ChosunBiz, the economic outlet of the Chosun Media Group, held the 2025 Foodtech & Trend Conference at the Westin Josun Hotel in Sogong-dong, Seoul on the 23rd. The event was held under the theme "Foodtech × Brand: The technology of taste, the strategy to sell (Food Meets Tech, Brand Meets Future)." About 200 people from the food and retail industries and figures from politics and government attended.
Hosted by ChosunBiz and sponsored by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the event is designed to identify and promote promising corporations and Start - Up in the food sector and to share rapidly changing food consumption trends and market shifts. ChosunBiz first held the Korea Food Awards in 2021, and since 2022 has expanded into the Foodtech field, the convergence of food and technology.
◇ "Public and private sectors join forces to foster Foodtech as a national growth engine"
Minister Song Mi-ryung of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said in congratulatory remarks, "The government will nurture Foodtech as a national growth engine leading innovation in the agri-food industry," adding, "To this end, the Foodtech Industry Promotion Act was enacted last year and is set to take effect in Dec." She continued, "Five Foodtech research support centers tailored to core technologies by region have been selected, and we will systematically foster a competitive Foodtech industry around them."
Rep. Cho Kyung-tae of the People Power Party, a member of the National Assembly's Agriculture. Food. Rural Affairs. Oceans. and Fisheries Committee, said, "Foodtech is not just one part of the food industry, but a new industrial ecosystem for health, the environment, and future generations," and added, "The National Assembly will work to lay an institutional foundation so the Foodtech industry can grow and to help corporations enter global markets stably."
Kim Young-soo, CEO of ChosunBiz, said in opening remarks, "Technology elevates taste, data shapes preferences, and brands complete the experience," adding, "Foodtech has established itself as the 'technology of taste and the language of the market' that goes beyond manufacturing innovation to transform consumer experiences and the industrial ecosystem."
◇ S-Food, Gogupizza, Nongshim, Lotte Chilsung, and Ageat Labs win awards
An awards ceremony was also held for corporations with promising Foodtech technologies. Five companies—S-Food Co., Gogupizza, Nongshim, LOTTE Chilsung Beverage, and Ageat Labs Co.—won awards. The judging panel included Kim Woo-gi, professor in the Department 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 of the Agri-Food Investment Business Unit at NH NongHyup Bank; and Executive Vice President Song Jin-ho of MAGNA Investment's Future Technology Investment Division. Executive Vice President Song said in the review, "This year we focused our evaluation on the sustainability and eco-friendliness of the technologies."
S-Food Co. received the Minister's Award from the agriculture ministry for "Kkodan Noodles," a protein noodle made from chicken breast. With a chicken breast content of 86%, it is a low-sodium, low-sugar product that uses no gluten. Executive Vice President Song said, "A (alternative) noodle product with a chicken breast ratio raised to 86% is an unprecedented technology globally," adding, "We have completed a PCT (international patent) application, so export potential is high."
Gogupizza received a main award for its advanced oven, "Goven Mini." Goven Mini is an ultra-high-heat oven that applies Internet of Things (IoT) technology for remote control. It was praised for implementing an innovative technology that makes it possible to operate ovens in the United States from Korea.
Nongshim won a main award for "Flavorlink," a next-generation food ingredient that reproduces meat or seafood flavors using plant-based materials. Executive Vice President Song explained that it is "a technology that expands global export opportunities beyond the constraints of specific cultural spheres."
LOTTE Chilsung Beverage received a main award for its "ultra-lightweight PET package" technology, which reduced plastic use by 18.9% for the first time in Korea. As of last year, it achieved a plastic reduction effect of 268 tons, meeting both eco-friendliness and value-consumption trends. Ageat Labs Co. received a main award for "oldernew," a mucin composite material extracted from snails. As a functional jelly with enhanced ingestibility, it was highly rated for cost competitiveness through the operation of a directly managed farm and for its refining and standardization technologies.
◇ Foodtech meets food companies, F&B, and K-food… changing the dining table landscape
Following the awards, lectures were held for those working in the food industry. Lee Ki-woong, head of the Food Science Research Institute at Dongwon F&B, delivered the keynote, explaining how Foodtech will shape the future of food companies. He said, "Foodtech is a technology that innovates the entire process of the food industry," and presented the concept of "Blue Food Tech." He discussed Dongwon Group's practical use of an artificial intelligence (AI)-equipped "tuna school detection drone," the plant-based tuna "My Plant," and byproduct upcycling technologies, saying that Foodtech can build a sustainable food ecosystem.
Nam Min-jung, CEO of Insight Platform, analyzed changes in Gen Z consumption behavior under the theme "The coexistence of analog experiences and digital Foodtech." Nam said, "Consumers now want immersion over efficiency," noting, "Foodtech is evolving from a tool that merely maximizes efficiency into a medium that designs emotional experiences."
Lectures on the globalization of hansik and K-food continued. Actor-chef Ryu Soo-young shared experiences under the theme "Home-cooked meals become a global feast," including a lecture at Stanford University in the United States and efforts to promote Korean cuisine in countries around the world. Ryu said, "Packaging that shows 'Gochujang' spelled as is, commonly seen overseas, is proof that K-food has established itself as a unique brand."
Executive Vice President (CMO) Lim Hye-soon of A Twosome Place said, "K-dessert will become the new star of the Korean Wave," adding, "Korean-style fresh cream cakes are highly complete products that combine technical stability, aesthetics, and emotion." Introducing "virtual advertising" using AI and 3D technologies and data marketing based on social listening, Lim said, "Foodtech is expanding beyond hardware into an emotional data industry."
In the subsequent panel discussion, participants exchanged views on the evolving world of alternative noodles through Foodtech. The leading companies actively entering the alternative noodle market are Daesang, S-Food, Sempio, and Pulmuone. They are expanding their lines of alternative noodle products for consumers who are cutting back on wheat flour for health and dieting reasons but cannot give up the chewy texture that noodles provide.
The discussion was led by Moon Jung-hoon, a professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology at Seoul National University. Experts in alternative noodle development took part, including Byun Myung-hee, H2 PO at Daesang Institute of Technology's Food Research Center; Park Jong-hee, BM of Earth Meal at Pulmuone Foods; Seo Dong-soon, head of marketing at Sempio Foods; and Kim Kyung-dae, Deputy Minister and head of the meat processing research and development (R&D) office at S-Food's Food Innovation Division.
They explained what technical efforts they made to maintain the chewy texture of wheat noodles while eliminating the distinctive smell of alternative noodles. There was also time for the panelists and audience to taste and evaluate products from the four alternative noodle food companies. An executive at a food company said, "It was easier to understand the discussion while tasting," adding, "I look forward to the new alternative noodle products to come."