Korean food ingredients and biotech player CJ CheilJedang has partnered with agri-food tech accelerator StartLife to bring European innovations to the global market, while also expanding the worldwide presence of Korean cuisine and ingredients. 

The partnership offers European start-ups a “gateway to the Asian market” for their novel food technologies. 

“Considering recent export successes, including [the Netflix series] Squid Game, kimchi and Korean barbecue, the world is clearly ready for Korea,” remarks Heiko Oertling, R&D Hub manager at the new CJ Research Centre Europe at Wageningen in the Netherlands, where the company has set up its European branch. 

“Now is our moment, and we want to seize it,” he asserts.

“Culturally, Korea is unique in terms of cooking and fermentation,” Oertling said. “The ambition is to leverage this, and adapt it to local tastes. We want to bring Korean food to a broader audience, including all of its health and nutritional benefits.”

Previous European graduates of StartLife’s accelerator program include novel food applications for AI, gene editing and increased digitization to improve the sustainability of supply chains.

Korea goes global
Founded in 1953, CJ CheilJedang offers a broad range of foods and beverages across many supermarket categories.

The company already exports its products to more than 100 countries. Through the StartLife partnership, it aims to continue expanding the appeal of Korean food, which is well known for its traditions when it comes to cuisine, fermentation and agriculture.

This initiative includes sharing the nation’s long-standing expertise in algae cultivation, for instance, or in producing refined flavors and textures for meat substitutes.

New alternative protein products are forecast to reach more than US$290 billion by 2035 and could represent around 11% of the overall protein market. Moreover, two-thirds of consumption is expected to come from Asia-Pacific.

The plant-based movement has gained momentum in Korean cuisine over the last year, propelling launches such as Zikooin Company’s Unlimeat. This offering emulates the fire-grilled meat, which is a staple from Korea’s and across Asia’s tabletop BBQ culture at large.

Unveiled at the show floor of Anuga 2021, the “crispy exterior with a juicy interior” savory product is designed to be customizable for a broad range of flavors for various recipe opportunities. Zikooin patented a technology called protein compression to make its product, which was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration last year.

Gateway to Asian markets for Europe’s food-tech start-ups
For StartLife, the partnership brings opportunities to its network of start-ups looking to access the Asian market, especially those involved in health and nutrition and the protein transition.

Areas of interest for CJ CheilJedang extend along the supply chain from feed to finished products, as well as technologies and raw materials for more sustainable food production.

“It’s great to have Korea’s leading food company joining our community,“ comments Caroline Bijkerk, global partnership manager at StartLife.

“Start-ups can take advantage of this gateway to Korea and other Asian markets and the many potential synergies with CJ CheilJedang, including new product developments and future supplier-customer relationships.”

In recent developments indicating the high growth potential within the Asian food sector, Proterra Investment Partners Asia completed three new investments last week. These include nutrition and supplements business Zhong Hong, premium soy sauce brand Wuan Chuang and healthy beverage solutions company No Ordinary Drinks (NOD).

Food innovation hub
The newly established CJ Research Centre Europe is situated in a food-tech hub commonly known as the Netherlands’ “Food Valley,” which offers the ideal ecosystem for innovators working within the CJ CheilJedang-StartLife partnership.

Among ongoing projects taking place researchers from Wageningen University and Research are currently investigating what opportunities and dangers artificial intelligence can bring to the agri-food space, following US$2.5 million in funding from the Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek.

Other recent Food Valley developments include an investigation into breeding stronger crops faster, with the discovery of the PAR gene that allows plants to produce offspring without pollination. 

“We want to be part of StartLife’s ecosystem and all the innovations that are happening here,” adds Oertling.

“Wageningen is an ideal location for that. We want to link with innovative start-ups, partners and companies and then produce new offerings that bring a benefit to consumers, whether for health, convenience or sustainability.”

By Benjamin Ferrer

(origin)Food Ingredients First