On the 23rd, five corporations were selected as winners of the "2025 Korea Foodtech Awards," hosted by ChosunBiz and sponsored by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs: S Food Co., Gopizza, Nongshim, LOTTE Chilsung Beverage, and AgeAt Labs Co.
The Korea Foodtech Awards is an event that discovers and widely promotes promising corporations and Start - Up in the food sector and shares rapidly changing food consumption trends and market shifts. This year's awards ceremony was held alongside the "Foodtech & Trend Conference," an event that looks at the future of the food industry where technological innovation and brand strategy converge.
This year's Korea Foodtech Awards judging panel included Kim U-gi, professor of food and nutrition at Yonsei University; Kim Ji-young, Director General of the Investment Screening Department at the Agricultural Policy Insurance & Finance Service (APFS); Park Mi-jung, Head of Team at NH NongHyup Bank's Agri-food Investment Business Unit; and Song Jin-ho, vice president of MAGNA Investment's Future Technology Investment Division.
The judging criteria were planning ability (20 points), execution (25 points), business potential (35 points), and organizational capability (25 points). Vice President Song Jin-ho, who served as a judge, said, "This year's judging focused on the sustainability and eco-friendliness of the technologies."
S Food Co. received the minister of agriculture, food and rural affairs award for its chicken breast protein noodle product "Kkodan Noodles." Kkodan Noodles is a low-sodium, low-sugar product with a chicken breast content of 86% and no gluten.
Song said, "There have been attempts before to make noodles from chicken breast, but raising the chicken breast ratio to 86% without mixing in separate molding materials is a technology unprecedented even globally."
He added, "S Food Co. has also completed a PCT (international patent) application for the technology, so exports of the product look promising."
Gopizza received a Korea Foodtech Award for its oven equipped with advanced technology, "Goven Mini." Goven Mini is a device that enables uniform cooking at an ultra-high temperature of 280 degrees and can be remotely controlled with Internet of Things (IoT) technology.
Song said, "Goven Mini is equipped with innovative technology that allows a product in the United States to be controlled from Korea. It was also highly rated for securing price competitiveness compared with existing products."
Nongshim received a Korea Foodtech Award for its next-generation food ingredient brand "Flavorlink." Flavorlink is a next-generation ingredient that reproduces the taste of meat or seafood using only plant-based materials and is a brand that originated from Nongshim's in-house venture program.
Song said, "Using Flavorlink's technology can not only improve existing products such as snacks and ramen, but also open new export opportunities for types of food that cannot be eaten in certain religious or cultural spheres."
LOTTE Chilsung Beverage received a Korea Foodtech Award for its "ultra-light PET package." This is the first technology in Korea to reduce plastic usage by 18.9% compared with existing PET bottles, lowering it to 9.4 g.
Song said, "Ultra-light PET aligns with the demands of consumers who pursue value consumption. As of last year, it achieved a plastic reduction effect of 268 tons (t), making it an environmentally positive technology."
AgeAt Labs Co. received a Korea Foodtech Award for its mucin complex extract "oldernew." Mucin is a major protein that makes up mucus and is produced in the cells of animals that secrete mucus. When ingested, it is known to coat the gastric and intestinal mucosa, easing stomach acid irritation and aiding digestion.
Song said, "Oldernew is a functional jelly that increases ingestible suitability by extracting mucin from snails and then refining, reducing its molecular weight, and standardizing it. It also secured cost competitiveness by sourcing raw materials from its own farm, and it was highly rated for the strong management of its brand and distribution channels."