< Previous10 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net IMPORT AND EXPORT © stock.adobe.com/norikko A country in the spotlight Food & Drink International 11 www.fdiforum.net IMPORT AND EXPORT W hether it be ramyeon noodles, the chilli paste gochujang or topokki rice cakes, K-Food is now found on shelves across the world, as the country sets its sights on boosting trade. 2024 marked a record year for exports of ‘K-Food Plus’ (a term referring to agri-food products and related industries), surpassing USD 13 billion. With 6.1% growth on the year prior, according to South Korea’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA), 2024 saw the exports of 14 items reach an all-time high, as well as an increase in the number of new export markets. The cumulative value of exports of Korean agri- food products (processed and non- processed food products, excluding aquatic food products) alone for the year witnessed a 9% leap, hitting USD 9.98 billion, with this growth rate almost three times as high as those of the past three years, showing nine consecutive years of growth since 2015. The largest importer stood as the U.S., followed by China and Japan. Entering 2025, the first half of the year has seen the value of exports of K-Food Plus reach USD 6.67 billion (provisional), jumping by 7.1% from the same period a year ago. Within this figure, exports of agri-food products reached a record high of USD 5.16 billion, up 8.4%. Significant export growth was marked in ramyeon (USD 731.7 million in exports, up by 24%), ice cream (USD 65.5 million, up by 23.1%) and sauces (USD 228.4 million, up by 18.4%), with exports of ramyeon driven by expanding worldwide popularity for spicy tastes, as well as the launch of new products. The rise in the exports has also been attributed to the establishment of a food supply and distribution system based on local Korean subsidiaries and local big-box stores in the U.S., China, and others, alongside the entry of ramyeon into new markets like Europe and the ASEAN region. An uptick in consumer awareness of Korean food and popularity of spicy ramyeon has pushed an increase in Riding the swelling wave of popularity around South Korean culture, with everything from K-Beauty to K-Dramas and K-Pop trending, the demand for Korean food is also building, showing vast export potential. 12 Á12 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net IMPORT AND EXPORT Korean sauces exports too, to the U.S., Japan, and China, including “gochujang” (red chili paste), “ssamjang” (a condiment made of fermented soybean paste), hot sauces, and “bulgogi” sauces. The largest exports of ice cream, meanwhile, were made to the U.S., where sales increased in big-box stores. For markets such as Canada, vegan ice cream, as a replacement for regular ice cream, spurred exports. Considering non-processed food, exports of chicken meat products hit USD 45.6 million in the first half of 2025, up 7.9% from the same period a year ago, and exports of “yuja” (a Korean citron) reached USD 28.5 million, up 5.5%. This saw exports of non- processed chicken meat products to Vietnam reach USD 36.1 million, up by 7.6%, exports of heat-treated chicken products to the U.S. hit USD 3.9 million, up by 15.1%, and exports of heat-treated chicken products to the EU and the UK reach USD 600,000, up by 1,019.4%. High popularity of “samgyetang” and Korean frozen chicken led the export growth in heat- treated chicken meat products. Meanwhile, as more consumers overseas look to incorporate “yuja” in healthy diets, global demand is increasing, driving up exports to markets including the U.S., Japan, and the EU. The figures come as a K-Food Plus export target of USD 14 billion has been set for 2025. Minister Song Miryung of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said: “By taking advantage of the solid export growth of K- Food Plus in the first half of the year, we will make the utmost effort to ensure that the exports of K-Food Plus will reach a target of USD 14 billion by the end of this year. To this end, we will provide a full support for Korean companies in diverse ways, such as development of products, online and offline promotion, consulting on export strategies, etc.” Amongst efforts to bolster K-Food exports, in hand with holding and attending trade fairs and investing in support programmes for utilising free trade agreements, in Singapore (a premium market within the Southeast Asian region), traditional Korean alcoholic beverages have been promoted to local influencers alongside Korean cuisine, while meetings have been held in France with local buyers importing Korean noodles, beverages, frozen poultry meat products, and traditional Korean © stock.adobe.com/ltyuanFood & Drink International 13 www.fdiforum.net IMPORT AND EXPORT alcoholic beverages, discussing ways to expand exports. Moreover, Korean melons (“chamoe”) are being promoted to Vietnamese consumers, with the first batch exported to Vietnam in 2025 after South Korea and Vietnam reached an agreement in quarantine negotiations in 2024 — a significant achievement since the start of quarantine negotiations in 2008. Exports of the fruit are set to be boosted with the help of a supply agreement with a local big-box store and a contract on in-flight food supply with a Vietnamese airline. Against growing uncertainty in the international trading environment, South Korea’s MAFRA selected 11 major export items for quarantine negotiations in March (2025), to expand the entry of Korean agricultural and livestock products into overseas markets, including sweet persimmons, Korean tangerines, kiwis, hanwoo beef, and heat-treated pork. Minister Song Miryung of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said: “We will make the utmost effort to expand the export markets for Korean agricultural and livestock products by taking advantage of strategic quarantine negotiations with our trading partners.” A key challenge for South Korea’s food exports, however, has arrived this year with the U.S.’ imposition of tariffs on imports, threatening the country’s trend of trade expansion. With a tariff rate of 15% applying to goods from South Korea, the MAFRA has stated it will take diverse measures to help alleviate Korean exporters’ burden and strengthen their position to respond to risks in overseas markets. This includes providing financial support for Korean exporters in purchasing raw materials and managing facilities and increasing the volume of export vouchers for agri-food products. Meanwhile, the MAFRA will continue to provide support for Korean companies to expand their share in large markets and to diversify their export markets into the Middle East, Latin America and the Caribbean, amongst other regions. This involves sales promotions of Korean food products in big-box stores, holding a buyers-exporters meeting, and promotion of Korean food products through networks of overseas diplomatic offices. As a global spotlight is being placed on South Korea, its culture and products, the country stands ready to take on a turbulent trading environment, setting its sights on maintaining momentum in K-food export expansion. © stock.adobe.com/DesignIt/imageBROKER14 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net ENVIRONMENTAL SPOTLIGHT S hoppers are used to checking food packaging for calories, sugar or fat content, but another measure is now starting to appear alongside them: the carbon footprint. From ready meals to bottled drinks, some products already carry figures that claim to show the greenhouse gases released from farm to shelf. What was once a niche experiment is gaining traction as both consumers and regulators push for more transparency about the environmental cost of what we eat and drink. The momentum behind carbon labelling comes from several directions. Surveys show that younger buyers in particular want to align their purchasing with climate concerns, even if price still drives many decisions. Retailers are setting net zero targets that require detailed data from suppliers, while governments in Europe and beyond are considering rules that would make disclosure mandatory. For companies, the pressure is no Carbon counts: Why food labels are going green As carbon labelling moves from trial to trend, food and drink companies face pressure to measure, disclose and reduce their environmental impact or risk losing consumer trust. 16 ÁFood & Drink International 15 www.fdiforum.net ENVIRONMENTAL SPOTLIGHT © stock.adobe.com/HollyHarry16 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net ENVIRONMENTAL SPOTLIGHT longer limited to marketing appeal; it is becoming tied to market access and compliance. Measuring food emissions, however, is far from straightforward. Supply chains in the industry are complex and often global. Emissions are spread across three categories: direct operations, purchased energy, and everything else in the value chain, such as farming practices, packaging materials and logistics. The last category, known as Scope 3, typically represents the majority of emissions in food and drink, and it is also the hardest to quantify. With no single accepted methodology, comparisons between products can be inconsistent, leaving companies open to claims of greenwashing if their figures are judged unreliable. Despite these hurdles, early adopters are showing what is possible. Some beverage companies have added carbon values to their labels, while snack and meal brands have launched trials in supermarkets. The impact on sales is mixed, but the reputational effect is more certain: disclosure builds trust and sets businesses apart as forward-looking. The risks are also evident. Brands that rely on incomplete data or simplified metrics have faced criticism, underlining the need for robust accounting and independent verification. Technology is starting to make the task easier. Digital platforms are emerging to map supply chains in detail, drawing on satellite data, farm records and transport logs. Blockchain systems offer traceability that can assure both retailers and regulators of accuracy. Artificial intelligence tools are being applied to estimate emissions in real time, linking farm practices or energy use directly to product-level data. These innovations are still developing, but they point to a future where carbon measurement becomes embedded in routine operations rather than a costly side project. Whether labels actually change behaviour remains contested. Studies suggest that while some consumers notice and value carbon data, price and taste still dominate purchasing decisions for most. There is evidence that younger and more environmentally conscious shoppers are more likely to act on the information, which makes disclosure valuable for targeting that demographic. For companies, the labels also serve a role beyond the shelf: they become part of broader sustainability storytelling, providing a tangible number that can be used in marketing, reporting and negotiations with retailers. There is also a strong business case for disclosure that goes beyond consumer influence. Conducting a full carbon audit often highlights inefficiencies impacting costs, such as excess energy use or wasteful logistics. Being able to demonstrate progress gives suppliers an edge with retailers setting sustainability criteria, and it helps prepare for the tightening of environmental regulations. In this sense, transparency is as much about resilience as reputation. It is likely that carbon labelling will shift from optional to expected. Retailers are already signalling that they want comparable data across their product ranges, and policymakers are exploring ways to © stock.adobe.com/BarongFood & Drink International 17 www.fdiforum.net ENVIRONMENTAL SPOTLIGHT standardise methods internationally. Without harmonisation, the risk is confusion, as different schemes present consumers with conflicting figures. The broader effect could go well beyond packaging. Once emissions are visible, they start to influence decisions at every stage: from choosing farm inputs and transport routes to designing packaging that balances preservation with environmental impact. The push for carbon transparency reflects a wider shift in expectations. Environmental responsibility in the food and drink sector is no longer a question of image; it is a matter of accountability. Companies that choose to disclose, and do so credibly, can position themselves as leaders at a time when trust is fragile and scrutiny is intense. Those that hold back risk being seen as out of step with both regulators and consumers. © stock.adobe.com/HollyHarry18 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net LABELLING, CODING AND TRACEABILITY © stock.adobe.com/rahuthFood & Drink International 19 www.fdiforum.net LABELLING, CODING AND TRACEABILITY W hen the world demands ever- greater transparency in food supply, labelling, coding and traceability cease to be optional extras and become central to competitive survival. Distributors, retailers and consumers expect to know not just what is in a product, but where every ingredient came from, how it was handled, and that it can be traced backwards in seconds. That shift is driving innovation throughout the traceability and coding space, with companies pushing beyond compliance and into systems that deliver speed, flexibility and trust. Regulatory frameworks remain the main driver. Stricter food safety rules, allergen management, import/export requirements, and recall obligations force food producers to capture and maintain complex records. But recent delays or extensions in regulatory deadlines haven’t cooled the momentum. For many businesses, the risk of falling short carries financial penalties, reputational damage or loss of contracting opportunities. So the industry is moving ahead of legal obligations: labelling and coding technologies are now being seen as necessary investments in risk mitigation. One of the fastest-growing trends is the use of smart labels, particularly RFID (radio- frequency identification), and advanced bar- coding, combined with digital software systems. These tools don’t just print what’s needed on the packaging: they embed traceable, granular data into the product lifecycle, allowing real-time tracking through the supply chain, precise inventory control, and fast, accurate recall if needed. Labelling and traceability move from compliance to competitiveness As regulations tighten and consumer expectations rise, the latest labelling and coding systems are giving manufacturers more than compliance - they are delivering speed, flexibility and trust across the supply chain. 20 ÁNext >