As the probiotics market has grown to about 890 billion won, hy (formerly Korea Yakult) has moved to bolster its technological competitiveness based on some 5,000 strains. With consumer interest in functional ingredients rising, it appears aimed at securing strain diversity and stability.
According to the Korea Health Functional Food Association on the 12th, the domestic health functional food market in 2023 was 6.2022 trillion won, up 26% from 2019. Of that, the probiotics market is about 890 billion won. It accounts for the largest share among single functional-ingredient markets.
Probiotics is a collective term for gut microorganisms that help health, called "beneficial bacteria" in Korean. As awareness spreads that steady intake is needed to keep the intestinal environment healthy, the related market is rapidly expanding.
Founded in 1976, the hy Central Research Institute holds the nation's largest strain library, with 5,091 strains. Based on this, it has secured 106 registered patents and 61 patented strains. Strains isolated from foods, humans, and fermented ingredients are stored frozen and used for functional evaluations and safety studies.
Flagship strain HY2782 is known to be resistant to bile and gastric acid, with a high survival rate in the gut. hy enhanced its survivability and adhesion through proprietary culturing technology. It later completed NDI registration with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), earning recognition for international safety. HY2782 is a core ingredient used in all of hy's fermented milk and probiotics products.
In particular, as competition among corporations intensifies, coating technologies that boost strain survivability are becoming differentiated. hy strengthened acid resistance, bile resistance, and gastrointestinal survivability through its self-developed dual coating technology, and improved distribution of raw materials by increasing storage stability in both refrigerated and room temperatures.
Lee Jae-hwan, head of hy's Central Research Institute, said, "hy is a probiotics specialist with proprietary technology from strain isolation to culturing," adding, "We will continue to demonstrate the usefulness of our strains through research grounded in scientific evidence."