 63 strain patents and 6 individually recognized raw materials. It is also actively developing natural material products such as fermented red ginseng, fermented deer antler velvet, and extract of Cudrania tricuspidata leaves. Recently, it has been expanding its research area focusing on the relationship between mental health and probiotics.

Lee Jeong-yeol, head of the hy Central Research Institute, said, “Being selected as an excellent research institute once again recognizes hy’s research and technological capabilities,” and added, “We will continue steady investment and research to promote public health.”

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