South Korean firm creates novel soy soup snack
South Korean market, using novel packaging to differentiate the
product in the increasingly competitive soyfoods market.
Soya, a key ingredient in the Asian diet for hundreds of years, has become a modern food for global markets in recent years, forcing manufacturers to become more innovative in the soyfoods market. Hanmi Whole Soymilk has introduced a new soy soup under its KongGukMul brand, which is rich in fibre and designed to be served hot with noodles for breakfast or as an 'on-the-go' snack. The new soup, a light broth, is packaged in the slim, aseptic combiblocMini carton pack made by SIG Combibloc. The Swiss packaging company says that its carton makes it possible to transport the product easily and securely. "Consumers who are very hungry, and anyone who is in a rush, can also drink the soup snack directly from the carton using a straw," it said in a press release. Soy is believed to help prevent chronic diseases like cancer, osteoporosis and heart disease and the studies suggesting such benefits have helped create a soy products market expected to be worth US$8 billion in 2007. The biggest growth is expected in the market for milk, yoghurt and ice cream substitutes. But while soyfoods are growing in popularity around the world, more than three quarters of all soy products are still sold and consumed in Asia. This means that those markets with high consumption rates, such as Korea and Malaysia, are the first to create new soy products to reach new target groups. The combiblocMini carton appeals to younger, busy consumers and those living in smaller households.
