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Suncheon city in South Korea to develop and commercialize fermented beverages such as green tea and plum

South Korea
Published Nov 22, 2022

Tridge summary

On the 18th, a completion ceremony was held at the Fermented Food Industry Support Center in the southern coast of Suncheon-si, Jeollanam-do, with Suncheon Mayor Noh Gwan-gyu (sixth from the right) in attendance. Suncheon City, Jeollanam-do, announced on the 21st that it had a completion ceremony for the Southern Coastal Fermented Food Industry Support Center and started full-scale operation. The South Coast Fermented Food Industry Support Center will develop and commercialize various agricultural products such as green tea and plums produced in the southern provinces as fermented beverages. The South Coast Fermented Food Industry Support Center, which was selected for the 2019 contest by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, was built in Pyeongjung-ri, Seungju-eup, Suncheon-si, with a total floor area of 2264m², with a total project cost of KRW 11.3 billion. The center consists of a production building (1139m²) and a research/corporate support building (1125m²). There are 10 employees who will work here, and the annual operating cost is about 800 million won. About 100 people attended the completion ceremony held on the 18th, including Suncheon Mayor Noh Gwan-kyu, Jeonnam Provincial Council Chairman Seo Dong-wook, Suncheon City Council Chairman Jeong Byeong-hoe and residents. This center will focus on commercializing agricultural products such as green tea, plum, peach, pear, and plum cote, which are produced a lot in the southern provinces, into fermented beverages. This is a strategy considering that the Rural Development Administration is concentrating on research and development of fermented foods such as red pepper paste and soybean paste in Sunchang-gun, North Jeolla Province. In particular, the center plans to focus on commercialization while developing kombucha spawn and manufacturing methods that are gaining popularity worldwide. Kombucha is a beverage fermented by adding beneficial bacteria to green tea and black tea with sugar, and has a sour yet sweet vinegar taste and scent. Since carbonic acid is produced during the fermentation process, it gives a refreshing feeling when drinking, and the related consumption market is rapidly growing. Experts predict that the global Kombucha market, which was worth $2.64 billion last year, will reach $3.53 billion this year. In particular, it is expected to grow to $ 9.7 billion by 2030. The related domestic market is also growing rapidly centering on department stores and convenience stores.

Original content

Accordingly, the center plans to develop a fermented complex starter, a source technology for kombucha manufacturing, by next year to replace imported starters and gain an upper hand by generating profits from starter sales. “Kombucha is a health drink made by fermenting green tea and black tea and contains acetic acid bacteria, lactic acid bacteria, and yeast,” said Oh Bong-yoon, research and development team leader at the South Coast Fermented Food Industry Support Center. We will develop and commercialize various drinkable kombucha drinks.” With the completion of the center, Suncheon City plans to provide various support to expand fermented beverages into convergence and complex industries. Along with this, it plans to develop various foods using agricultural products from Namdo, as well as to promote related industries through standardization of fermented raw materials and support for related companies. An official from Suncheon City explained, “We are also considering ...
Source: Donga
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