Pulmuone Rolls Out 2 Portion Packs of Sliced Kimchi Fit for Small Households

◦ Pulmuone presents premium kimchi in small packs, 400g and 160g, suited to changing trends in household size and kimchi consumption

◦ Plastic containers are applied for sealing, travel use and overfermentation prevention

◦ High in the patented lactic acid bacteria, Pulmuone kimchi promises freshness and rich taste

SEOUL – Apr 2nd, 2020 – Pulmuone, a global fresh food company headquartered in Seoul, Republic of Korea, announced on Apr 2 the launching of two portion packs of Pulmuone Sliced Kimchi (400g & 160g) fit for the changing trends in household size and kimchi consumption.

▲ Pulmuone Sliced Kimchi Portion Packs

The 400g portion pack of Pulmuone Sliced Kimchi comes in a round plastic jar, the same package of Pulmuone’s kimchi products sold in the U.S. since last year. The pack is a convenient offering not only for single households but also households of two and three persons.

The 160g portion pack of Pulmuone Sliced Kimchi consists of two single-serve packets, each of which is filled with 80g premium quality kimchi.

Pulmuone Sliced Kimchi Portion Packs are designed for convenient consumption of kimchi in small serving. Instead of plastic bags, both of 400g and 160g packs are sold in perfectly sealed containers for refrigerator storage at home and for convenient use during outdoor activities and camping. The 400g pack is in a round cylinder shape container to minimize the air exposure and prevent overfermentation.

▲ Pulmuone Sliced Kimchi Portion Packs

Pulmuone Sliced Kimchi is unique and differentiated with its patented lactic acid bacteria that play the key roles in fermented foods. High in the “Seed Lactic Acid Bacteria,” Pulmuone Sliced Kimchi boasts tangy flavor and fresh taste. The bacteria help maintain the fermentation level and produce mannitol to add freshness and richness to the spicy vegetable dish.

The 400g portion packs of Pulmuone Sliced Kimchi are now on the shelves of 15 Costco stores nationwide.

▲ Pulmuone Sliced Kimchi Portion Pack 400g

▲ Pulmuone Sliced Kimchi Portion Pack 160g

The recent trends in household size and kimchi consumption in the country testify that consumers’ needs for packed kimchi in the proper portions have been unmet.

According to 2018 Population and Housing Census conducted by Statistics Korea, the proportion of single and two-person households is 57%, and the number is almost 80% when combined with three-person households. The 2019 Detailed Market Status of Processed Food-Napa Cabbage reported that kimchi consumption per capita in the country is in decline while demands on packed kimchi products are on the rise with convenience as the most important purchasing criteria.

Kimchi placed in food shelves of Korean markets in the past have been mainly composed of 3-10 kg packs in plastic bags, which made it harder for consumers to seal kimchi after purchase. And products in portions smaller than 100g, usually sold in convenience stores, are limited to on-site consumption with other foods such as instant noodles.

Pulmuone is selling the 400g portion pack of kimchi also in the U.S. in four different varieties – Spicy, Mild, Radish Mild and White Mild. Since the completion of the Global Kimchi Plant located in Iksan, Korea in May 2019, Pulmuone has exported its kimchi products to Walmart, Kroger and other retailers in the U.S. mainstream market. Going beyond the 2.5 million Asian ethnicities, the global fresh food company aims to promote its original Korean-made kimchi to the entire 300 million U.S. population and extend to markets of Japan and China.

▲ Packaging designs of Pulmuone's Kimchi Products sold in US Costco stores

“Existing kimchi products in Korea have been yet to meet the demands from consumers on premium quality and convenience so far,” said Jun-hwa Lee, a Category Manager at Pulmuone Foods Korea. “With the launch of convenient and quality sliced kimchi portion packs in Korea, we will take a further step forward to take lead in national and global kimchi market.”

▲ Pulmuone Sliced Kimchi Portion Pack 400g

Previous press releases on Pulmuone kimchi:

[Sep 30, 2019] Pulmuone’s Original Korean Kimchi Takes Market Share Crown in US: http://www.pulmuone.co.kr/en/newsroom/viewPulmuoneNews.do?id=1000

[Jun 26, 2019] Pulmuone’s Original Korean Kimchi to Expand to 10,000 Stores in US: http://www.pulmuone.co.kr/en/newsroom/viewPulmuoneNews.do?id=998

[Jun 26, 2019] Pulmuone Kimchi to Hit Shelves of 5,000 Walmart and Publix Stores in US: http://www.pulmuone.co.kr/en/newsroom/viewPulmuoneNews.do?id=994

[May 26, 2019] Pulmuone Opens a Smart Kimchi Plant to Kickstart Global Exports:

http://www.pulmuone.co.kr/en/newsroom/viewPulmuoneNews.do?id=993

About Pulmuone Co., Ltd.

Pulmuone, Korea’s leading company for wholesome foods, conducts business in a wide variety of areas, including functional foods, meal services, concession businesses, whole food distribution, mineral water, and fermented milk.

Pulmuone first entered overseas markets in 1991 by establishing a subsidiary in the U.S. Now with additional subsidiaries in China and Japan, and as an owner of U.S.’s #1 tofu brand Nasoya, the company is growing into a global enterprise.

About Pulmuone’s Global Kimchi Plant

Pulmuone has opened a smart kimchi manufacturing plant on May 24^th, 2019 to boost its global exports of the fermented traditional Korean side dish. The Global Kimchi Plant, a 30,000-square-meter facility located in Iksan, Korea, is expected to accommodate the growing demand for premium kimchi in the global markets with its annual capacity of 10,000 tons of kimchi variations including vegan napa cabbage kimchi, vegan napa cabbage white kimchi, vegan cubed radish kimchi, etc.

The new kimchi plant is equipped with modern technologies for its automated ingredient storage, processing, packaging and shipping. The entire manufacturing process is monitored by IP (Internet Protocol) cameras and IoT (Internet of Things) sensors to maintain temperature, humidity and salt concentrations at a constant level, and RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification) technology is applied for real-time storage management to ensure the optimized fermentation of each of the products with different destinations including the U.S., China and Japan.

About Pulmuone’s Kimchi Museum Kimchikan

Pulmuone has provided major funding for the establishment and operation of the Museum Kimchikan, the nation’s first kimchi museum, since it opened in 1987. The museum has contributed to introducing tourists and visitors from around the world to kimchi, the Korean staple dish, and Kimjang, a culture of making and sharing kimchi which was recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2013. The museum was also named one of the world’s 12 best food museums by Elle Decor, a U.S. global magazine, in 2017.