Ramping up ramen: Instant noodles, confectionery and rice products leading South Korea’s 2024 food export growth
Recent data from the South Korean Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) has shown that Korean agri-food product exports hit US$5.67bn in value as of July 2024, a 9.2% year-on-year increase from US$5.19bn in July 2023.
“Exports of instant noodles in particular reached a record high this year, growing 34% year-on-year to hit approximately US$700mn at the end of July,” MAFRA Minister Song Mi-ryung said via a formal statement.
“Exports of biscuits and confectionery products grew 14.7% to US$424mn and beverage products grew 11.8% to US$388mn, but the category with some of the most significant growth was processed rice-based products which grew 45.7% year-on-year to reach US$165mn in value.
“This category includes items like pre-cooked seaweed rice rolls (gimbap) and pre-cooked rice, and the significant growth can be attributed to global consumers’ growing interest in vegan diets and healthy-eating options as well as in the Korean wave.”
Other categories which noted significant increases in exports were ginseng-based products (up 5% to US$179mn) and kimchi (up 3.7% to US$97mn).
Europe has also emerged as one of South Korea’s most important export destinations despite the stringent and challenging food safety standards that manufacturers need to adhere to in order to gain import clearance.
“Food exports to Europe have shown the biggest growth rate amongst all our major export markets at 33% year-on-year to US$407mn, due to concerted efforts by the government and food industry from a food safety and sanitation perspective,” Song added.
“This was a major boost for products that were previously limited by customs clearance and logistical challenges, such as ramen and samgyetang (ginseng chicken).
“We have also seen many local food exporters taking steps to diversify their product offerings to meet the palates and needs of consumers in export markets, such as vegan dumplings or kimchi that can be stored and distributed at room temperature.”
South Korea’s largest export market is the South East Asian region at US$1.1bn (5.5% growth), followed by the United States (US$886mn, 23% growth) and China (US$837mn, 5.9% growth).
Ramen revival
Korean ramen manufacturer Samyang made waves in Europe earlier this year when Denmark’s Veterinary and Food Administration accused several of its Buldak ramen products to contain excessively high capsaicin levels that put consumers at risk of ‘acute poisoning’.
The three Buldak products in question were Samyang Buldak 3x Spicy & Hot Chicken, Samyang Buldak 2x Spicy & Hot Chicken and Samyang Buldak Hot Chicken Stew – all of which have been sold and consumed in South Korea and many of its other Asian export markets for years.
At the time, Danish Food and Drug Administration Head Henrik Dammand Nielsen issued an order for local shops to recall and stop selling these ramen products, saying that its assessments had found these to be ‘harmful to health’ as ‘chili in large quantities poses a risk to children and frail adults in particular’.
This decision was reversed one month later after the South Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) dispatched a delegation to Denmark and provided scientific evidence that the ramen was indeed not a risk to human health.
“The government’s quick and proactive response to provide solid data based on scientific research and analysis regarding issues such as capsaicin content and intake were instrumental in the Danish government withdrawing the recall,” Samyang Foods Managing Director Yoon Ari said via a separate statement.
“This incident is a clear demonstration of the importance of regulatory diplomacy between regulatory agencies, and the important role that the government plays for the food industry.”
The notoriety brought by this news drove even more consumer interest as soon as the recall and sales ban was lifted, and undoubtedly contributed to the recent record rise in ramen exports.
That said, as of August 2024 the Danish FDA website shows that it has only withdrawn health warnings for the Samyang Buldak 2x Spicy & Hot Chicken and Samyang Buldak Hot Chicken Stew products – the 3x Spicy variant is still considered a ‘harmful’ product.
“Based on new analysis results [these] two do not contain levels of capsaicin as high as stated by retailers during their marketing, so they are therefore no longer found to be harmful to health and can therefore be marketed in Danish stores again,” said the agency.
“However, we still assess that the noodle product Samyang Buldak 3 x Spicy Hot Chicken is harmful to health [as] the capsaicin content is so high that [it] poses a risk of acute poisoning upon consumption.
“The poison line has received reports of 14 cases after consuming spicy noodles - Among the symptoms have been abdominal pain and vomiting.”
