Pulmuone Achieves Nation’s First ‘K-FOOD&SAFETY’ Certification for Its Kimchi and Ramyeon, Leading the Globalization of K-Food

◦ Pulmuone achieves 'K-FOOD&SAFETY (KFS)' certification for four products including 'Pulmuone Nasoya Kimchi' and 'Pulmuone Seoul Ramyeon', produced in Korea, from Korea Agency of HACCP Accreditation and Services.

◦ To obtain KFS certification, products must receive both the 'National Food Safety Certification' and 'Domestic Production Certification', proving they are safe products produced in Korea.

◦ On the 25th, an MOU was signed between Korea Agency of HACCP Accreditation and Services and SEOUL Trading USA in New Jersey, USA, to expand the overseas market for Korean food, opening export opportunities for Pulmuone kimchi and ramyeon products in the US.

▲ Pulmuone’s products with the K-FOOD&SAFETY certification (from top left in clockwise order: ‘Pulmuone Nasoya Kimchi Mild’, ‘Pulmuone Nasoya Kimchi Spicy’, ‘Pulmuone Seoul Ramyeon’, ‘Pulmuone Seoul Jjajang’).

SEOUL – July 30th, 2024 – As K-food continues to gain global attention, Pulmuone's Korean-made kimchi and Seoul Ramyeon products are the first in the country to receive the 'K-FOOD&SAFETY' certification from Korea Agency of HACCP Accreditation and Services and are set to begin exports.

Pulmuone (CEO Lee Hyo-yul) announced on July 30th that in order to secure international competitiveness for export foods, the company participated in the 'Food Certification Pilot Project for the Globalization of Domestic Foods' promoted by the Korea Food Industry Association under the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and the Korea Food Safety Management Certification Institute. As a result, four products produced in Korea for export to the US, including 'Pulmuone Nasoya Kimchi Mild', 'Pulmuone Nasoya Kimchi Spicy', 'Pulmuone Seoul Ramyeon', and 'Pulmuone Seoul Jjajang', have obtained the nation’s first K-FOOD&SAFETY certification.

The KFS certification requires obtaining both the 'Korean Food Safety' and 'Korean Production' certifications from the Korea Agency of HACCP Accreditation and Services, which officially guarantees that the food produced in Korea is safe.

The 'National Food Safety Certification' allows domestic food companies to enhance their competitiveness and credibility in the global market. It includes additional evaluation criteria such as supply chain management, alongside the existing HACCP system (prerequisite management standards + HACCP management standards), FSSC22000 (Food Safety Management System), food defense, food fraud, and allergen management.

The 'Domestic Production Certification' is a pilot project where the Korea Agency of HACCP Accreditation and Services directly verifies and certifies through QR codes that products are manufactured in Korean factories, ensuring they are not mistaken for foreign products in the export market.

To obtain these two certifications, products must pass a preliminary safety inspection conducted by the Korea Food Research Institute under the Korea Food Industry Association, which includes physicochemical, microbiological tests, and factory inspections from raw materials to the final product.

▲ On the 26th, at the ShopRite store in Palisades Park, New Jersey, USA, a tasting event is being held for Pulmuone’s K-FOOD&SAFETY certified products including Nasoya Kimchi Mild and Nasoya Kimchi Spicy.

The Korea Agency of HACCP Accreditation and Services conducts not only food safety tests but also on-site inspections to verify that the products are processed and produced in Korea. They also film the manufacturing process and food information to post them on the institute's website.

Pulmuone focused on achieving the KFS certification for their US export products first, which are ‘Nasoya Kimchi' and 'Seoul Ramyeon' and obtained the KFS certifications for 4 items. The company is now granted for placing the KFS logo on the packaging of these products for export.

'Nasoya' is the number one kimchi brand in the North American market, acquired by Pulmuone in 2016. Pulmuone produces Nasoya Kimchi at its global kimchi factory in Iksan, Korea, for export to the US, leading the globalization of Korean kimchi. 'Seoul Ramyeon' is a product jointly developed by Pulmuone and the Seoul Metropolitan Government to promote the city brand 'Seoul, My Soul' globally, and the KFS certification emphasizes its status as a representative ramyeon brand of Seoul.

Pulmuone's KFS-certified products are now ready for export. On July 25th, Korea Agency of HACCP Accreditation and Services (President Han Sang-bae) signed an MOU with 'SEOUL Trading USA (CEO Kwon Tae-ho)', the largest export-import distribution company in North America, in New Jersey, USA, to expand the overseas market for certified Korean food products in North America.

Established in 1982 in the Bronx, New York, SEOUL Trading USA is the largest export-import distribution company in North America and Canada, supplying about 10,000 products, including Korean agricultural products and industrial goods, centered on 'H-Mart' stores.

Under the agreement, Pulmuone can sell four products with the KFS logo through US distribution channels starting in August. Initially, 'Pulmuone Seoul Ramyeon' and 'Pulmuone Seoul Jjajang' will be available in over 130 large Korean stores, including H-MART, starting in August on the West Coast and in September on the East Coast of the US. Pulmuone 'Nasoya Kimchi' Mild and Spicy products will be sold with the KFS certification in major US mainstream markets, including Walmart, Kroger, Publix, Albertsons, and Safeway, starting in late September.

"We are very pleased to be a leading participant in the 'K-Food&Safety' certification project guaranteed by the Korean government to globalize Korean food,” said Sang-yun Lee, Chief of Technology Officer of Pulmuone. “Pulmuone will continue to expand KFS-certified products and strive to promote the quality and excellence of Korean food worldwide."

Pulmuone is also conducting local promotional activities for the KFS-certified products in the US. On July 25th, during the MOU signing ceremony between Korea Agency of HACCP Accreditation and Services and SEOUL Trading USA at the SEOUL Trading USA headquarters in New Jersey, promotional videos showcasing the manufacturing process of the certified products were shown. On July 26th, Pulmuone held a promotional event and tasting for Nasoya Kimchi Mild and Spicy products with the KFS certification at ShopRite in Palisades Park, New Jersey.

Meanwhile, Korea Agency of HACCP Accreditation and Services plans to pursue KFS certification for products from other Korean food companies, contributing to the global spread of K-food and enhancing food companies' export competitiveness.

▲ After signing the "Business Agreement for Expanding Korean Food Exports" between Korea Agency of HACCP Accreditation and Services and SEOUL Trading USA, held at the headquarters of SEOUL Trading USA in New Jersey, USA, on the 25th, Han Sang-bae, Director of Korea Agency of HACCP Accreditation and Services (third from the right), and Kwon Tae-ho, CEO of SEOUL Trading USA (fifth from the right), along with other officials, are taking a commemorative photo. According to this agreement, Pulmuone will be able to sell four products with the K-FOOD&SAFETY logo through US distribution channels starting from August.

▲ On the 26th, at the ShopRite store in Palisades Park, New Jersey, USA, Nasoya Kimchi Mild and Nasoya Kimchi Spicy product are being displayed. The two KFS-certified Pulmuone products are scheduled to be officially sold in the mainstream US market, including Walmart, Kroger, Publix, Albertsons, and Safeway, from the end of September.